<div style="text-align:justify">Background: Kashmir Merino sheep breed is being developed by croosing native sheep breeds like poonchi, bakerwal and gadi with exotic sheep breeds like Australian Merino Rams. Currently Kashmir Merino sheep breed is being maintained at the 8 Government sheep breeding farms of Kashmir Valley. 
Methods: The data pertaining to Kashmir Merino sheep ranging over 18 years (2001 to 2010 and 2012 to 2019) was analysed using descriptive stastics to estimate lambing and twining percentage, incidence of abortion, dystocia and still births. Data was obtained from lambing records of Kashmir Merino sheep, maintained at Sheep Breeding Farm Kralpathri. 
Result: In present investigation, overall percentage of lambing and twining was 82.49% and 0.33%, respectively and incidence of rate of abortions, still births and dystocia of 1.29%, 1.20% and 0.91%, respectively were observed in Kashmir Merino sheep. It was observed that with increase incidence of still births, dystocia and abortions, there is decrease in lambing percentage whereas incidence of twining percentage increases lambing percentage significantly. The lambing percentage can be increase by improving management and Fec-B intrograssion in Kashmir Merino sheep.</div>

Reproduction Performance of Kashmir Merino Sheep at an Organized Farm of Kashmir

<div>Background:&nbsp;Fitness traits include measures of reproductive efficiency of sheep. The improvement in reproductive efficiency has significant impact on overall economy of sheep. 
 
Methods:&nbsp;Data spanning over 21 years (1997-2017) were collected from two sheep breeding farm and analyzed with mixed model least-squares maximum likelihood (LSMLMW) computer (PC-2) programme designed by Harvey (1990) to estimate number of lambs born per ewe (NLBE), number of lambs weaned per ewe (NLWE), litter size (LS) and sex ratio (SR) of Kashmir Merino sheep.&nbsp; 
 
Result:&nbsp;Overall estimates of 3.56&plusmn;0.11, 3.20&plusmn;0.10, 48.32&plusmn;0.04 and 1.06&plusmn;0.01 for number of lambs born per ewe (NLBE), number of lambs weaned per ewe (NLWE), litter size (LS) and sex ratio (SR), respectively were observed in the present study. The period of birth had significant (p&lt;0.05) effect on NLBE and NLEE. The effect of sire was highly significant on all the traits under study whereas effect of all the non-genetic factors considered had non-significant effect on LS and SR.</div>

Genetic Analysis of Fitness Traits of Kashmir Merino Sheep at Organized Farms of Kashmir

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: A study was undertaken to estimate gestation length, birth weight, dam weight and greasy fleece yield in Kashmir Merino sheep and factors influencing these traits at Sheep Breeding Farm, Kralpathri in 2020-21. 
Methods: The traits considered in the study were overall all body weight of dams at tupping (DWT), average wool yield of dams (AWY), gestation period (GP) and birth weight (BW). The averages of 39.00&plusmn;0.27 (kg), 2.38&plusmn;0.02 (kg), 150.17&plusmn;0.17 (days) and 3.87&plusmn;0.04 (kg) for DWT, AWY, GP and BW with coefficient of variation 12.83%, 12.75,1.65 and 17.70, respectively were observed in the present study. The data was analyzed by Harvey, 1990. 
Result: Highest and lowest CV (%) was observed for BW and GP, respectively. Overall estimates of 37.43&plusmn;0.41 (kg) and 2.21&plusmn;0.02 (kg), 150.59&plusmn;0.56 and 2.84&plusmn;0.11 for DWT, AWY, GP and BW, respectively was observed in the present study. Effect of age of dam was significant (p&lt;0.05) on DWT and AWY whereas effect of lamb weight at birth was significant on GP. The effect of genetic group of sire, dam weight, parity of dam, body weight of dam at tupping, sex and birth type of lamb had significant (p&lt;0.05) effect on BW. Heaiver lambs were born to heavier dams. Therefore, increasing selection pressure at tupping for dam weight will result in improvement of birth weight and hence overall production performance of Kashmir Merino sheep.</div>

​Effect of Non-genetic Factors on Reproductive Parameters and Greasy Fleece Yield in Kashmir Merino Sheep

Background: Kashmir Merino is a very important synthetic sheep breed of J and K. It is widely adopted across the Valley. It is an important source of income for the poor and marginalized farmers. An attempt was made to understand the management practices adopted by farmers of Budgam in rearing of Kashmir Merino sheep. 
Methods: A survey was undertaken in Budgam district understand the management practices used by farmers for rearing Kashmir Merino sheep.&nbsp; 
Result: Majority of the sheep farmers (68.42) housed Kashmir Merino sheep in Pucca house made of brick structures reinforced with either cement or mud whereas only (31.58%) housed sheep in Katcha houses. Breeding season ranges from April to May and August to December. Majority of the respondents (75.00%) reported autumn season as the main breeding season and only 25% reported spring as main breeding season. The sheep farmer was either having in possession small or marginal land holding. Sheep were reared on semi-intensive feeding systems during early spring and late autumn, intensive system during winter from December to April and extensive system from May to November. The vaccination against infectious diseases, dozing against prevalent parasites and treatment as per morbidity was carried out by expert veterinarians of Department of sheep Husbandry. Poor economic and low technical proficiency are main hurdles for farmers of Budgam to have good housing facilities to manage the breed. Management has significant effect on performance of sheep.

