Evaluating phenotypic correlation between body weight and biometric traits of migratory goats

Abstract

Present study was conducted to evaluate the phenotypic correlation between live body weight and biometric traits of migratory goats at Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. Live body weight and 25 biometric traits of body were measured from migratory female goats (n=80), twenty from each age group (5-20 days, 3-6 months, 1.0-1.5 and >2.0 years). Live body weight of the goats in 5-20 days, 3-6 months, 1.0-1.5 and >2.0 years of age was 5.54±0.27, 14.95±0.69, 31.80±0.95 and 38.38±1.05 kg, respectively. Among the biometric traits, height at hip (40.70±0.85 cm) and height at wither (40.65±0.62 cm) were higher as compared to other traits in kids (5-20 days). However, with an increase in age, barrel girth (60.43±0.79, 79.40±0.90 and 84.45±1.31 cm, respectively in 3-6 months, 1.0-1.5 and >2.0 years) remained highest among the all biometric traits studied. Phenotypic correlation with weight was positive and significant (P£0.05) for majority of biometric traits, but differed among the age groups. Chest girth showed consistently higher positive association with weight (r = 0.729, 0.866, 0.797 and 0.802, respectively in 3-6 months, 1.0-1.5 and >2.0 years, P£0.001). Additionally, height at wither, body length, paunch and barrel girth had a positive and significant association with weight in all age groups (P£0.05). Thus, it may be concluded that biometric traits like chest girth, height at wither, body length, paunch and barrel girth could be useful for genetic improvement of live body weight in migratory goats.