The effect of age and sex on body weight and body and fat-tail dimensions of awassi sheep in Jordan

Abstract EN

Body weight and body and fat-tail dimensions were measured for 91 Awassi ewes and 22 Awassi rams at Khanasri Research Station in Jordan.

This was to determine the effect of sex and age on body configuration of Awassi sheep.

Body weight significantly affected body length (P < 0.05), wither and hip heights, heart girth, wither and hip widths (P < 0.01), tail width and length (P < 0.05), and tail width at joint (P < 0.01).

Sex had a significant effect (P < 0.01) on all characteristics studied, except heart girth.

Dimensions related to width and fat-tail were higher in values for ewes than those obtained for rams.

However, rams' measurements related to weight, length and height, were higher than those for ewes.

Hip height was higher than wither height.

Ewes’ tail was larger (P < 0.01) than that for rams .

Age significantly affected body weight (P<0.01), fat-tail width at joint tail length (P < 0.05) and fat-tail height (P < 0.1).

Interaction between sex and age significantly affected body weight, wither and hip height (P < 0.05).

Awassi rams reach mature body weight (79.4 kg) at four years of age, while Awassi ewes reach this weight (66.3 kg) at five years of age.

This study characterizes Awassi sheep in Jordan at different ages.