ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON BIRTH WEIGHT IN BEETAL GOAT KIDS

Livestock Production Research Institute, Bahadurnagar, Okara,
¹Univesity of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract   

    Data on pedigree, breeding and performance records (N=1850) of Beetal goats maintained at the Angora Goat Farm Rakh Kharewala, District Layyah, Livestock Production Research Institute, Bahadurnagar District. Okara and Livestock Experiment Station, Allahdad (Jahanian) District Khenawal during the period from 1988 to 2000 were used. Least squares analysis revealed that year of birth, sire, flock, sex of kid and type of birth were significant (P<0.01) sources of variation for birth weight in Beetal kids. The kids born at Bahadurnagar were heavier (3.65 ± 0.13 kg) as compared to the kids born at Allahdad (3.55 ± 0.08 kg) or Rakh Kharewala (2.96 ± 0.05 kg). Birth weights for male and female kids were 3.48 ± 0.06 and 3.29 ± 0.06 kg, respectively. Single born kids were heavier (3.69 ± 0.06 kg) than twins (3.37 ± 0.06 kg) and triplets (3.08 ± 0.08 kg). There was an appreciable twining rate (47.9%) in these flocks.