NFLUENCE OF SOME NON GENETIC FACTORS ON BIRTH WEIGHT OF TEDDY GOAT KIDS

Asad Ullah Hyder, Pervez Akhtar and Khalid Zafar Gondal¹

Department of Animal Breeding & Genetics, ¹ Department of livestock Management, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Abstract   

    Data on birth weight of Teddy goats maintained at the Livestock Production Research Institute, Bahadurnagar, were collected. A total of 1666 kidding records spread over a period of 25 years were available. Overall least square mean for birth weight was 1.44 ± 0.06 kg. The variation in birth weight due year and season of birth was significant. The winter born kids were heavier (1.46 ± 0.06 kg) than summer born kids (1.42 ± 0.06 kg). Least square mean for birth weight of male kids was 1.49 ± 0.06 kg and this value was higher than that for female kids ( 1.40 ± 0.06 kg), Birth weight was significantly (P<0.01) affected due to birth type and single born kids were the heaviest ( 1.75 ± 0.05 kg) amongst affected birth types. Birth weight significantly decreased with an increase in number of kids born. Twin, triplet and quadruplet born kids weighed 1.55 ± 0.05, 1.46 ± 0.05 and 1.03 ± 0.13 kg, respectively; Parity had no effect on birth weight. The least square means for different parities ranged from 1.40 ± 0.03 to 1.47 ± 0.061 kg.     

Key words: Teddy Goats, Environmental effects. Birth weight