dc.description.abstract |
The study was conducted to phenotypically characterize and assess husbandry and breeding
practices of indigenous goat population in Tach Gayint and Ebinat districts of South Gondar
Zone. The study was performed based on household survey, focus group discussion field
observation and field measurements. For household survey, 144 households (72 from each
district) were involved and 300 (≥3PPI) matured goats (female 200, male 100) were sampled
for quantitative trait measurement. Whereas, a total of 420 goats (1PPI to≥3PPI) were used
for measurement of growth trend and qualitative trait. Dentition was used to estimate the age
of the goats. The study result indicated that mixed crop livestock was the main production
system in the study area. Among the livestock species, goat accounted for the largest
proportion in the study area and the average goat flock size 14.33±1.04 per household in
Ebinat was significantly (p<0.05) higher than those observed 10.06±0.71 in Tach gayint.
Natural pasture, shrub and bushes and crop residue both in dry and wet season were the
major feed resources in the study area. The primary reason of keeping goat was for cash
income both in Tach Gayint and Ebinat district. Body size/appearance was the primary
preference in both districts for male and female. Farmers in the study area mainly practice
natural and uncontrolled mating systems. The major constraints of goat production in the
study area were disease and parasite, nutritional deficiency and predator. The overall age at
first service of female, age at first kidding and kidding interval of indigenous goat were
estimated to be 7.51±1.01, 13.26±1.46 and 6.74±0.64 months, respectively. The main
frequently observed coat color pattern of goats were plain (67.1%) and the main dominantly
observed coat color type were white (33.8%) and mixed color of white and red (16.7%) for
Ebinat district and red (29%), brown (19.5%) and white (16.7%) for Tach Gayint district.
Presence of horn was common in the study area with dominant straight shape and backward
orientation. All the quantitative variables were significantly affected by the sex of the animals
except ear length. The district effect was significant (p<0.05) for some measurements. Age
classes of animals also contributed for the significant differences of body weight and some of
linear body measurements. In the study area, the overall mean of matured goat (≥3PPI) heart
girth, height at withers and body weight were 73.87 cm, 70.38 cm and 32.75kg, respectively.
The correlation coefficient between body weight and other linear body measurements were
positive and significant both for male and female goats, except for ear length and body
condition score. Heart girth was the best fitted model for male goat, whereas heart girth and
body length the best fitted model for female goats. The observed production system and
morphological traits among the sample populations coupled with their adaptive traits would
indeed justify the need for designing breed improvement programme for indigenous goat
breed in the study site. Therefore, this finding could be used for understanding about
characteristic features of goat population, goat husbandry and breeding practices of the
community to implement breeding strategy through appropriate breeding program. |
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