&nbsp;

​Management Practices Adopted by Farmers of Budgam in Rearing Kashmir Merino

In the present study, the data on 1649 Bharat Merino (BM) lambs; progeny of 144 sires over the year from 2000 to 2014 available at Southern Regional Research Centre (SRRC), Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Mannavanur were considered for the analysis. The different economic growth traits used for the analysis were birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (3MWT), 6 month weight (6MWT), 12 month weight (12MWT) and greasy fleece yield (GFY). The overall least-square means for weights (in kg) were 3.28&plusmn;0.02, 19.08&plusmn;0.23, 25.00&plusmn;0.35, 34.79&plusmn;0.59 and 2.13&plusmn;0.07 for BWT, 3MWT, 6MWT, 12MWT and GFY respectively. Different non genetic factors such as year, sex, type of birth and dam&rsquo;s age had significant (P&lt;0.01) influence on BWT and 3MWT. Season influenced the BWT (P&lt;0.05) while it had no significant effect on 3MWT. Six month weight was also significantly (P&lt;0.05) influenced by all non-genetic factors taken under present study. Twelve month weight was significantly affected by year (P&lt;0.01), sex and season (P&lt;0.05). Similarly, analysis of variance showed that the year, sex of the lambs (P&lt;0.01) and season (P&lt;0.05) were important sources of variation on GFY of Bharat Merino sheep. Lambs born single had higher values of BWT and 3MWT than that of the lambs born as twins. The trend of the increase in BWT and 3MWT of the lambs is being observed up to the period when the age of their corresponding dams is 4-5 years. The findings of the present study showed that non - genetic factors play an important role in the expression of genetic potential in the lambs as well as growth performance of Bharat Merino sheep under sub temperate conditions of Kodai hills of Tamil Nadu, India. The genetic parameters estimated of 6MWT indicate that it is most suitable for use as selection criterion. Improvement of body weight of BM sheep seems feasible in selection programs, as some of the related traits are moderately heritable and those traits specially are well correlated, which could suggest that these traits are useful in selection programs.

Influence of genetic and non genetic factors on growth traits of Bharat Merino sheep in sub-temperate climate of Kodai hills of Tamil Nadu, India

<div style="text-align: justify;">Background: The genetic variability in a population is the raw material for selection, because the estimation of genetic parameters depends on the variability present within the population. The pedigree analysis is a method to assess population genetic variability. An increase in the level of inbreeding disturbs the production performance of the animals. Hence, it is essential to assess the effect of inbreeding on production performance of the animals at regular intervals. The present study was conducted on data of Bharat Merino (BM) sheep with twin objectives of evaluating the population structure by pedigree analysis and possible effect of inbreeding on lamb growth and heritability estimates.&nbsp; Methods: The study was conducted on data consisting of a total of 9688 pedigree records of BM sheep born from 1975 to 2018 (43 years), out of which 9050 formed population reference (with both the parents known). ENDOG ver 4.8 program was used to generate different measures of genetic diversity. General Linear Model of SPSS 25.0 was used to ascertain the effect of inbreeding (Fi) or change in inbreeding (&Auml;Fi) on the lamb live weights. Using animal model with software WOMBAT, single trait linear mixed model analyses were performed. The heritability estimates and breeding values were obtained by including or excluding the inbreeding coefficient in the model to observe how the estimates of heritability varied with inclusion or exclusion of the inbreeding coefficient.&nbsp; Result: Effective number of founders (fe) was 56, constituting 11.39% founders in the population reference, while the effective number of ancestors (fa) was 43.The genetic contribution of the 15 most influent ancestors explained 50% of the genetic variability in the dataset. The ratio fe/fa, representing the effect of population bottleneck, was 1.302. The average inbreeding coefficients for the whole pedigree was 2.36%, while it was 3.84% for inbred animals. It was found that the inbreeding coefficient (Fi) increased with the addition of each generation to the pedigree. The average relatedness coefficient was 4.53% between members of the population.The effect of individual inbreeding (Fi) or the change in inbreeding (DFi) was not significant on the lamb live weights, except the effect of individual inbreeding (Fi) on three-month body weight and average daily gain (0-3month) and of change in inbreeding (DFi) on three-month body weight. From the analysis of the pedigree data of Bharat Merino sheep, it was found that the most of the measures of genetic diversity were within acceptable limits and the pedigree data was reasonably well maintained. When inbreeding was accounted for in the model, there were reductions in h2 estimates as well as the estimates of breeding values for both 3WT and ADG1 and consequently there were changes in ranking of animals for both 3WT and ADG1.&nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Genetic Variability of Bharat Merino Sheep Derived from Pedigree Information</div>

