GROWTH TRENDS IN BODY DIMENSIONS OF HARNALI LAMBS AT DIFFERENT AGES

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted to see trends in nine body measurements of 94 Harnali lambs at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. The least squares means for BL, BH, HG, PG, TL, HC, EL, EW and FL of lambs at 3 months of age were estimated as 52.32±0.83, 54.38±0.70, 55.70±0.82, 56.50±0.91, 20.36±0.52, 35.36±0.44, 14.90±0.23, 8.04±0.13 and 15.06±0.22 cm, respectively in males; 51.04±0.66, 53.54±0.81, 55.84±0.74, 55.11±0.90, 19.04±0.48, 35.11±0.40, 14.54±0.26, 7.93±0.14 and 14.61±0.26 cm, respectively in females. The corresponding estimates at 12 months of age were estimated as 67.44±0.95, 70.66±0.63, 73.44±0.86, 75.22±0.96, 26.75±0.89, 43.71±0.74, 16.64±0.63, 8.77±0.23 and 22.54±0.39 cm, respectively in males; 61.17±0.59, 63.14±0.47, 66.55±0.54, 68.10±0.70, 23.74±0.38, 39.62±0.39, 16.35±0.29, 8.74±0.16 and 18.30±0.14 cm, respectively in females. The linear body measurements in Harnali lambs showed a continuous increase from 3 to 12 months of age. There was a significant difference between male and female lambs at all ages with regards to body measurements except for EL and EW. It was noticed that BL, BH, HG, PG, TL and HC increased 23.61 to 33.13 per cent in male lambs and 12.84 to 23.57 per cent in female lambs between 3 to 12 months of age. EL and EW showed least increase during this period in lambs of both sexes which was between 9.08 to 12.45 per cent. Maximum increase was observed in FL of male lambs (49.67%). The growth trends in body dimensions of Harnali lambs from 3 to 12 months of age clearly indicated that surplus animals should be disposed off between 6-9 months of age for better returns.