July 22, 2025 Report Open Access

Zemedkun Diffe

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{
  "DOI": "10.20372/nadre:11557", 
  "author": [
    {
      "family": "Zemedkun Diffe"
    }
  ], 
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025, 
        7, 
        22
      ]
    ]
  }, 
  "abstract": "<p>The study was carried out to phenotypically characterize Goats (Capra hiricus) Reared at<br>\nSouth Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia with the aim to access the production, qualitative<br>\nand quantitative characteristics of goats and to assess the type and function of goats by<br>\nusing zoometrical indices. The study was performed based on household survey and field<br>\nmeasurements. For household survey, 135 households were involved and body<br>\nmeasurements were taken from 450 goats of both sexes from 0PPI to 4PPI. Using the body<br>\nmeasurements of the goats 10 structural indices was calculated. Both qualitative and<br>\nquantitative data were analyzed using SPSS versions 26 and indices calculation was<br>\nperformed by Microsoft excel for windows. The qualitative traits were compared by chisquare test while the quantitative variables were compared by Duncun&rsquo;s multiple range<br>\ntests. The result indicated that the average goat flock size per household shows increasing<br>\ntrend with respect to equine and cattle while decreasing with respect to sheep. There were<br>\nhigher numbers of female goats than male goats per household. Goats were primordially<br>\nreared as a source of cash income across the three districts which was followed by<br>\nmeat,income and skin for Kelala; meat, wealth and income for Woreelu and wealth,income<br>\nand meat for Borena District in their order of importance. The goat flocks were provided<br>\nwith house. The majority of households herded their goats with sheep in the dry season<br>\nwhile goats alone in the wet season. Bush/shrub and crop aftermath were the main feed<br>\nsources of the goats flock in wet and dry season respectively. In the dry season majority of<br>\nthe goats flock have access to clean water while muddy in the wet season. Buckling&rsquo;s wean<br>\nand reach for market at earlier age than doeling&rsquo;s. Across all the districts, there were<br>\nhigher intensions of selling males than females in dare of cash need. Castration was<br>\nentirely practiced at the age of 1-2 years traditionally with the aim to fatten and team the<br>\nbucks. Selection was practiced for both male and female where appearance was the most<br>\nselection criteria for both sexes. Farmers in the study area mainly practice natural and<br>\nuncontrolled mating systems. Predator was the main production constraints in all of the<br>\nstudied districts. The main frequently observed coat color pattern of goats were plain and<br>\nthe main dominantly observed coat color type were black. Presence of horn was common<br>\nwith dominant curved shape and backward orientation. The absences of wattle and skin<br>\npigmentation, concave face profile and long hair (smooth and glossy in respective order)<br>\nare the main common characteristics of South Wollo goats. There were no significant<br>\ndifference (p&gt;0.05) among the districts for body weight and linear body measurements.<br>\nMany of the linear body measurements have significant and positive correlation with live<br>\nbody weight. Generally, the result from the structural indices indicates that the Longhaired<br>\nArsi-Bale goats are adaptive to the highland areas. Therefore, this findingwas put baseline<br>\nfor understanding about production and phenotypic characteristics of longhaired ArsiBale goats as a first step in designing a sustainable breeding program in the study area.</p>", 
  "title": "Phenotypic Characterization of Goats (Capra hiricus) Reared at South Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia.", 
  "note": "Funded by Mekdela Amba University", 
  "type": "article", 
  "id": "11557"
}