Prediction of live body weight from linear body measurements in sheep breeds of Botswana
Article Sidebar
Abstract Views: 246
File Views: 54
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract. Pelotshweu K, Bolowe MA, Mosweu NP, Thutwa K, Kgwatalala PM. 2025. Prediction of live body weight from linear body measurements in sheep breeds of Botswana. Biodiversitas 26: 2696-2705. Phenotypic correlation data serve as a baseline to predict the outcomes of selection, which can in turn be used to inform appropriate conservation and breed improvement programs and strategies. Therefore, the study aimed to determine phenotypic correlations between body weight and morphometric traits and develop body weight prediction equations using morphometric traits for different sheep (Ovis aries) breeds in Botswana. Phenotypic correlation coefficients were determined from 595 sheep (Damara: 79, Dorper: 177, Karakul: 135, Meat-master: 156; Tswana: 48). Prediction equations were estimated from 94 sheep (Damara: 20, Dorper: 30, Karakul: 16, Meat-master: 28) using Stepwise regression procedures of Statistical Analysis System (SAS) 9.4. The highest positive significant (p<0.05) correlation coefficients were found between body weight and heart girth in both sexes across different sheep breeds. Males had higher correlation coefficients than females, except for Karakul males. Body length was more positively correlated (r: 0.81, 0.79, and 0.97) with body weight than height at withers (r: 0.78, 0.44, and 0.08) in Dorper, Meat-master, and Tswana male sheep, respectively. Morphometric traits like heart girth, body length, height at withers, neck length, cannon bone length, cannon bone circumference, and scrotal circumference in males were used for the prediction of body weight in Dorper, Damara, Meat-master, and Karakul sheep. Heart girth accounted for more variability in the prediction model for both sexes of all breeds, except for Damara males, where it was coupled with body length to predict their body weight. This indicates that body weight can be indirectly selected through selection for heart girth, height at withers, and body length. The study shows that heart girth, height at withers, and body length are the main traits that can be used in prediction equations of different sheep breeds to estimate body weight in the absence of weighing scales.
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Akinwande MO, Dikko HG, Samson A. 2015. Variance inflation factor: As a condition for the inclusion of suppressor variable (s) in regression analysis. Open J Stat 5: 754-767. DOI: 10.4236/ojs.2015.57075.
Atta M, Ali A, Baker S, Mohamed MB, Al-Dosari HH, Al-Shamari HS. 2023. Prediction of body weight using body measurements in some sheep and goats in Qatar. J Appl Anim Res 52 (1): 1-7. DOI: 10.1080/09712119.2023.228817.
Becker SJ. 2021. Phenotypic Characterization of Meat Master Sheep using Quantitative and Qualitative Trait Analysis. [Thesis]. Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02768-2.
Bolowe MA, Thutwa K, Kgwatalala PM, Monau PI, Malejane C. 2021. Phenotypic characterization of indigenous Tswana sheep population in selected Districts of Southern Botswana. Afr J Agric Res 17 (10): 1268-1280. DOI: 10.5897/AJAR2021.15736.
Castillo PE, Macedo RJ, Arredondo V, Zepeda JL, Valencia-Posadas M, Haubi CU. 2023. Morphological description and live weight prediction from body measurements of Socorro Island Merino Lambs. J Anim 13: 1-11. DOI: 10.3390/ani13121978.
Dakhlan A, Saputra A, Hamdani MDI, Sulastri. 2020. Regression models and correlation analysis for prediction body weight of female Ettawa grade goat using its body measurements. Adv Anim Vet Sci Regres 8 (11): 1142-1146. DOI: 10.17582/journal.aavs/2020/8.11.1142.1146.
FAO. 2012. Phenotypic Characterization of Animal Genetic Resources. FAO, Rome. www.fao.org/docrep/015/ i2686e/i2686e00.pdf.
Faraz A, Tirink C, Eyduran E, Waheed A, Tauqir NA, Nabeel MS, Tariq MM. 2021. Prediction of live body weight based on body measurements in Thalli sheep under tropical conditions of Pakistan using CART and MARS. Trop Anim Health Prod 53: 301. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02748-6.
Fatih A, Celik S, Eyduran E, Tirink C, Tariq MM, Sheikh IS, Faraz A, Waheed A. 2021. Use of MARS algorithm for predicting mature weight of different camel (Camelus dromedarius) breeds reared in Pakistan and morphological characterization via cluster analysis. Trop Anim Health Prod 53 (191): 1-14. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02633-2.
Haq MS, Budisatria IGS, Panjono P, Maharani D. 2020. Prediction of live body weight using body measurements for Jawa Brebes (Jabres) Cattle. J Anim Plant Sci 30: 552-559. DOI: 1036899/JAPS.2020.3.0065.
Hlokoe VR, Mokoena K, Tyasi TL. 2022. Using multivariate adaptive regression splines and classification and regression tree data mining algorithms to predict body weight of Nguni cows. J Appl Anim Res 50 (1): 534-539. DOI: 10.1080/09712119.2022.2110498.
