Growth performance and carcass characteristics of central highland goats in Sekota District, Ethiopia.

Abstract

On farm monitoring ofcentral highland goats were conducted in Sekota district of the Amhara regionalstate, Ethiopia to evaluate the growth performances under the traditionalmanagement practices. On farm feeding trial was also conducted to see thefeeding performances and carcass characteristics of Central Highland goattypes. Data used for the study was collected from randomly selected on-farmflocks for two years. Yearling bucks were assigned randomly in to two feedtypes: grazing only and grazing plus concentrate. The overall mean birthweight, weaning weight and yearling weight obtained were 2.01±0.03, 9.02±0.18and 20.61±0.74 kg, respectively. All the fixed effects considered weresignificantly affected birth weight and weaning weight. However, at yearling age,parity and type of birth were not significant. Kids from larger parity does,single born kids, male kids and kids born in the wet and cool season had higher(p<0.001) birth and weaning weights from their group. Male kids and kidsborn in the dry season had heavier weight than female and wet season born kids.The overall mean pre- and post- weaning growth rate obtained were 76.6±2.3 and42.8±2.9 g/day, respectively. Kids born from later parity does, single and kidsborn at wet season had higher (P<0.001) pre-weaning growth rates than kidsborn from first parity, as twins and kids born during hot dry season,respectively. The overall mean final body weights of goats from the feedingtrial were 28.7 and 30.8 kg for the control and supplemented groups, respectively.Even though, there were numerical differences on final body weight and carcassparameters, there was no significant difference between supplemented and nonsupplemented groups of yearling bucks. Central Highland goat in this studyshowed better growth performances than most of the goat breeds in Ethiopia. Thesignificant effect of fixed effects needs to be considered in developingbreeding strategy for the breed. Moreover, integrated efforts combining thefeed, breeding and health aspects of production are very important to make useof the breed.