On-farm Phenotypic Characterization of Indigenous Goat Types in Selected Districts of South Gondar Zone, North Western Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5380/avs.v30i3.97273Keywords:
Linear Body Measurements, Multiple linear regression analysis, Quantitative and qualitative traitsAbstract
This study aimed to gather basic information on phenotypic characteristics and develop live weight estimation equations based on body measurements of indigenous goat types in selected districts of the South Gondar Zone. Multistage purposive sampling was employed based on the potential of goat production. For generating quantitative and qualitative data, linear body measurements were taken from 630 mature goats. Dentition was used to estimate the age of goats as age group one (1PPI), age group two (2PPI), and age group three (3PPI). Data were gathered through field observations and linear body measurements of sampled populations. The most frequently observed coat colors were white (23.80%), white and red (18.57%), red (13.70%), gray (13.17%), brown (9.50%), and black (6.03%). Moreover, the most frequently observed coat color patterns of the sampled goat population in the study area were plain (65.1%), followed by patchy (25.2%) and spotted (9.7%). Sex of animals affected (P<0.05) body weight and all of the body measurements except for ear length and tail length. The animals' location difference affected all body measurements (P < 0.05), except for heart girth. The age of animals contributed significantly to differences in body weight and all linear body measurements. The correlation coefficient was consistently highest between body weight and chest girth in males (r = 0.90) and females (r = 0.83). Multiple regression analysis revealed that Chest girth was the most crucial trait in predicting body weight. There was no standard weighing balance for selling live animals at reasonable prices.
References
Abebe, T.et al. Soil and Land Use Characteristics in South Gondar Zone. Journal of Ethiopian Agricultural Sciences, 34(1), 55–68, 2024.
Abegaz, S.; Taye, M.; Tesema, Z. Phenotypic correlation and regression analysis of body measurements for weight prediction in indigenous goats of highland Ethiopia. Small Ruminant Research, 230, 107225, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2024.107225
Alade, N. K.; Onakpa, M. M. Evaluation of linear body measurements as predictors of body weight in West African Dwarf goats. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 34(2). 2022. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd34/2/nura34022.html
Al-Araimi N.A.; et al. Genetic Structure of Omani Goats Reveals Admixture Among Populations from Geographically Proximal Sites. Small Rumin. Res. 178:1–6, 2019.
Ashwini, J.P.; et al. Prediction of body weight based on body measurements in crossbred cattle. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 8(3): 1597-1611, 2019.
Belete, T.; Getinet, M.; Solomon, A.; Tassew, M. Phenotypic Characterization of Indigenous Goat Population in Selected Districts of South Gondar Zone, Northern Ethiopia. East African Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Volume 6 (1): 31-44, 2022.
Birara, T.; Aberra, M.; Simret, B. Characterization of the Indigenous Goat Populations of South Gonder Based on their Morphometric Traits and Body Indices. Ethiop. J. Agric. Sci. 31(4) 71-87, 2021.
Central Statistics Agency (CSA), Agricultural Sample survey volume II: Report on Livestock and Livestock characteristics in Ethiopia. Statistical Bulletin 505, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2022.
Central Statistics Agency (CSA). Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Agricultural sample survey. Report on livestock and livestock characteristics.; Statistical Bulletin No.583, Vol . 2, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9-16, 2016.
CSA. Agricultural Sample Survey 2023/24. Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia, 2024.
Duguma, G.; Terefe, E.; Tucho, T. Morphological and performance characteristics of indigenous goats in different agro-ecological zones of southern Ethiopia. Heliyon, 8(3), (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09098
FAO. Phenotypic characterization of animal genetic resources. FAO Animal Production and Health Guidelines, Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. No. 11, 2012.
Getachew, F.; Gizaw, S.; Kebede, K.; van Arendonk, J. A. M. Phenotypic and genetic characterization of indigenous goats under different production systems in Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 54(1), 1-11, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02877-1
Gichohi-Wainaina, W. N.; Bett, R. C.; Ojango, J. M. K. Phenotypic characterization and production performance of small ruminants in tropical smallholder systems. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 55(2), 1–12, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03423-7
Gizaw, S.; Tegegne, A.; Gebremedhin, B.; Hoekstra, D. Harnessing genetic resources for improved sheep and goat productivity in Ethiopia. Nairobi, Kenya: International Livestock Research Institute. ILRI Working Paper 22, 2011.
Grum, G. Community-Based Participatory Characterization of the Short-Eared Somali Goat Population Around Dire Dawa. An MSc thesis submitted to the School of Animal and Range Science, School of Graduate Studies, Haramaya University, 129, 2010.
