The relationship between the coat colours with morphometric traits of West African Dwarf goat raised in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the coat colours with morphometric traits of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats raised in Akwa Ibom State. A total of three hundred and eighty four (384) goats comprising of 291 females and 93 males were sampled from the three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom State. Sampled goats were classified into various coat colours; black (Bl), brown (Br), black-brown (Bl-Br), white (Wh), white-brown (Wh-Br) and white-black (Wh-l), and age groups (1 – <2 and 2 – <3 years) for males and (2 – <3, 3 – <4, 4 – <5 and 5 years and above) for females. The data obtained were subjected to Analysis of Variance. Results showed that goats with White-brown and black-brown coat colour combination had similar body conformation traits in body length. BL (53.78 ± 2.49 and 53.17 ± 2.59 cm respectively), height at wither, HW (44.45 ± 0.98 and 45.08 ± 0.92 cm respectively), heart girth, HG (61.48 ± 1.25 and 63.20 ± 3.22 cm respectively), rump height, RH (47.02 ± 1.08 and 48.33 ± 1.01 cm), body depth, BD (68.64 ± 0.36 and 71.39 ± 5.31 cm respectively) and body weight, BW (22.59 ± 0.69 and 21.69 ± 3.59 kg respectively). The least BL, HW, RH and BW were observed in goats with brown coat colour. It was concluded that coat colours have influence on morphometric traits and morphometric traits affected  varied with age. Coat colours of goats above five years of age, had no significant effect on morphometric traits. However, white-brown goat should be selected if body weight is desired.