Morphometric Characterization of Cross Texel, DEG, and Dorper Sheep Using Principal Component Analysis
Muhammad Pramujo1, Luqman Hakim1, Sucik Maylinda1*

1Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65145, Indonesia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the dominant morphometric traits that characterize Cross Texel, Fat Tail Sheep (DEG), and Dorper Full Blood ewes aged 24 months using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The research method applied was field observation. The material consisted of 85 ewes, including Cross Texel (34 heads), DEG (31 heads), and Dorper Full Blood (20 heads). The observed variables were chest circumference (LD), body height (TB), body length (PB), and body weight (BB). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and PCA. Correlation analysis showed a strong positive relationship among traits in Cross Texel and DEG, with the highest correlation between BB and LD in DEG (0.835). PCA results indicated that Cross Texel and DEG populations were mainly explained by a single principal component, which accounted for 66.59% and 81.91% of the total variance, respectively. This component was dominated by BB (0.951 in DEG) and LD (0.826 in Cross Texel), suggesting that overall body size was the primary differentiating factor. In Dorper Full Blood, two principal components explained 85.74% of the total variance. PC1 (56.16%) was associated with LD (0.929) and BB (0.918), whereas PC2 (29.57%) was primarily influenced by PB (0.946), indicating variation in body proportion. These findings demonstrate that body weight and chest circumference are the main indicators of size in Cross Texel and DEG, while Dorper exhibits more complex variability involving both body mass and length.

Keywords: Cross Texel, DEG, Dorper Full Blood, Body Size, Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

Topic: Animal reproduction and breeding