Repeatability Estimates for Body Weight, Skin and Leather Properties in Pure and Reciprocal Crosses of Nigerian Goats

Abstract

This study evaluated repeatability estimates for body weight, skin and leather properties using progenies of pure and reciprocal crossing of West African Dwarf (WAD) and Red Sokoto (RS) goats. The progenies were labelled as RSxRS, WADxWAD, WADxRS and RSxWAD. Data on bodyweights of the progenies were taken at birth, weaning and at yearling when the males were slaughtered to obtain skins which were tanned to leather. Data on physical properties of the skin and the leathers were also taken. The result revealed a low range repeatability estimate for birth weight (0.01 – 0.23) and yearling weight 0.05 – 0.20, while weaning weight ranged from low – high (0.05 – 0.51). Repeatability estimates for leather properties generally ranged from low to moderate among the goat genotypes except for thickness (0.41) and surface area (0.64) of WADxWAD, and distention at crack (0.47) of RSxWAD. The results revealed that genotype is of variable influence on the repeatability estimate of bodyweight, skin and leather traits in the goats. It is therefore concluded that long term breeding of Nigerian goats would result in more consistent body weights, skin and leather properties.

Keywords: Breed, Bodyweight, Leather, Reciprocal crossing