Guang-Xin, E. et al. Genetic Diversity of the Chinese Goat in the Littoral Zone of the Yangtze River as Assessed by Microsatellite and mtDNA. Ecol. Evol. 8:5111–5123, 2018. Doi: 10.1002/ece3.4100.
Hagos, T.; Tegegne, F.; Gebremedhin, G. Body weight and linear measurements of indigenous goats in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Animal Production, 22(1), 45–57, 2022.
Halima, H.; Michael, B.; Barbara, R.; Markos, T. Phenotypic characterization of Ethiopian indigenous goat populations. African Journal of Biotechnology 11(73), 13838-13846, 2012.
Hassen, H.; Gizaw, S.; Dessie, T. Characterization and conservation of indigenous animal genetic resources in Ethiopia. In: State of Ethiopia’s Animal Genetic Resources. ILRI, 2020.
Hlokoe, V.R.; Tyasi, T.L. Nguni cattle body weight estimation using regression analysis. Journal of Animal Health and Production, 10(3), pp.375-380, 2022.
Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (IBC). The State of Ethiopia’s Farm Animal Genetic Resources: Country report. A Contribution to the First Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2004.
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Livestock Production and Marketing in Ethiopia, 2011.
International Organizations Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS). International Guiding Principles for Research Involving Animals. Available online: http://Grants.Nih.Gov/ Grants/Olaw/Guiding_Principles_2012.Pdf (accessed on 4 August 2019), 2012.
LPPS, Koehler, R.I. Indigenous breeds, local communities. Documenting animal breeds and breeding from a community perspective. Lokhit Pashu- Palak Sansthan, Sadri, India. 80, 2005.
Mahilet, D. Characterization of Hararghe highland goat and their production system in eastern Hararghe. MSc Thesis, Haramaya University. 89, 2012.
MoA. Food Security and Livelihoods Assessment Report. Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia, 2023.
NMA. Climate Data and Agroecological Zonation Report. National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia. (2023).
Odadi WO. Using heart girth to estimate live weight of heifers (Bos indicus) in pastoral rangelands of northern Kenya. Livest. Res. Rural. Dev. 30 (1): 2018.
Okpeku, M. et al. Application of Multivariate Principal Component Analysis to Morphological Characterization of Indigenous Goats in Southern Nigeria. Acta Agraria Slovenica, 98 (2), 2011.
Seyed, M.V.F.et al. Investigation of the genetic diversity of domestic Capra hircus breeds reared within an early goat domestication area in Iran. Genetics Selection Evolution. Pp 46:27, 2014.
South Gondar Administrative Zone Office of Agriculture (SGADO). South Gondar Administrative Zone Office of Agriculture and Rural Development Annual Report (unpublished), 2024.
Statistical Analysis System (SAS). SAS for Windows, Release 9.2, SAS Institute Inc., 2008.
Tadesse, Y.; Hassen, H.; Zewdu, W. Phenotypic characterization and production system of indigenous goat types in Ethiopia: Implications for conservation and genetic improvement. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 35(2), 2023.
Tesfaye, G.; Mekasha, Y.; Abegaz, S. Morphometric characterization and live body weight prediction in indigenous goat populations of Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 55(6), 452, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-04178-2
Tesfaye, K.; Tsegaye, Y.; Assefa, D. Phenotypic characterization of indigenous goats in Northwestern Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 53(5), 1–10, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02747-2
Tesfaye, Y.; Mulugeta, A.; Tsegaye, Y. Characterization of indigenous goats and their production system in West Hararghe, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Journal of Animal and Feed Research, 11(3), 83–91, 2021. https://doi.org/10.51227/jafr2021.11.083
Tsegaye, D.; Assefa, G.; Abebe, T. Phenotypic characterization and production system analysis of indigenous goats in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 56(3), 145, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-024-04045-x
Wilson, R.T.; Durkin, J.W. Small ruminant production in central Mali: reproductive Performance in traditionally managed goats and sheep. Livestock Production Sciences, 19: 523–529, 1988
Yakubu, A. Path coefficient and path analysis of body weight and biometric traits in Yankasa lambs. Slovak Journal of Animal Science, 43: 17–25, 2010.
Yimer, N.; Abegaz, S.; Tadesse, M. Morphological characterization of indigenous goat types under traditional management systems in Ethiopia. Small Ruminant Research, 222, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2023.106903.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Archives of Veterinary Science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors that wish to publish in AVS agree with the following conditions:
- To keep copyright of the article and allow the AVS to publish the first time. The article will be licensed by Creative Commons - Atribuição 4.0 Internacional allowing the sharing of their work.
- Authors may distribute their work by other channel of distribution (ex.: local or public repository).
- Authors have the permission to publish their work online, using different channels (similar to above), even before the final editorial process.
