Morphometric characterization of Santa Ines sheep raised in the regions of Teresina and Campo Maior, Piaui

This study aimed to carry out the phenotypic characterization of males and females of Santa Ines hair sheep through body weight measurements and morphinetric and conformation evaluations at different ages. Data consisted of body weights and measurements from 1,113 animals raised in Teresina and Campo Maior regions of Piaui State under pasture regime and 824 animals that participated in Agricultural Fairs in Teresina. Adjusted means for body weight, withers and croup height, corporal and croup length, thoracic perimeter and two indexes of body capacity of the animal were compared by the Student-Newman-Keuls test. The management effect was an important source of variation for the evaluated traits and the sexual dimorphism was more accentuated in the oldest animals. The effects included in the model influenced more the body weights than the morph metric measurements. The index of body capacity (weight and length) indicated a trend for more accumulation of fat in oldest males than in females. The body weight and the morphmetric measurements were positively correlated indicating the possibility of correlated response in breeding programs for the Santa Ines breed.