Productivity of the Libyan Barbary Sheep in Relation to Face Color

Abstract

The Libyan Barbary breed is generally white in color with black, brown, white or more rarely pied face and legs. Over the course of several thousand years, the breed has become fully suitable to the semi-arid and desert conditions of Libya. An experiment was carried out at Al-Fateh University Sheep Experiment Station near Tripoli to compare the productivity of the three main face colors. The flock was sorted according to face color into four groups, representing the black, brown, white and mixed face color ewes. The animals of each group were mated with rams of the same color for two consecutive years. The traits measured on ewes were fertility, greasy fleece weight and staple length, while those measured on lambs were survival and weights at birth, weaning and at monthly intervals over a period of three months post weaning.

The results obtained showed no significant differences in fertility, birth weight, survival of lambs to weaning and weaning weight between the different face color. The lack of superiority of any face color in these traits was exaplained by the hypothesis that there is probably little genetic differences between the three main face colors.

Face color was associated with significant variation in post weaning weights and fleece weight. Lambs from the brown faced ewes were from 2.0 to 6.0 kg heavier in post weaning weights than lambs from the white faced ewes. There appeared to be no difference between lambs from brown and black faced ewes. White faced ewes produced 0.30, 0.35 and 0.23 kg more fleece than the black, brown or mixed color ewes, respectively. Further studies are recommended to establish the inheritance of color in the Libyan barbary sheep before selection could be applied to develop strains within the breed that excelling in postweaning weights or those excelling in wool production. The effects of sex and environmental factors on the different traits studied were also evaluated.