The relationship between live weight and body measurements of Chios lambs at different periods

Abstract

The data of 60 male Chios lambs raised in western Turkey on a farm registered with the Sheep and Goat Breeders' Association were used. Two datasets were generated to determine the correlations between weaning (90 d) and six-month traits in lambs. A canonical analysis was performed to determine the correlation between body weight measured at the weaning period and six morphological traits —dataset X-weaning weight (WW), body length (BL), wither height (WH), heart girth (HG), chest width (CW), rump width (RW), and rump length (RL)— and body weight measured at six months and six morphological traits —dataset Y-body weight (LW_6), body length (BL_6), wither height (WH_6), heart girth (HG_6), chest width (CW_6), rump width (RW_6), and rump length (RL_6). Only the first (U1V1) of the seven pairs of canonical dimensions was statistically significant. The contribution of body weight, WH, and RW to the explanatory effect of canonical variables estimated from morphological traits of Chios lambs was greater at weaning age than other body measurements. Canonical correlation analysis and variables (U1 and V1) can be used as a generic measure of variables, X and Y, respectively. The cross-loadings indicated that body weight, RW, and WH in the weaning period were more effective in V1 determination than other traits; WH, RL, and LW_6 were more influential in U1 determination. This study is the first to use canonical correlation analysis to determine the correlation between live weight and body measurements in Chios lambs, presenting early selection criteria for Chios lamb breeding studies.