Crossbreeding of Hair goats with Alpine and Saanen bucks: Production and reproduction traits of Native Hair goats in supplementary feeding in different physiological stage in natural pasture-based system

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproductive, growth traits, milk quantity, quality and somatic cell count (SCC) traits of Hair goat flocks, raised in supplementary feeding in different physiological stage in natural pasture-based system. Data were collected from 1982 Hair goats, which were mated with Hair, Alpine or Saanen bucks during 2009 and 2013. Except for kidding time (P < 0.01) the reproductive performance rates of Hair goats mated with Hair, Alpine or Saanen bucks were not significant found (P> 0.05). However, Alpine × Hair F1 (AHF1) kids exhibited superior birth weight than Hair kids, while Hair kids had significantly higher weaning weight than Saanen × Hair F1 (SHF1) kids (P < 0.01). Average, lactation milk yield (LMY), daily milk yield (DMY) and lactation length (LL) of Hair goats were 212 days, 103.2 kg and 488 g respectively. Average contents of the milk were 5.24 % fat, 3.78 % protein, 5.39 % lactose, 10.01 % non-fat solids and 15.25 % total solids. However, excluding the effect of age on density and freezing point; age, flock and year had significant effects on milk production (P < 0.01) and physical and chemical compositions of the milk (P < 0.05). SCC value increased as stage of lactation and age progressed (P < 0.01). It is concluded that the high variation in milk yields among Hair goats could be the result of genetic variation. Therefore, the milk yield characteristics of Hair goats could be increased by selection or cross-breeding improved by better modelling of environmental variations that are suitable for agricultural-ecological diversity.