Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities

This study evaluated the impact of breed, age, and feeding systems on the productivity of indigenous sheep breeds (Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri) in North Waziristan. A total of 600 sheep were categorized by breed, age, and feeding regimen, including grazing-only (T1) and varying concentrate supplementa...

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Main Authors: Hashim Ullah, Abdur Rahman, Rifat Ullah Khan, Ibrhaim A. Alhidary, Naseer Khan Momand
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Journal of Applied Animal Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09712119.2025.2519783
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author Hashim Ullah
Abdur Rahman
Rifat Ullah Khan
Ibrhaim A. Alhidary
Naseer Khan Momand
author_facet Hashim Ullah
Abdur Rahman
Rifat Ullah Khan
Ibrhaim A. Alhidary
Naseer Khan Momand
author_sort Hashim Ullah
collection DOAJ
description This study evaluated the impact of breed, age, and feeding systems on the productivity of indigenous sheep breeds (Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri) in North Waziristan. A total of 600 sheep were categorized by breed, age, and feeding regimen, including grazing-only (T1) and varying concentrate supplementation levels (T2–T4). Results showed that Waziri sheep, particularly under high concentrate (T4), exhibited superior average daily gain (ADG) and body condition score (BCS), followed by Balkhi and Mazai breeds. Intensive feeding (T3 and T4) significantly enhanced dry matter intake (DMI) and weight gain across all breeds (p < 0.05), with Waziri hoggets reaching a peak DMI of 900 g/day in T4. Age-related differences were significant; adult rams showed better weight gain and DMI than younger hoggets under identical feeding conditions (p < 0.03). Weight gains varied by breed, with Waziri yearlings reaching a mean final weight gain of 20.9 kg under T4, highlighting their adaptability to intensive feeding. The interaction effects showed that breed, feeding intensity, and age all substantially influenced productivity, with Waziri sheep demonstrating the highest potential under intensive feeding conditions. These findings underscore the importance of breed-specific nutrition strategies for optimizing sheep production in arid regions.
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spelling doaj-art-57fd71e2db154d848e6e08f850cf13b02025-08-20T02:36:16ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of Applied Animal Research0971-21190974-18442025-12-0153110.1080/09712119.2025.2519783Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensitiesHashim Ullah0Abdur Rahman1Rifat Ullah Khan2Ibrhaim A. Alhidary3Naseer Khan Momand4Department of Livestock, Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, PakistanDepartment of Livestock, Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, PakistanPhysiology Lab, College of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, PakistanDepartment of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, Riayadh, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Engineering Research Center of Nutritional Feed Development, Jiangxi Agriculture University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of ChinaThis study evaluated the impact of breed, age, and feeding systems on the productivity of indigenous sheep breeds (Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri) in North Waziristan. A total of 600 sheep were categorized by breed, age, and feeding regimen, including grazing-only (T1) and varying concentrate supplementation levels (T2–T4). Results showed that Waziri sheep, particularly under high concentrate (T4), exhibited superior average daily gain (ADG) and body condition score (BCS), followed by Balkhi and Mazai breeds. Intensive feeding (T3 and T4) significantly enhanced dry matter intake (DMI) and weight gain across all breeds (p < 0.05), with Waziri hoggets reaching a peak DMI of 900 g/day in T4. Age-related differences were significant; adult rams showed better weight gain and DMI than younger hoggets under identical feeding conditions (p < 0.03). Weight gains varied by breed, with Waziri yearlings reaching a mean final weight gain of 20.9 kg under T4, highlighting their adaptability to intensive feeding. The interaction effects showed that breed, feeding intensity, and age all substantially influenced productivity, with Waziri sheep demonstrating the highest potential under intensive feeding conditions. These findings underscore the importance of breed-specific nutrition strategies for optimizing sheep production in arid regions.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09712119.2025.2519783Indigenous sheep breedsfeeding systemsaverage daily gain (ADG)body condition score (BCS)north Waziristan
spellingShingle Hashim Ullah
Abdur Rahman
Rifat Ullah Khan
Ibrhaim A. Alhidary
Naseer Khan Momand
Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities
Journal of Applied Animal Research
Indigenous sheep breeds
feeding systems
average daily gain (ADG)
body condition score (BCS)
north Waziristan
title Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities
title_full Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities
title_fullStr Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities
title_full_unstemmed Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities
title_short Productive performance of Balkhi, Mazai, and Waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities
title_sort productive performance of balkhi mazai and waziri sheep breeds under different feeding intensities
topic Indigenous sheep breeds
feeding systems
average daily gain (ADG)
body condition score (BCS)
north Waziristan
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09712119.2025.2519783
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