Importance, productivity and potentials of local Serbian sheep breeds

Abstract

Due to the political, demographic and economic situation, agriculture in Serbia changed, including also the structure in sheep breeds. Traditional sheep breeding centers with large pasture areas and large number of local breeds and strains are deserted, and, consequently, sheep production focused on meat production, in intensive systems, but in expensive and inadequate ways. This led to decreasing number in local breeds (pramenka) with its strains. In this research, two most numerous pramenka strains were observed, Sjenica and Svrljig strains, concerning their number, productive and reproductive parameters. Population of registered and active heads in 2020. was 139,319 for Sjenica and 19585 for Svrljig strain. Weight on birth for Sjenica and Svrljig lambs were 3.20 and 3.15, while weight after 30 days and on weaning was 11.06, 11.42 and 27.02 and 24.97, respectively. Lambing index was 1.27 for Sjenica and 1.29 for Svrljig strain. Svrljig strain had longer lactation (104 vs. 88 days), with higher milk production (64.05 kg vs. 55.01 kg), but protein content was higher in Sjenica sheep’s milk (5.08% vs. 4.19%). Besides their importance on agro-biodiversity and genetic pool, these strains are best adapted for breeding conditions that are in hilly and mountainous parts of Serbia. As triple production strains, their milk, meat and wool could be used in processing to traditional, high-quality products with additional value, so can provide extra income for the farmers which leads to survival and sustainable development of rural areas.