Preliminary Studies On Uncovering And Evaluation Of Sheep Resources In Sichuan Province

The experiment made a preliminary integration on sheep resources of Sichuan province by arranging literature as well as determination of production traits.Mountains Tebetan Sheep,Liangshan Semi-fine-wool Sheep and a new breed found in Butuo county,the temporary name of which is Butuo Black Sheep,are distributed in southwestern mountains area in Sichuan.Plateau Tibetan Sheep,Valley Tibetan Sheep and Jialuo Sheep are distributed in western plateau area.Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep multiply and improve native sheep breeds well.Valley Tibetan Sheep has unique biological traits,and people seldom did research on Butuo Black sheep which is distributed in Butuo county in Liangshan State before.In this test,ewes of five crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep,which are the hybrids of Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep with Valley Tibetan Sheep,and five Butuo Black Sheep were random selected in Liangshan.Growth and development index,slaughter performance,meat quality,nutrient composition,minerals,amino acids,fatty acids and volatile flavor compounds were analyzed in the two resources.The results showed:Growth and development indexes of crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep were higher than Butuo Black Sheep except tube circumference.Slaughter performance and meat quality of Crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep were greater than Butuo Black Sheep except muscular apparatus area and muscle fiber diameter.Nutrient composition of crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep were slightly higher than those of Butuo Black Sheep in initial moisture content,crude fat and pyrolysis value,other nutrient composition are lower than that of Butuo Black Sheep.Minerals of Butuo Black Sheep in iron,zinc,sodium and magnesium were lower than those of crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep,Minerals of Butuo Black Sheep are higher in other minerals.The amino acids are abundance in the two resources.Non-essential amino acids of Butuo Black Sheep were slightly higher than those of crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep except cystine.Essential amino acids of Butuo Black Sheep were slightly higher in arginine,tryptophan and valine,other essential amino acids of Butuo Black Sheep were lower. The proportions of essential amino acids in protein of crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep were higher than those of Butuo Black Sheep overall,arginine excluded.Myristic acid,palmitic acid,palmitoleic acid,stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid,arachidic acids and linolenic acid were main fatty acids in Butuo Black Sheep and crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool sheep.The main volatile components in the two resources are caproic aldehyde, enanth aldehyde,1-octene-3-alcohol,2-amyl furan,2,3-ketone of suberic,caprylic aldehyde, benzaldehyde and nonanal, there were individual differences in different sheep.48volatile flavor compounds were detected in Butuo Black Sheep, while56were detected in crossbred Liangshan Semi-fine-wool Sheep.Aldehydes may be dominant in the volatile flavor compounds.11varieties which were introduced had good adaptability overall in Sichuan province.In exsisting data sorting,almost all the sheep species have durable body constitution and well-balanced structure.Physiological and biochemical indexes of various sheep resources are different.The respiration rate is higher in Liangshan Semi-fine-wool Sheep.The erythrocyte number is relatively high in Romney Marsh.The composition of globulin in blood,leukocyte number and serum total protein content are relatively high in Small-tail Han Sheep.The leukocyte number and serum total protein content are both higher in Small-tail Han Sheep.In growth and development,Jialuo Sheep and Liangshan Semi-fine-wool Sheep are dominant in the local sheep,introduced breed varieties are good overall.In breeding performance,Liangshan Semi-fine-wool Sheep and introcuced varieties are dominant. In meat production performance, Jialuo Sheep, Small-tail Han Sheep and Romney Marsh are better.In wool performance,cultivated variety Liangshan Semi-fine-wool Sheep and some introduced varieties,including Soviet Merino Sheep,Caucasus fine-wool sheep,Lincoln and Corriedale,are quiet good,while the clips of Soviet Merino Sheep are the best.Leather value of Plateau Tibetan Sheep,Hu sheep and Small-tail Han Sheep are high.There exists abundant genetic diversity of sheep resources in Sichuan province,and the studies on Tebetan Sheep,Liangshan Semi-fine-wool Sheep,Xinjiang fine-fleece sheep,Hu sheep and Small-tail Han Sheep are plenty.Besides,there exists genetic diversity which was not selected or studied.Sheep resources in Sichuan have important value to discover and evaluate.Some designed tables of research and describing on sheep resources in Sichuan have been completed at present,some existed sheep resources are tried to fill.There is a need for constructing detection system consummately on sheep resources in Sichuan on the basis of the tables.Our subject group will continue to do further research in uncovering,evaluation and utilization on sheep resources in Sichuan.