Sex-based analysis of linear body measurements and their correlation with body weight in indigenous Sabi sheep

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 120%; mso-pagination: none; layout-grid-mode: char; mso-layout-grid-align: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-autospace: none; margin: 12.0pt 0cm 6.0pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Body weight estimation accuracy is key to efficient sheep management and improved animal performance. This study investigated sex-based differences in the correlation between body weight (BWT) and linear body measurements (LBM) in indigenous Sabi sheep. A dataset comprising 173 Sabi sheep (112 ewes, 22 rams, and 39 wethers) from Zimbabwe’s Matopos Research Institute was analyzed, revealing significant positive correlations between body weight and linear measurements, particularly in ewes and rams. Heart girth exhibited the strongest positive correlation with body weight across sexes, with rams demonstrating higher correlation coefficients than ewes. Notably, body length in rams (<em>r</em> = 0.90) had a significantly higher correlation coefficient with body weight compared to ewes (<em>r</em> = 0.79). Conversely, weaker correlations were observed for Thurl width and pin bone width in wethers. The study identified sex-based differences in the relationships between body weight and linear measurements, indicating sexual dimorphism. Heart girth, body length, and chest depth emerged as key predictors of body weight in indigenous Sabi sheep. These findings underscore the importance of considering sex in understanding the relationship between body weight and linear body measurements in this breed, with implications for enhancing breeding programs and management practices for indigenous Sabi sheep. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the necessity of sex-specific data analysis when examining the correlation between body weight and linear body measurements in indigenous Sabi sheep to ensure accurate and reliable results.</span></p>