Factors affecting the birth weight and neonatal mortality of Massa and Fulbe sheep breeds in a hot and dry environment, Cameroon

Abstract

From 1986 to 1991, data from 377 and 422 Massa and Fulbe lambs were collected for birth weights and neonatal mortalities. The data were obtained from random bred foundation populations kept at the Animal Research Unit, Yagoua, Cameroon. Data analyzed by GLM procedure and chi-square were used to identify and quantify factors affecting birth weight and neonatal mortality. Results indicated highly significant breed, season and year of birth, birth type, parity, season by breed and season by year of birth effects on birth weight (p < 0.001). Breed by parity, breed by birth type, birth type by parity (p < 0.01) were equally significant sources of variation of birth weight. Though the Fulbe breed had a significantly higher birth weight than the Massa (2.88 vs. 1.99 kg), mortality in the latter was significantly lower (49.76 vs. 50.24 %). Mortality was significantly lower during the rainy season (16.82 %) than during the cold dry (42.90 %) and hot dry (40.28 %) seasons. The Massa breed though with a smaller birth weight was more adapted to the hot and dry environment than the Fulbe. Programming breeding for rainy season lambing could therefore increase productivity and production of both breeds.