MORPHOLOGICAL AND SEMINAL QUALITY EVALUATION OF MESTIZO MALE SHEEP OF THE PELIBUEY AND BACKBELLY BREED OF THE PASTAZA EXPERIMENTAL STATION

The production of sheep hair in the Amazon Region of Ecuador has great potential as a contribution of protein of animal origin for food security, as well as for the generation of family economic resources; However, due to unplanned crossbreeding, racial characteristics are lost as well as the productive and reproductive parameters of their races are diminishing; therefore, in the Pastaza Experimental Station belonging to the Polytechnic School of Chimborazo, located in the Amazon Region of Ecuador, the morphological characteristics and seminal quality of mestizo male sheep of the Pelibuey and Blackbelly breed were evaluated in order to select rams that serve as breeders for the sheep of the project: Amazonian Haired Sheep Program (PROPEA). For this, two males of each breed were studied, data were taken with a biweekly frequency, both for seminal quality, as well as for morphological measurements. The data obtained were processed with the Microsot Excel and statistically the variables were analyzed with the Student's t Test of comparison of two independent means for each reason. The results of the morphological characteristics determined that the animals under study present characteristics similar to the racial standard; while in seminal quality there is a slight difference between animals. It is concluded that the male mixed breed number II of the Blackbelly breed and the male I of the Pelibuey breed should be selected for reproduction.