Morphometric Attributes and Differentiation of Selected Indigenous Cattle Breeds in Nigeria

Abstract

Population differentiation of farm animals is used for objective choice of parental genotypes that constitutes new hybrids in crossbreeding. In Nigeria, population characteristics of selected indigenous cattle breeds have not been fully documented. Therefore, morphometric attributes of selected indigenous cattle breeds in Nigeria were assessed. Three hundred and one (301) White Fulani (WF), 242 Red Bororo (RB), 247 Sokoto Gudali (SG), 233 Bornu Kuri (BK) and 184 Muturu cattle in the age group of 3 to 31/2 years were purposively sampled from Gombe, Kaduna, Niger and Ogun States. Eighteen (18) morphometric parameters were measured using standard procedures. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and Euclidean genetic distance. The EL (cm) for WF (23.86±3.08), SG (24.17±3.82), RB (24.07±3.74) and BK (24.17±3.15) were significantly higher than that of Muturu (14.62±2.01). The Foreleg length (FLL) and tail length (TL) of WF, SG, RB and BK were significantly longer than that of Muturu. Muturu has a significantly shorter TL than WF, SG, RB and BK. The longest genetic distance at the morphometric level was 146 between Muturu and BK and shortest (44) between BK and RB. Differences existed in face length, rear leg length, wither height and rump height of the various breeds of cattle.

Keywords: Breed differentiation; Genetic distance; Indigenous cattle; Morphometric
attributes.