Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T14:51:51.229Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Gestation length, birth weight and growth rates of pure-bred indigenous goats and their crosses in Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

F. Ruvuna ,
T. C. Cartwright ,
H. Blackburn ,
M. Okeyo  and
S. Chema
F. Ruvuna
Affiliation:
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, TX 77843, USA
T. C. Cartwright
Affiliation:
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, TX 77843, USA
H. Blackburn
Affiliation:
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, TX 77843, USA
M. Okeyo
Affiliation:
Ministry of Livestock Development, Box 58137, Nairobi, Kenya
S. Chema
Affiliation:
Ministry of Livestock Development, Box 58137, Nairobi, Kenya
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Data on gestation period of 701 indigenous East African and Galla does and pre- and postweaning growth of 810 pure-bred and cross-bred kids were analysed by least squares statistical analysis. Breeds of kids were East African, Galla, Toggenburg × East African, Toggenburg × Galla, Anglo-Nubian × East African and Anglo-Nubian × Galla. Average gestation length was 149 days and was significantly (P < 0·05) affected by type of birth of the kid, year–month of kidding, and age of dam. Does carrying twins had shorter gestation length than does carrying singles. Sex and breed of kid did not have significant effect on gestation length.

Significant (P < 0·05) factors affecting birth weight, weight at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 210 and 270 days of age, and preweaning growth rate were breed and sex of kid, type of birth, year–month and age of dam. Male kids grew faster and were heavier than females. Kids born single were heavier and grew faster than twin-born kids. Kids from dams less than 3 years old weighed less than kids from older dams. Cross-bred kids had higher preweaning growth rates than indigenous pure-bred kids. The Anglo-Nubian × Galla cross was heaviest while the East African ranked lowest. The results point to importance of cross-breeding with temperate breeds to increase growth rates of indigenous goats. Comparison of Toggenburg and Anglo-Nubian sires for cross-breeding showed both buck breeds produced kids with roughly equal growth rates. Evaluation of indigenous Galla and East African dams for cross-breeding showed Galla dams produced heavier kids than East African but preweaning growth rates were not significantly different.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 111 , Issue 2 , October 1988 , pp. 363 - 368
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Angewenyi, G. N. (1984). Effects of crossbreeding East African, Galla and Boer Goats on body size and kid survivability in Kenya. M.Sc. thesis, Texas A & M University, College Station.Google Scholar
Barr, A. J., Goodnight, J. H., Sall, J. P., Blair, W. H. & Chilko, D. M. (1979). A User's Guide to SAS 1979. Cary, N.C.: SAS Institute.Google Scholar
Cartwright, T. C. (1984). A strategy for breeding dualpurpose goats for Kenya. Proceedings SR CRSP Kenya Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, 199–202.Google Scholar
Das, K. L., Singh, C. S. P., Sharma, B. D. & Mishra, H. R. (1982). Milk yield of Black Bengal, Jamnapari, Barbari and ½ Saanan × ½ Jamnapari goats. Indian Journal of Dairy Science 35, 103–105.Google Scholar
Devendra, C. & Burns, M. (1983). Goat Production in the Tropics. Farnham Royal, England: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux.Google Scholar
Food and Agricultural Organisaton (1983). FAO Expert Consultation on Improving the Efficiency of Small-Scale Livestock Production in Asia: A Systems Approach. Rome: FAO.Google Scholar
Garcia, B. O. (1981). Genetic analysis of a crossbreeding experiment using improved dairy goat breeds and native goats in a tropical environment. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Davis.Google Scholar
Hatcher, G. (1984). A Planning Guide for Small Scale Livestock Projects. Little Rock, Arkansas: Heifer Project International.Google Scholar
Iloeje, M. U. & Van Vleck, L. D. (1978). Genetics of dairy goats: a review. Journal of Dairy Science 61, 1521–1528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mavrogenis, A. P., Constaritinou, A. & Louca, A. (1984). Environmental and genetic causes of variation in production traits of Damascus goats. 1. Preweaning growth. Animal Production 38, 91–97.Google Scholar
McDowell, R. E. (1978). The potential of the goat for milk production in the tropics. Cornell International Agriculture Mimeo No. 60. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University.Google Scholar
McDowell, R. E. & Bove, L. (1977). The goat as a producer of meat. Cornell International Agriculture Mimeo No. 56. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University.Google Scholar
Mishra, R. R. & Chawla, D. S. (1976). Inheritance of certain qualitative and quantitative traits of Beetal and Exotic × Beetal crossbred goats. Annual Report 1975, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnel, India.Google Scholar
Mohd-Yusuff, M. K., Sulaiman, A. K. & Othman, A. S. H. (1983). Comparative preweaning growth performance of crossbred kids. Animal Breeding Abstracts 51, 356.Google Scholar
Morand-Fehr, P. (1981). Growth. In Goat Production (ed. Gall, C.), p. 285. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Njanja, J. C, Ruvuna, F. & Wescott, R. B. (1984). Evaluation of new anthelmintic for control of naturally occurring nematode infections of goats in Kenya. Proceedings SR CRSP Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, 137–146.Google Scholar
Okeyo, A. M., Ruvuna, F., Cartwright, T. C. & Lumuti, G. I. (1985). Fertility levels, postpartum intervals and other reproductive traits of East African, Galla and their crosses. Proceedings SR CRSP Kenya Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, 69–71.Google Scholar
Ruvuna, R., Cartwright, T. C, Okeyo, A. M., Muhuyi, W., Ahuya, C. & Kitilit, J. (1984). Effects of partial suckling on lactation performance of Galla and East African goats and the growth rates of the kids. Proceedings SR CRSP Kenya Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, 203–216.Google Scholar
Sacker, G. D. & Trail, J. C. M. (1966). Production characteristics of a herd of East African Mubende goats. Tropical Agriculture 43, 43–51.Google Scholar
Sahni, K. L. & Chawla, D. S. (1982). Crossbreeding of dairy goats for milk production. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Goat Production and Disease, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A., 575–583.Google Scholar
Shavulimo, R. S., Rurangirwa, F., Ruvuna, F., James, A., Ellis, P. & McGuire, T. C. (1986). An evaluation for resistance against H. contortus in three goat breeds. Proceedings SR CRSP Kenya Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, 113–121.Google Scholar
Urquiza, D. (1982). Socio-economic acceptance of goats by women projects in Honduras. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Goat Production and Disease, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.Google Scholar