Some phenotypic traits of mules raised in Sirnak province of Turkey

The purpose of this research study is to determine mules raised in province of Sirnakmorphologically. This study was conducted to define body dimensions by analyzing sex and age by comparing with province of Ordu, region of East Anatolian, mean of Turkish, and UK mules. Data were analyzed for ANOVA and Student’s T-Test using the Minitab 16 statistical programme. In this study a total of 38 mules, 18 males and 20 females, were used in three age groups (3-5, 6-8 and 9-18 years). Descriptive statistics of morphologic traits were for withers height 132.7±0.67, height at rump 133.7±0.73, body length 135.1±0.84, heart girth circumference 147.7±0.76, chest depth 60.6±0.34, cannon circumference 16.9±0.16, and head length 56.8±0.26 cm. In this study the distributions of coat colour were for bay colour 47.7%, black 7.9%, mouse gray 5.3%, white 31.6% and chestnut 10.5%. It was observed that growthis nearly complete at 3 years of age and then there was a small difference in body size. The present data showed that mules raised in province of Sirnak were slightly larger in body sizes than UK, East Anatolian, Turkish and Ordu mules.