SCROTAL AND TESTICULAR MEASUREMENTS IN MEHRABAN AND GHEZEL RAMS

The relationships between scrotal circumference (SC), width (SW) and length (SL), and testicular weight (TWT), volume (TV), width (TWH) and length (TL) of 2-yr old Mehraban and Ghezel rams were studied. Correlation coefficients of SC with TWT, TV and TWH were 0.73 for Mehraban and 0.48 for Ghezel rams (P<0.01). In Ghezel rams, the correlation coefficients of SW with testicular measurements were slightly larger as compared with those between SC and the testicular measurements. SC, SW, TWT, TV and TWH were positively correlated with body weight (BW) in both breeds (P<0.05). TL showed a significant correlation with BW in Ghezel (r=0.44) but not in Mehraban (r=0.25) rams. It is concluded that SW in Ghezel, and either SC or SW in Mehraban sheep would provide a good indication of the testicnlar weight. It is suggested that parameters of testicular size be considered in ram selection in Iran.