Heterotic effect on body weight and morphometric traits of crossbred buck kids of Red Sokoto and West African Dwarf goats

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of crossbreeding on body weight and morphometric traits of crossbred buck kids produced from a mating of Red Sokoto(RS) and West African Dwarf(WAD) goats in a humid tropical environment. Results showed that the main crossbred (RS x WAD) buck kids had significantly higher body weight at 20 weeks (8.98 ± 0.43kg) than the reciprocal (WAD X RS) individuals (8.22± 0.12kg) . The Red Sokoto (RS X RS) buck kids maintained overall superiority for body weight (10.48 ±0.49kg) and other morphometric traits namely; body length (72.62 ± 3.18cm), height-at-withers (54.62 ± 3.10cm) and heart girth (63.20 ± 2.41cm)than other genetic groups. Direct and percentage heterosis for body weight and the morphometric traits were positive for the RS x WAD buck kids except for body length which was negative. The reciprocal WAD x RS buck kids had negative values for all measured parameters indicating that the WAD sired buck kids showed no improvement for these body traits following crossbreeding. It was therefore concluded that rapid improvement in growth traits of WAD goats could be achieved by main crossbreeding involving mating of RS bucks with WAD does.

Keywords: Red Sokoto and WAD goats, crossbreeding, heterosis, body weight, morphometric traits.