Evaluation of fecundity (FecB) mutation in Muzaffarnagari sheep of India

Abstract

The present study was aimed to evaluate (BMPR-1B) FecB mutation in Muzaffarnagari sheep breed of India. A total of about 160 blood samples were collected from Muzaffarnagari flock maintained at Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura, and Uttar Pradesh. The Muzaffarnagari sheep was genotyped for the presence of FecB mutation by using forced polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Results revealed the absence of FecB mutation in this flock. Among analysed records (N=4525), 83.7% were singles and 16.3% were twins. The increased twinning rate in this flock may be due to some other prolificacy genes. Further investigation is needed to rule out the cause for increased prolificacy in this flock of sheep.