Growth Performance of Purgi Goats under Field Conditions in Kargil District (Ladakh)

Abstract

Background: Purgi goats are native to Ladakh. They are used for fibre production and are known for the quality chevon. A study was, therefore, undertaken to study the effect of non-genetic factors on growth traits of Purgi Goats in its breeding tract. Methods: Flocks of 80 farmers from 8 villages of district Kargil were monitored to collect the data pertaining to growth traits during 2017 and 2018. The data so collected were suitably classified to study the major fixed effects like birth year, kid, parity of dam, season of birth and type of birth. Result: The averages were1.21±0.02, 3.62±0.02, 5.82±0.02, 8.73±0.03, 10.71±0.04 and 13.49±0.09 for BW, WW, 6MW, 9MW, 12MW and 18MW, respectively. The coefficients of variations of all the traits were low. Highest variability of 13.49 was observed for 18MW. The values of least squares means (LSM’s) of 0.96±0.05, 3.74±0.03, 5.80±0.05, 8.74±0.06, 10.87±0.08 and 13.91±0.19 for birthweight (BW), weaning weight (WW), six months body weight (6MW), nine months weight (9MW), yearling body weight (12MW) and eighteen months (18MW) weight were observed in the present study. The effects of sex of kids, season of birth and year of birth were significant (p less than 0.05) on all traits under study, whereas effect of birth-type was significant (p less than 0.05) on BW and WW and effect of parity was non-significant on all traits under study. All the traits BW, WW and 6MW were positively correlated among themselves. The correlations ranged from low (between BW and WW ) to high (WW with 9MW and 12MW).