Evaluation of Hematological, Biochemical Parameters and Phenotypic Trait Variations among Local Sheep Breeds of Balochistan, Pakistan

Abstract

The sheep are an integral component of the local pastoral economy in Pakistan, especially in dry, barren and mountainous regions. The present study was conducted to evaluate the hemato-biochemical indices and phenotypic traits of four indigenous sheep breeds of Balochistan: Balochi, Mangali, Harnai and Shinwari. The blood samples were collected from clinically healthy adult sheep (n=80 per breed) and hematological parameters (Hb, PVC, ESR, RBCs, WBCs and DLC counts, MCV, MCH, MCHC), hepatic (ALT, AST) and renal (urea, creatinine) function biomarkers, serum biochemical analyses (glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin) and lipid profile (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, HDL) were analyzed along with recording the morphological traits (body parts dimensions, height, length and width of different areas) to determine the phenotypic variability among the breeds. The data of the current study suggest that Mengali and Shinwari breeds are found to possess superior oxygen-carrying capacity, with a potentially active immune profile. The Shinwari is an energy-optimized, heavy muscle producer, whose energy is concentrated into muscle formation rather than bone or skeleton development. The Balochi breed displayed an evolutionary adaptation for long-distance trekking and browsing in sparse arid rangelands. The Mengali breed has a highly developed digestive capacity with an intense metabolic genotype, accelerated hepatic enzyme activity, efficient fat metabolism and enhanced triglyceride storage to maximize the nutritional utilization during periods of nutritional scarcity. Thus, these results demonstrate significant inter-breed variations in both physiological and phenotypic parameters and provide essential data for physiological characterization and selective breeding of specific breeds.