Table 1.
Summary of phenotypic characteristics and environmental variables of the study sheep populations.
| Phenotypes and environmental variables | Population |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adilo (Wolaita) | Arsi-Bale | Horro | Blackhead Somali | Menz | |
| Tail-type | Long fat-tail | Long fat-tail | Long fat-tail | Short fat-rump | Short fat-tail |
| Body weight (kg) | 27.40–28.10 | 26.96–28.60 | 30.71–35.40 | 24.92–27.90 | 20.1 |
| Coat color | Brown, white, gray, and combinations of different colors | Brown, red, black, gray, white, and combinations of different colors | Brown, creamy white/fawn | White body, black head and neck | Black, brown, white and combinations of different colors |
| Horn | Male short horned, most females polled | Males and most females are horned | Polled | Polled | Horned |
| Altitude (m) | 1618–2043 | 2492–2810 | 1400–2000 | 500–1500 | 2500–3000 |
| Rainfall (mm) | 1175–1449 | 1020–1076 | 1000–2000 | 200–400 | 900–1102 |
| Temperature (°C) | 13.60–25.60 | 7.87–22.20 | 10.62–22.53 | 14.40–35.0 | 7.6–22.1 |
| Agro-ecology | Wet highland | Wet highland | Wet highland | Arid-lowland | Sub-alpine |
| Use | Meat | Meat | Meat | Meat | Meat and wool |
| Management | Mixed crop-livestock | Mixed crop-livestock | Mixed crop-livestock | Pastoral/agro-pastoral | Sheep-barley |
| Community | Wolaita/Hadiya | Oromo | Oromo | Oromo/Somali | Amhara |