Review of Sheep and Goat Research and Development in Egypt Since the Forties: II-Phenotypic Characteristics, Production, and Reproduction Performance of Local Sheep Breeds

Egyptian local sheep breeds are widely spread over the country; raised mainly by smallholders and contribute significantly to their livelihood. Local breeds are well adapted to the prevailing hot dry conditions, and limited feed resources. They are fat-tailed sheep, open coarse wool and raised mainly for meat and lamb production. There are four major sheep breeds in Egypt; Rahmani sheep in north-Delta, Ossimi sheep in MidEgypt, Barki sheep in the Mediterranean coastal zone, and Saidi sheep in Upper Egypt. Minor local breeds are Fallahi, Wahati, Abudeleik, and Suhagi sheep located mainly in the south and in boarder governorates. Special and unique phenotypic characteristics are described for each breed. Production performance of the main local breeds include body weights, carcass quality, wool, and milk production, are tabulated as reported in the literature. Reproduction performance involving age at puberty, estrous, and breeding activity are discussed. Adaptability of local breeds to the prevailing subtropical environment, specially heat stress are presented. Key issues as the advantages of the local breeds, within the ongoing debate on breeding adapted law producing local animals, vs. high producing low tolerant exogenous breeds are discussed. Improvement programs for local sheep breeds requires sort of nucleus flock structure, as breeders association or village flocks, and the utilization of the recent findings of genomic analysis.