This review article provides a comprehensive examination of the diverse genetic resources of livestock and poultry except goat and sheepin the Jammu and Kashmir (J and K) region of India. It highlights the unique characteristics and historical significance of indigenous cattle, buffaloes, horses, donkeys, pigs, yaks, camels and various poultry breeds. The indigenous cattle, influenced by historical influxes and local adaptations, display distinct traits such as a hump, small stature and polled head. Buffaloes, particularly the valued Nilli Ravi breed, are predominantly found in the Jammu region. Horses, especially the Zanskari breed, are noted for their hardiness in high-altitude regions. The yak, vital to the Himalayan ecosystem, exhibits remarkable adaptation to harsh climates, providing sustenance and livelihood to local communities. The critically endangered Bactrian camel, introduced via the silk road, requires conservation efforts. Poultry breeds like the Kashmir Faverolla and Kashmir Anz geese are well-adapted to the region&rsquo;s climatic conditions. The review describes the importance of characterizing and conserving these genetic resources to sustain their ecological, cultural and economic contributions to the region.

Livestock Resources (Sans Goat and Sheep) of Jammu and Kashmir: A Comprehensive Overview

<div>Background:&nbsp;Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed loop structures, play important role in mammalian growth and development by regulating gene expression and participating in various biological processes. The aim of this study was to identify the expression profiles of circRNAs in the ovaries of Hu sheep and local Fat-tailed sheep during the luteal phase to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of circRNAs on reproduction and follicular development in sheep. 
 
Methods: To identify the differentially expressed circRNAs expressed in luteal phase conditions in Hu sheep and fat-tailed sheep, ovarian samples collected during the luteal phase were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and subsequent transcriptomic approaches and bioinformatics analysis. 
 
Result:&nbsp;A total of 2,875 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by high-through sequencing. Gene Ontology terminology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the host genes were mainly involved in the secretion and metabolism of the various pathway. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate the results of expression profiling. These results contributed to an improved understanding of circRNA and the biological mechanisms of ovarian reproduction in sheep.</div>

Identification of Circular RNAs in the Ovaries of Hu Sheep and Local Fat-tailed Sheep during the Luteal Phase

<div>Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are active regulators of numerous biological and physiological processes and play an important role in the regulation of animal ovaries and other reproductive related organs. To understand the molecular mechanisms of miR-10 family, we investigated the molecular characteristics and the relative expression of sheep miR-10a and miR-10b (miR-10a/b) and conducted bioinformatics analysis. 
 
Methods: During the period 2018-2019 total of 20 samples including blood and tissues such as hypothalamus, pituitary and ovary were collected from the Hu sheep raised in the National Meat Sheep Experimental Station of China (Luoyang City, Henan Province, China). Blood was collected from jugular vein by vacuum and anticoagulation blood collection tube and stored in refrigerator at -20&deg;C. The tissues were placed into the cryopreservation tube treated with Diethy pyrocarbonate (DEPC) water and stored in liquid nitrogen. All the samples were processed for isolation and confirmed with biochemical analysis and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. 
 
Result: The target genes were predicted by three kinds of target gene predicting software. The function of target genes and their involved pathways were obtained by gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. The relative expression of miR-10a/b in sheep ovary was extremely significantly higher than that in hypothalamus and pituitary gland (P &lt; 0.01). The relative expression of miR-10b in ovary or pituitary was extremely significantly higher than that of miR-10a (P &lt; 0.01) and the relative expression of miR-10b in hypothalamus was significantly higher than that of miR-10a (P &lt; 0.05). These results serve as a foundation for further study on the Sheep miR-10 family.</div>

<div>Cloning, Characterization and Bioinformatics Analysis of the Sequences of miR-10a and miR-10b in Sheep (Hu sheep)</div>

<div>Background: The study was conducted on confirmed sheep patients suffering from complete retention of urine.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A complete history regarding the age, breed and sex of the animal, castration, duration of illness, managemental practices, feeding habits of the animals, early signs of the disease, previous treatment, if any, were recorded.&nbsp; 
 
Result: An overall incidence of 27.11% of obstructive urolithiasis was recorded in sheep. All these cases were intact rams with different age groups, weights and of different breeds. Highest (78.68%) incidence of ovine obstructive urolithiasis was recorded during winter season. Young lambs of 2-6 months of age were found most affected with obstructive urolithiasis (31.14%). Cross bred Kashmir Merino was most affected followed by cross bred corridale (18.3%) and non descript local breeds of ovine (8.9%). The highest (60.65%) cases were brought to the clinics 48-96 hours after the onset of the disease. The cases from far flung areas and hilly terrain were usually received as late as 120-144 hours of illness. The losses could be averted to a great extent by apprising the farmers about the preventive measures of the disease and imparting them training about the balanced feeding and good managemental practices of sheep rearing.</div>