CHARACTERIZATION OF PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF SAIDI GOATS IN EGYPT

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt.

2 Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

This study was carried out to describe the productivity and reproductive performance of Saidi goats (SG) under Upper Egypt conditions. The study involved forty-nine mature does aged 1 to 1.5 year, with an average body weight of 21.6 kg. A significant difference (p< 0.01) was recorded in the number of services per conception between summer mating (2.33) and winter mating (1.45). Conception rates were 100 % for both winter and summer mattings. Abortion rates were 11.1 and 0 % in summer and winter mating, respectively. The prolificacy was 145 % in summer kidding (SK) and 87.5 % in winter kidding (WK). The litter sizes were 1.88 and 1.65 for goats kidded in winter and summer, respectively. There was a significant difference (p< 0.01) in the length of the oestrus cycle between seasons. The average length of the oestrus cycle of SG was 21.9 days. There were no significant differences in the oestrus duration among the four seasons. The birth weight of Saidi kids was 1.61 kg. Male animals were heavier than females. The weaning weight of kids was 6.72 kg. The average mortality rate from birth to weaning was 34.5 % for the kids born in summer and 14.3 % for kids born in winter. There was a significant effect (p< 0.01) of the season on the duration of lactation (162.0 and 119.5 days in winter and summer, respectively), which led to a significant (p< 0.01) increase in total milk yield in winter (126.9 kg/head) compared to summer (89.5 kg/head).

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