The relationship between linear type traits and fertility traits in high-yielding dairy goats

Evaluation of morphological traits and physiological variables of several Chinese goat breeds and their crosses

The current study was undertaken to evaluate some morphological traits of the goat breeds raised in Southwest China. The field experimentation and data collection were from 434 animals presenting seven breeds of the Dazu black goat (DBG; n = 203), Saanen milk goat (SMG; n = 50), Black Boer × Dazu black goat (BXC; n = 28), Hechuan white goat (HWG; n = 49), Inner Mongolia Cashmere goat (IMCG; n = 25), IMCG × DBG (F₁; n = 57) and F₁ × F₁ (F₂; n = 22). All studied animals were adult and selected to be at the same age (36.50 ± 0.75 months). After editing, more than 20 morphological and production traits like body condition score (BCS), testicle measurements, coat colour, fibre traits, skin colour, horn colour, horn shape, horn orientation, wattles, front hair, beard, ear shape, ear size, rump angle, hind leg angulation and physiological variables were analysed. BXC and DBG had dark coat colour, whilst SMG, HWG and IMCG had light colour, whilst F₁ and F₂ ranged from light to dark coat colour. Concerning BCS, the breeds BXC and DBG were characterized as fat goats, whilst SMG, HWG, F₁ and F₂ were average, whilst IMCG was thin. The maximum values for testis measurements were recorded for BXC, SMG and DBG. For fibre traits, IMCG, F₁ and F₂ were the most superior. BXC and DBG males have good fertility parameters. The highest values for rectal temperature, skin temperature and breath rate were recorded for SMG. These findings revealed the presence of a wide range of morphological differences among studied goat breeds. Such diversity in the performance of goat breeds raised in Southwest China is crucial to implement reliable selection strategies for breeding goats in this area.

Prolificacy and Its Relationship with Age, Body Weight, Parity, Previous Litter Size and Body Linear Type Traits in Meat-type Goats

Data on age and body weight at breeding, parity, previous litter size, days open and some descriptive body linear traits from 389 meat-type, prolific Black Bengal goats in Tripura State of India, were collected for 3 and 1/2 years (2007 to 2010) and analyzed using logistic regression model. The objectives of the study were i) to evaluate the effect of age and body weight at breeding, parity, previous litter size and days open on litter size of does; and ii) to investigate if body linear type traits influenced litter size in meat-type, prolific goats. The incidence of 68.39% multiple births with a prolificacy rate of 175.07% was recorded. Higher age (>2.69 year), higher parity order (>2.31), more body weight at breeding (>20.5 kg) and larger previous litter size (>1.65) showed an increase likelihood of multiple litter size when compared to single litter size. There was a strong, positive relationship between litter size and various body linear type traits like neck length (>22.78 cm), body length (>54.86 cm), withers height (>48.85 cm), croup height (>50.67 cm), distance between tuber coxae bones (>11.38 cm) and distance between tuber ischii bones (>4.56 cm) for discriminating the goats bearing multiple fetuses from those bearing a single fetus.