Climate-resilient sheep breeding: Adapting productivity and health to climate change

Summary

Climate change poses significant challenges to sheep production systems, affecting key traits such as productivity, health, and reproductive performance. Farmers' selection criteria for breeding stock vary by production system, with rams often chosen for growth-related traits (e.g., body size, feed efficiency) and ewes for maternal characteristics (e.g., lamb survival, mothering ability). Local breeds demonstrate greater resilience to environmental stressors—including heat, drought, and disease than exotic breeds, highlighting the importance of genetic diversity in climate adaptation. Effective breeding strategies should integrate traditional knowledge with modern genomic tools to enhance selection for climate-resilient traits while meeting farmer preferences. Community-based breeding programs and targeted management interventions (e.g., strategic supplementation, shade provision) can further support adaptation. Future research should prioritize the conservation of genetic diversity, optimization of genomic selection, and ethical considerations to ensure sustainable sheep production under changing climatic conditions.

Introduction 

The complex interplay between climatic factors and sheep keepers' trait preferences significantly shapes breeding objectives and adaptation strategies (Rose et al., 2015; Sejian et al., 2017). Climate change presents substantial challenges to sheep production systems through multiple pathways: (1) direct physiological impacts including heat/cold stress and water scarcity, (2) nutritional constraints from reduced forage quality and quantity, and (3) increased disease and parasite prevalence across ecological zones (Kumar et al., 2017; Ngcobo et al., 2025; Tüfekci & Çelik, 2021). These multifaceted pressures compromise sheep productivity, health, and reproductive performance, necessitating adaptive breeding programs and management interventions to ensure sustainable production (Mohamed-Brahmi et al., 2024).

Sheep keeper traits preferences for rams and ewes 

Sheep keepers' traits preferences for rams and ewes (see Table 1) are influenced by various factors, including breeding objectives, economic values, and cultural practices (Duguma et al., 2011; Japaro, 2022; Marshall et al., 2016). These preferences often differ between smallholder farmers and pastoralists and across production systems (Getachew et al., 2008).

Table 1. Trait preferences among sheep keepers for rams and ewes

Regional and contextual trait preferences

Trait preferences for sheep are not uniform across regions or production systems. Instead, they are strongly shaped by local agroecological conditions, production goals, and cultural values. These contextual differences influence how farmers prioritize traits in both rams and ewes. For a clearer understanding, Table 2 below summarizes key regional and contextual variations in trait preferences across selected countries and settings.

Table 2. Regional and contextual trait preferences

Climate change impacts on sheep traits 

Climate change, particularly heat stress, negatively affects various sheep traits. High temperatures can lead to reduced body growth, compromised hide quality, and impaired male and female reproductive functions (Sejian et al., 2017). Thermal stress diverts energy resources towards adaptive mechanisms, reducing productivity  (Wanjala et al., 2022). Extreme environmental conditions also increase the risk of nutritional stress and water scarcity, further affecting sheep performance  (Kumar et al., 2017).

Impact on growth traits

Meta-analyses confirm that environmental factors account for significant variation in ovine growth traits (Sharif et al., 2022). Breed-specific studies reveal these effects in Makuie sheep (birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight (Rahimi et al., 2014) and Akkaraman sheep (birth weight, average daily gain (Behrem, 2021), demonstrating consistent environmental impacts across diverse genotypes.

Impact reproductive traits

The detrimental effects of climate change on sheep reproduction - including disrupted estrous cycles, reduced conception rates, and increased embryonic mortality (Kumar et al., 2017; Ngcobo et al., 2025) - are mediated through both thermal stress and hematological changes (Al-Thuwaini, 2021). These findings underscore the importance of adaptive management strategies, particularly shifting mating periods to late summer to avoid peak thermal stress (Mohamed-Brahmi et al., 2024).

Impact on breed traits

Native sheep breeds demonstrate superior adaptation to harsh environmental conditions compared to exotic breeds (Haile et al., 2011), largely due to their genetic diversity, which enhances climatic adaptability (Wanjala et al., 2025). Identifying the specific genetic variations underlying these adaptive traits can inform targeted breeding programs for improved resilience.

Adaptation strategies to counter climate change

To mitigate the impacts of climate change, sheep keepers are employing various adaptation strategies  (Mohamed-Brahmi et al., 2024):

Selection for resilience

Breeding for resilience to weather variation is an essential climate adaptation strategy (Sánchez-Molano et al., 2020). This approach focuses on selecting animals capable of maintaining stable performance despite environmental fluctuations.

Use of local breeds

The natural resistance of local sheep breeds to food and water scarcity (Mohamed-Brahmi et al., 2024) makes them ideal candidates for community-based breeding programs aimed at optimizing their genetic potential in harsh environments (Haile et al., 2011; Mirkena et al., 2011).

Improved management practices

Effective climate adaptation strategies encompass vegetation management (selecting resistant forage shrubs with controlled grazing), infrastructure provision (shelter and shade), and optimized nutrition (strategic supplementation with high-quality concentrates during physiological stress periods) (Mohamed-Brahmi et al., 2024).

Genomic resources for sheep breeding

The integration of genomic technologies is revolutionizing sheep breeding through: (1) enhanced selection accuracy via genetic markers (Amiri & Rahim, 2024), (2) improved characterization of adaptive genetic diversity (Han et al., 2024), and (3) development of advanced breeding strategies (Woolley et al., 2023).

A range of adaptation strategies has been proposed and applied to enhance the resilience of sheep production systems under increasing climate variability. These strategies aim to address climate-induced constraints such as heat stress, feed and water scarcity, and reduced reproductive performance. The table below summarizes key climate-smart breeding and management approaches, their specific implementation actions, the constraints they target, and the relevant animal trait preferences. The content is synthesized from leading studies in the field (see Table 3) 

Table 3. Adaptation Strategies to Counter Climate Change

Conclusion

Climate change poses significant challenges to sheep production systems, affecting productivity, health, and reproductive performance. This necessitates climate-resilient breeding strategies that integrate environmental adaptation with sheep keepers' trait preferences. A combined approach leveraging traditional knowledge and genomic technologies can enhance selection for resilience, productivity, and adaptability. Future research priorities should focus on: (1) assessing and conserving genetic diversity, (2) optimizing genomic selection tools, and (3) addressing ethical considerations in breeding programs.

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