Abstract

A retrospective study was conducted from November 2013 to April 2014 at Hawassa university goat farm. The aim of the study was to assess the variation of birth weight, weaning weight and pre-weaning mortality of Boer goat and there cross with native Ethiopian goats. Records of 537 kids that were born alive from 2008 to 2013 were used in this study. The factors considered for birth weight, weaning weight and mortality of kids were birth type, parity, sex, season of birth, year of birth, genotype and dam weight while birth weight was also used as risk factors for kid mortality and weaning weight of kid. In this study the mean birth and weaning weight of kids was 3.04 (± 0.4sd) kg and 13.27 (± 0.18sd) kg respectively. All factors except season of birth had significantly (at least p < 0.05) affect birth weight of kids. Parity and season of birth had not significant (p > 0.05) effect on weaning weight of kids but all the other factors were significant effect at weaning weight of kids. Birth weight, parity and year of birth significantly (p < 0.05) affect pre-weaning mortality rate of kids but not other factors. Male kids had higher (P < 0.05) birth weight (3.1 ± 0.8 kg vs. 2.9 ± 0.7 kg), and weaning weight (13.65 ± 0.25 kg vs. 12.81 ± 0.23 kg) than female kids, but sex had not significant (p > 0.05) effect on pre-weaning mortality rate of kid. Single born kids were heavier birth and weaning weight than twins and triplets, however, type of birth was not significant (p > 0.05) effect on pre-weaning mortality rate of kids. In this study birth weight was increased as parity increased. Dam weight had linear relationship with birth weight and also birth weight had linear relationship with weaning weight. The overall pre-weaning mortality rate of kids in this study was 24.4%. Out of 126 deaths encountered before three months of age, 80 (15.5%) deaths occurred within 30 days of age and the highest mortality (65.4%) was recorded for kids had 2kg or less birth weight, while the lowest mortality rate (13.2%) was recorded for kids had 3 kg or more birth weight. Pre-weaning mortality (birth to 90 days) was affected (p < 0.01) by parity of does, high Pre-weaning mortality was recorded in kids born from the second and first parity of does. Season of birth had not significant effect on pre-90-day mortality of kids. Generally, mortality rate was found to be highest in kids weighing ≤2 kg birth weight and in kids born in the later year. So, improving supplementary feeding for pregnant, very young and old does is recommended to get moderate birth weight and to minimize pre-weaning kid mortality rate.

