COMPARISON OF SOME BODY MEASUREMENTS FOR SAANEN GOATS

Murat Yilmaz, H. Erbay Bardakcioglu, Tufan Altin

Abstract
   The aim of this research was to compare some body measurements of goats and their kids. The measurements, namely the birth and the body weight, were taken during a 15-day- period for two months subsequent to the birth of the kids. The study was conducted on the Research Farm of Adnan Menderes University in Aydin province, Turkey. Within the data, parameters of 35 Saanen goats and of 46 kids of them, which were born in February and April in 2015, were compiled. The average live weights of the goats and of the kids were recorded after birth within 12 hours as 3.15kg and 47.78 respectively. A positive and significant correlation was found between the live weights of the goats and kids after birth (P<0.01). In addition, there was also a positive and significant correlation between the live weights of the goats which had multiple births and the live weights of the kids (P<0.01). The relationship between Withers height (WH)of goats and Withers height (WH)of kids at birth was found statistically non-significant (P<0.01); however, the correlation between Body Lengths (BL) of the kids, which were recorded in two months in every 15 days, was determined to be positive and significant (P<0.01). On the other hand, when the gender was taken into account, while there was a positive and significant correlation between the body lengths of the goats and male kids after birth, the correlation between the goats and female kids was found non-significant. In breeding selection from kids in the herd, characteristics, such as birth weight, live weight gain and body lengths (BL) are quite important; however, some research should also be conducted on the billy goat impact for some body measurements of their kids.

Key words: Saanen goats, kids, birth weight, body lengths