Abstract
Data on 1542 purebred Damascus kids obtained from the Goat Breeding Unit at Akhelia were used to determine the effects of year, month and type of birth (singles, twins, other multiples), sex of kid and dam lactation number on growth characters of goats. Least squares analyses showed that all factors studied had a significant effect on weaning weight, pre-weaning growth rate and 140-day weight ( P<0.01). Type of birth and lactation number effects were small and insignificant for post-weaning growth rate. Adjustment factors were computed across year of birth for the effects of month of birth, type of birth, sex of kid and dam lactation number. These adjustment factors, although developed from a single herd, can be used, with some caution, in a breeding program for the improvement of Damascus goats.
Published Version
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