The Preferences for sheep traits among male keepers in El Oued, Algeria: socio-cultural and breeding insights

Autores

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/avs.v31i2.102881

Palavras-chave:

Breeding programs, Livelihoods, Sheep Keepers, Trait selection, Productivity.

Resumo

Identifying farmer trait preferences is fundamental to designing participatory breeding programs adapted to local agroecological constraints, yet such data remain scarce for Algeria’s arid zones. This study investigated sheep trait preferences and their socioeconomic determinants among male sheep keepers in El Oued Province, southeastern Algeria. A mixed-method approach combining structured questionnaires and qualitative interviews was applied to 200 randomly selected male sheep keepers registered in the 2023 national sheep census, covering eight municipalities across the province. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and chi-square tests were used to assess the influence of age, education, experience, and occupation on trait prioritization. For rams, breed identity (27%), body conformation (12.5%), and apparent health status (12%) emerged as the most valued selection criteria. For ewes, breed (22%), drought tolerance (16%), and udder size (10%) were ranked highest, reflecting the paramount importance of environmental adaptability and reproductive functionality under arid conditions. Locally adapted breeds, particularly Ouled Djellal, were strongly favored. A significant three-way interaction among education, experience, and occupation (Pillai’s Trace = 0.070, p = 0.009) indicated that farmers with higher education, greater experience, and full-time breeding status prioritized long-term resilience traits, while less experienced or less educated keepers favored readily observable morphological attributes. Farmer age and education level were independently associated with drought tolerance preference in ewes (p = 0.036 and p = 0.004, respectively). These findings provide a socio-ecological evidence base to support the design of context-specific, participatory breeding programs targeting genetic resilience and sustainable livestock production in North African drylands

Biografia do Autor

Abdelkader atia, University of El Oued

Doutorando em Agronomia, Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade de El Oued.

     

Brahim Hamad, University of El Oued

Professor do Departamento de Agronomia da Faculdade de Ciências da Vida e da Natureza da Universidade de El Oued, El Oued, Argélia.

     

Leyla Hadef, University of El Oued

professor at Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Life and Natural Sciences, University of El Oued, El Oued, Algeria

Tarek Boussaada, Scientific and Technical Research Centre for Arid Areas Biskra

Senior researcher at scientific ad technical research center for Arid Areas, Biskra, Algeria 

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Publicado

2026-06-22

Como Citar

atia, A., Hamad, B., Hadef, L., & Boussaada, T. (2026). The Preferences for sheep traits among male keepers in El Oued, Algeria: socio-cultural and breeding insights. Archives of Veterinary Science, 31(2). https://doi.org/10.5380/avs.v31i2.102881

Edição

v. 31 n. 2 (2026): Três Décadas de Ciência: A Vanguarda da Archives of Veterinary Science

Seção

Bem-Estar Animal

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Creative Commons License
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