Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
more economical in terms of meat production under the conditions of intensive feeding.<br />
Keeping in view the research results so far available, it has been recommended that to augment<br />
body weight and the overall meat productivity, the native breeds with no wool or with very<br />
coarse wool may be crossed with Dorset. The exotic level of inheritance may be limited to 50<br />
per cent only.<br />
10. 4 <strong>Sheep</strong> for pelt production<br />
Breeding Karakul sheep for pelts has also given encouraging results. Performance of<br />
Karakul sheep imported from U.S.S.R. has been tested at the Division of Carpet Wool and<br />
Karakul Pelt Production at Bikaner of CSWRI which is located in the hot arid region and also<br />
at <strong>Sheep</strong> Breeding Farm, Kumbhathang, Leh (Ledakh), Jammu and Kashmir which is located in<br />
the cold arid region as purebreds and has been found to be satisfactory as reflected from the<br />
body weight, overall survival, conception rate, greasy fleece weight and quality of pelts. The<br />
results of crossbreeding Karakul with some indigenous coarse carpet wool breeds have also<br />
been encouraging. The pelts produced from halfbred involving Malpura and Sonadi-indigenous<br />
breeds of Rajasthan have shown marked improvement and are comparable to Karakul pelt<br />
types. This technology can profitably be utilised by farmers as a new dimension for increasing<br />
their family income.<br />
10.5 Studies on canary colouration<br />
Biological causes of canary colouration (a major problem in the northwestern region) have<br />
been investigated. It is observed that it is a sequel to adaptive mechanism in hot and humid<br />
climate conditions and thermo-regulatory mechanism requiring dissipation of body heat<br />
through cutaneous evaporative cooling. Alkaline suint under the conditions of high temperature<br />
and humidity reacts with wool fibre and causes the yellow colouration. For the elimination of<br />
this defect it has been recommcnded to practice a shearing regimen with an interval of four and<br />
eight months. The sheep may be shorn in June and again in September, so that, the June to<br />
September clip which is canary coloured can be curtailed to a minimum quantity.<br />
463