Partner: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management

Period: 2024-2025.

Project leader: Dr. Dragana Ružić-Muslić, Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade

Team members from IBISS:
Dr. Slobodan Davidović, Department of Population Genetics and Ecogenotoxicology
Dr. Marija Tanasković, Department of Population Genetics and Ecogenotoxicology

External advisors:
Dr. Nevena Maksimović, Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade
Dr. Nikola Delić, Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade
Dr. Bogdan Cekić, Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade
Ivan Ćosić, Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade

Abstract

The strains (ecotypes) of the indigenous Pramenka sheep breed emerged over a long evolutionary process within specific biological areas, defined by geographic units and shaped by different feeding and housing conditions. This led to their distinctive morphological and production traits. However, the expansion of highly productive breeds driven by profit, on the one hand, and the depopulation of rural areas, on the other, have caused some Pramenka strains to become endangered in their biological survival.

The Pirot Pramenka is the most endangered sheep population in Serbia. According to data from the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) for 2021, 207 female and 25 male animals are raised in Serbia. Its effective population size is 89 animals, which classifies it as critically endangered and places it at risk of complete extinction. At the same time, it is the source of exceptional national brands—Pirot lamb, the Pirot kilim rug, and Pirot kačkavalj cheese—making its preservation a biological, economic, and moral imperative.
The first step in the concept of its sustainable use is its identification, characterisation (morphometric, metabolic, genetic), and subsequently, its conservation.

Morphometric characterisation is important because it reflects the breed standard (Verma et al., 2016). It provides valuable information on the animal’s morphological structure and development potential. Linear body measurements indicate growth throughout an animal’s life (Attah et al., 2004) and are useful for predicting body weight and carcass traits (Thiruvenkadan, 2005). Determining various body measurements is of great significance for assessing quantitative meat parameters and contributes to the development of appropriate selection methods (Kumar et al., 2017), as well as the proper implementation of breeding and selection programs. On-farm body weight is a useful parameter for determining daily feeding requirements, assessing growth, and establishing drug dosages, and fluctuations may indicate certain health issues within an animal or flock (Paresd et al., 2014). Furthermore, these populations have been insufficiently studied in Serbia in recent decades, resulting in inaccurate and outdated data appearing in the literature.

Therefore, in order to define guidelines and improve breeding programs for indigenous sheep populations, and ultimately ensure their conservation, it is a priority—alongside morphological and physiological assessment—to conduct genetic characterisation of the Pirot Pramenka. Population-genetic analyses of molecular data will prevent inbreeding, uncontrolled mating, and genetic erosion, and will contribute to the preservation, scientifically grounded sustainable use, and conservation of this sheep breed in Serbia, particularly given that it is the source of world-renowned products: Pirot lamb, the Pirot kilim, and Pirot kačkavalj cheese.