Keywords: Birth Weight; Weaning Weight; Pre-weaning Mortality; Goats

References

1. ESGPIP: Ethiopia sheep and goat productivity improvement program. In: “sheep and goat production Hand book for Ethiopia, Yami,I. and R.C.Merkel (Editions)”.Brana printing press. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2008).
2. Gatenby RM. Sheep: “The tropical agriculturalist”. London and Basingstoke, Macmillan education Ltd, ACCT (1991): 6-10.
3. PACE-Ethiopia. “Experiences and the way forward on community-based animal health service delivery in Ethiopia”. Proceedings of a workshop held in Addis Ababa Ethiopia 6.26 (2003).
4. Fletcher I and Zelalem A. “Small ruminant productivity in central Ethiopia mixed farming system”. Institute of agricultural research, proceeding of the 4^th national livestock improvement conference. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (1991).
5. Teferi M. “An epidemiological study on ovine pasturelosis in Arsi, southeast Ethiopia Debre Zeit”. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, DVM Thesis (2000).
6. CSA (Central Statistical Agency) “Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Agricultural sample survey, Reports on livestock and livestock holding characteristics”. Statistical bulletin No. 388, Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2 (2007): 12-16.
7. Devendra C. “Goats and rural prosperity”. In: Preconference Proceedings: Plenary Papers (1992).
8. Peters KJ. “Selection and breeding strategies for production in warm climates”. In: Animal husbandry in warm climates. EAAP Publication. Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands (1991): 55 - 63.
9. Ameh JA., et al. “Mortality in sahwlian goats in Nigeria”. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 44 (2000): 107-111.
10. Alexander G., et al. “Productive Performances of Guadeloupean Creole goats during the suckling period”. Small Ruminant Research 34 (1999): 155-160.
11. Martin GB., et al. “Natural methods for increasing reproductive efficiency in small ruminants”. Animal Reproduction Science (2004): 82-83.
12. Hailu D., et al. “The effect of Environmental factors on pre-weaning survival rate of Borana and Arsi-bale Kids”. Small Ruminant Research 66 (2006): 291-294.
13. Turkson PK., et al. “Risk factors for kid mortality in West African dwarf goats under an intensive management system in Ghana”. Tropical Animal Health and Production 36 (2004): 353-364.
14. Awemu EM., et al. “An environmental influence on pre-weaning mortality and reproductive performance of Red Sokoto does”. Small Ruminant Research 34 (1999): 161-165.
15. Mtenga LA., et al. “Studies on factors affecting reproductive performance and mortality rates of small East African goats and their crosses”. In: Lebbie SHB, Rey B, Irungu EK (Editions). Small ruminates Research and Development in Africa (1993).
16. Donkin EF and Boyazoglu PA. “Diseases and mortality of goat kids in a South African milk goat herd”. South African Journal of Animal Science 34 (2004): 258-261.
17. “Production and marketing of sheep and goats in Alaba, SNNPR”. MSc thesis, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia (2007).
18. Payne WJA and Wilson TR. “An introduction to animal husbandry in the tropics”. Fifth edition., Blackwell Science Ltd. United Kingdom (1999): 832.
19. Snyman MA. “Factors affecting pre-weaning kid mortality in South African Angora goats”. South African Journal of Animal Science 1 (2010): 54-64.
20. Debele G. “Effect of different factors on mortality rate of Arsi-Bale kids in mid rift valley of Ethiopia”. Global Veterinaria 1 (2011): 56-60.
21. Weldaregay H., et al. “Challenges and opportunities of milk production under different urban dairy farm sizes in Hawassa City, Souther Ethiopia”. African Journal of Agricultural Research26 (2012): 3860-3866.
22. Browning R and Leite-Browning ML. “Birth to weaning kid traits from a complete diallel of Boer, Kiko, and Spanish meat goat breeds semi-intensively managed on humid subtropical pasture”. Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research, Tennessee State University, Nashville 37209-1561 (2009).
23. Abebe G. “Studies on performance potential of Somali goats and their crosses with Anglo-Nubian: A contribution to breed documentation and evaluation” Dissertation, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Institutfür Nutztierwissenschaften (1996).
24. Mekuriaw Z. “Environmental influences on pre-weaning growth performance and mortality rate of extensively managed Somali goats in Eastern Ethiopia”. Livestock Research for Rural Development2 (2007).
25. Đuricic D., et al. “Reproductive performance of Boer goats in a moderate climate zone”. Archives of Veterinary 82 (2012): 351-358.
26. Petrosn A., et al. “Pre-weaning kid mortality in Adamitulu Jedokombolcha District, Mid Rift Valley, Ethiopia”. Journal of Veterinary Medicine and animal Health1 (2014): 1-6.
27. Liu W., et al. “Adjustment for non-genetic effects on body weight and size in Angora goats”. Small Ruminant Research 59 (2005): 25-31.
28. Das SM., et al. “Phenotypic and genetic parameters of growth traits of Blended goats at Malya, Tanzania”. In: Proceedings of the Third Biennial conference of the African Small Ruminant Research Network. Kampala, Uganda 5.9 (1994): 85-87.
29. Zhang CY., et al. “Genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates for growth traits in Boer goat”. Livestock Science 124 (2009): 66-71.
30. Boujenane I and El Hazzab A. “Genetic parameters for direct and maternal effects on body weights of Draagoats”. Small Ruminant Research 80 (2008): 16-21.
31. Bhoite UY., et al. “First clip performance of Angora and graded Angora goats”. Indian Veterinary Journal 73 (1996): 422-425.
32. Husein SS., et al. “Study on the growth performance of Black Bengal goats in different periods”. Small Ruminant Research 21 (1996): 165-171.
33. Gerstmayr S and Horst. “Estimates of performance traits in Turkish Angora goats”. Small Ruminant Research 16 (1995): 141-157.
34. Merlos-Brito MI., et al. “Evaluation of productive traits in Boer × local, Nubian × local and local kids in the dry tropic of Guerrero, Mexico”. Veterinaria 39 (2008): 323-333.
35. Gifford DR., et al. “Environmental effects on fleece and body traits of South Australian Angora goats”. Small Ruminant Research 3 (1990): 249-256.
36. Robinson JJ., et al. “Studies on reproduction in prolific ewes”. 1. Growth of the products of conception. Journal of Agricultural Sciences 88 (1977): 539-552.
37. Lehloenya KC., et al. “Reproductive performance of South African indigenous goats following oestrous synchronisation and AI”. Small Ruminant 57 (2005): 115-120.
38. Goonewardene LA., et al. “A preliminary evaluation of growth and carcass traits in Alpine and Boer goat crosses”. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 78 (1998): 229-232.
39. Browning RJ., et al. “Reproductive and health trait among Boer, Kiko, and Spanish meat goat does under humid, subtropical pasture conditions of the south-eastern United States”. Journal of Animal Science 89 (2011): 648-660.
40. Sodiq A. “Doe reproductivity of kacang and peranakan Etawach goats and factors affecting them in Indonesia, Beiheft Nr”. 78 Zu Journal of Agricalture and rural Development in the tropics and subtropics, Kassel university press GmbH (2004).
41. Jiabi P., et al. “Improvement effect of crossbreeding Boer goats and Sichunan Native goats”. Proceedings of the 2001 conference on Boer goats, Beijing, Chain (2001): 20-25.
42. Husein SS., et al. “Effect of different factors on pre-Weaning survival of Black Bengal kids”. Small Ruminant Research 18 (1995): 1-5.
43. Ingo H. “Analysis of survival curves in seasonally mated pastoral goat herds in northern Kenya using logistic regression techniques”. Journal of Arid Environmental 50 (2002): 621-640.
44. Ebozoje MO and Ngere LO. “Incidence of pre-weaning mortality in West Africa dwarf goats and their Red Sokoto half-breeds; Nigerian”. Journal of Animal Production 22 (1995): 93-98.
45. Perez-Razo MA., et al. “Factors affecting kid survival in five goat breeds”. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 78 (1998): 407-411.
46. Tibbo M. “Productivity and health of indigenous sheep breeds and crossbreds in the central Ethiopian highlands”. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (2006).

Citation

Citation: Ayana Selamu Dessie and Gizachew Nibret Tilahun. “Factors Affecting Pre-weaning Kid Mortality in Boer Goats and their Cross with Native Ethiopian Goats Under an Intensive Management". Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences 4.5 (2021): 03-12.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2021 Ayana Selamu Dessie and Gizachew Nibret Tilahun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.