Assessing the Current State of Curl Type Improvement for Karakul of Botoşani Breed in Relation to the Color Variety

Abstract

The curl’s form and type has always been an important objective of improving the Karakul of Botoşani sheep because some traits such as length, degree of closure, width and height are reflected in an original way over the general aspect of the pelt, influencing the aesthetic and commercial value of them. In pelt’s performance-specific control activities, for quality analysis is insisted mainly on the main traits that influence the expression with a certain type or curl form. In order to create conditions for genetic expression of the desired curl shape, it is necessary to follow the improvement of the following parameters: length, height, width, degree of closure, circumferential direction, contour and layout of the pelt surface curls. The used method in the assessment of the objectives was based on the technical norms specified in Section 1.4 and 1.5 of the MADR Order no. 22 / 20.01.2006, and the statistical processing of the data was based on the use of S.A.V.C. The assessment of the type of curls in long and medium tubes shows a considerable improvement in this character since the type was identified in 65.11% of cases in 2005 and increased to 66.66% in 2015. On the respective interval, the proportion of the desired lambs increased by more than 1.5%, the difference being statistically significant for p<0.01. The proportion of lambs where the curl was predominantly of the flattened type and with a low degree of closure, respectively wave or smooth, was kept within relatively constant limits placed around 20%, with relatively reduced variations from one generation to the next.