Caracterización morfométrica del ovino Pelibuey local en Yucatán, México

Morphological characterization of the Pelibuey sheep of Yucatan, Mexico ABSTRACT: To characterize morphometrically the Pelibuey sheep breed of Yucatan State, Mexico, three data bases or strata were used: I. Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food; II. Specialized Association of Sheep Farmers of Merida; and III. Livestock Union of Tizimin. Sample size and producers to provide the animals were determined within strata. A total of 369 male and female animals, corresponding to the breed standards and over a year of age, were selected and classified by stratum and coat color: coffee, white, and pinto. Five phaneroptical and 11 morphostructural characteristics, in addition to body weight, were recorded per animal. All presented coffee-colored eyes. Non pigmented tongue dominated among the coffee (80%) and white (76%) coat colors, whereas pigmented tongue was dominant for the pinto (64%). Black hooves dominated in the coffee-coated individuals (57%), light colored hooves in the white coated (68%), and marbled hooves in the pintos (75%). The proportions of wooly (30%) and wattled (2%) individuals were common to all coat colors. Not significantly different (P 0.005) among strata were live weight, head length, neck length, hip length, and longitudinal diameter in males; and neck length, wither height, hip length, hip width, and thoracic perimeter in females. Significant differences (P<0.005) among coat colors were found for hip width in males and head width in females. The highest correlation in both males (0.92) and females (0.87) was that of hip height and wither height. Differences found among strata are associated with differences in the production systems. The minimum variation existing among the three coal colors indicate that they all come from a common racial trunk.