ArticleOpen veterinary journal2026
Comprehensive assessment of morphology and productivity of Assaf sheep in the northern West Bank.
Article in Open veterinary journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Assaf sheep are a major source of meat and milk in the northern West Bank, Palestine. However, limited information exists regarding their phenotypic and morphometric characteristics under local management conditions. Understanding these traits is essential for improving productivity, reproductive performance, and breeding strategies. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the morphology, productive traits, and reproductive performance of Assaf sheep raised in four governorates of the northern West Bank. Methods: A total of 580 adult sheep (520 ewes and 60 rams) across Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, and Jericho were evaluated for both qualitative and quantitative traits. Morphometric measurements, live weights, milk yield, prolificacy, lamb birth weight, and udder dimensions were recorded. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the variability within the population and identify traits associated with productivity improvement. Results: Pronounced sexual dimorphism was observed, with males exhibiting higher average live weights (113.0 kg) and body lengths (116.9 cm) than females (72.7 kg and 85.5 cm, respectively). Productive traits varied by region and management practices, with the highest milk yield in Tulkarm (407 ± 19 kg/lactation) and the lowest in Jericho (255 ± 17 kg/lactation). Prolificacy increased with parity, averaging 1.15 and 1.61 lambs in the first parity and 1.61 lambs in the third. Lamb birth weights reflected regional differences, with Tulkarm lambs reaching the highest average (4.69 ± 0.07 kg), and singletons (4.72 kg) were heavier than multiples (4.30 kg). Morphometric traits associated with productivity were evident in udder measurements, with an average udder length and depth of 21.4 and 15.1 cm, respectively. Conclusion: The study highlights significant variability in the phenotypic and productive traits of Assaf sheep across regions. These findings provide essential information for breeding programs and management strategies to improve sheep productivity and reproductive performance in the northern West Bank.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.