Ibrahim A, Artama WT, Budisatria IGS, Yuniawan R, Atmoko BA, Widayanti R. 2021.Regression model analysis for prediction of body weight from body measurements in female Batur sheep of Banjarnegara District, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22 (7): 2723-2730. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d220721.
Kgaudi K. 2014. Milk Production Potential and Major Browse Species Consumed by Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Tsabong Area, Southern Kgalagadi District. [Thesis]. Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana.
Kumar S, Dahiya SP, Malik ZS, Patil CS. 2017. Prediction of body weight from linear body measurements in sheep. Indian J Anim Res 3360: 1-4. DOI: 10.18805/ijar.B-3360.
Madikadike MK, Tyasi TL. 2024. Growth traits as predictors of body weight in sheep: A review. World Vet J 14 (2): 284-292. DOI: 10.54203/scil.2024.wvj35.
Mahmud MA, Shaba P, Abdulsalam W, Yisa HY, Gana J, Ndagi S, Ndagimba R. 2014. Live body weight estimation using cannon bone length and other body linear measurements in Nigerian breeds of sheep. J Adv Vet Anim Res 1 (4): 169-176. DOI: 10.5455/javar.2014.a29.
Mathapo MC, Tyasi TL, Mugwabana JT. 2025. Prediction of body weight from linear body measurements traits of Nguni goats in the Limpopo province. J Appl Anim Res 53 (1): 1-8. DOI: 10.1080/09712119.2025.2462581.
Michael A, Kefelegn K, Yoseph M. 2016. Phenotypic characterization of indigenous sheep types in Northern Ethiopia. J Nat Sci Res 6 (15): 16-27.
Mohammed J, Abegaz S, Lakew M, Tarekegn G.M. 2018. Phenotypic characterization of dorper, local sheep and their crossbred sheep population in North Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia. J Bio Agric Health 8 (1): 15-25. DOI: 10.13057/tropdrylands/t010101.
Mohd-Hafiz AW, Izuan-Bahtiar AJ, Mohamad-Hifzan R, Ariff OM, Faezal-Ashraff AL. 2016. Body weight prediction of Brakmas and Bali cattle using body measurements. Mal J Anim Sci 19 (1): 1-7.
Ozenturk U, Eltas O, Demir O, Sayim AA. 2025. Assessment of the relationship between body weight and body measurements among Morkaraman, Tushin and Awassi sheeps with different ages. Vet Hekim Der Derg 96 (1): 41-51. DOI: 10.33188/vetheder.1529093.
Ramirez-Bautista MA, Cruz-Tamayo AA, Gastelum-Delgado MA, Aguilar-Quinonez JA, Tyasi TL, Gurgel ALC, Garcia-Herrera RA, Chay-Canul AJ. 2023. Relationship between body weight and scrotal circumference in growing Pelibuey sheep raised under tropical conditions. Art Bras Med Vet Zootec 74: 3. DOI: 10.1590/1678-4162-12902.
Rashijane LT, Mokoena K, Tyasi TL. 2023. Using multivariate adaptive regression splines to estimate the body weight of savanna goats. J Anim 13 (7): 1146. DOI: 10.3390/ ani13071146.
Rotimi EA, Momoh OM, Egahi JO. 2020. Relationship between bodyweight and morphological traits in Sahelian goats of Nigeria using path analysis. J Agric Sci 25 (3): 455-460. DOI: 10.37908/mkutbd.737231.
Sabbioni A, Beretti V, Superchi P, Ablondi M. 2020. Bodyweight estimation from body measures in Cornigliese sheep breed. Ital J Anim Sci 19: 25-30. DOI: 10.1080/1828051X.2019.1689189.
Saputro DC, Panjono, Jannah ZN, Saputra AD, Fauzi AM, Warman AT, Atmoko BA, Ibrahim A. 2025. Body weight estimation of male Sakub sheep based on morphometric traits. Earth Environ Sci 1476: 012006. DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1476/1/012006.
Seifu E, Madibela OR, Teketay D. 2019. Camels in Botswana: Herd dynamics and future development implications. Bojaas 13 (1): 12-25. DOI: 10.37106/bojaas.2019.18.
Selala LJ, Tyasi TL. 2022. Using morphological traits to predict body weight of dorper sheep lambs. World Vet J 12 (1): 66-73. DOI: DOI: 10.54203/scil.2022.wvj9.
Taye M, Yilma M, Rischkowsky B, Dessie T, Okeyo M, Mekuriaw G, Haile A. 2016. Morphological characteristics and linear body measurements of Doyogeena sheep in Doyogena district of SNNPR, Ethiopia. Afr J Agric Res 11: 4873-4885. DOI: 10.5897/ajar2016.11826.
Temoso O, Coleman M, Baker D, Morley P, Baleseng L, Makgekgenene A, Bahta S. 2017. Using path analysis to predict body weight from body measurements of goats and sheep of communal rangelands in Botswana. S Afr J Anim Sci 47 (6): 854-863. DOI: 10.4314/sajas.v47i6.13.
Wilson RT, Durkin JW. 1984. Age at permanent incisor eruption in indigenous goats and sheep in semi-arid Africa. Livest Prod Sci 11 (4): 451-455. DOI: 10.1016/0301-6226(84)90056.