MVSc

The main objectives of this study were: (1) to
study the bodyweight and body dimensions of Malabari
goats and its Alpine half breds, (2) to estimate the
genetic and phenotypic correlations between bodyweight
and different body dimensions in various genetic groups
and (3) to study any other major factors affecting
bodyweights and body dimensions.
The study was conducted in 92 goat kids reared at
the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on goats
farm at Mannuthy, Thrissur. A comparative study was
made on the native Malabari with its third generation
cross with the exotic Alpine breed.
The mean body length, heart girth and height at
withers at birth wera 25.68 ± 0.53, 27.37 ± 0.46 and 29.66
± O. 60 cm and 26.01 ± O. 16, 28.23 ± 0.23 and 30.24 ± 0.45
in male kids of Malabari and Alpine x Malabari crossbreds



respectively.


In the females the corresponding values



were 25.63 ± 0.073, 27.56 ± 0.68 and 25.53 ± 0.48 and 25.3
± 0.17, 27.60 ± 0.32 and 29.14 ± 0.35 cm.
The mean body length, heart girth and height at
withers of male Malabari and Alpine x Malabari goats at


60.39
±
0.81,
59.66
±
0.82
and
58.18
±
0.91
12 months were 61.42 ± 0.90, 61.12 ± 0.90 and 59.04 ±
1 . 01 cm and 64. 19 ± O. 81, 64. 60 ± O. 73 and 61. 98 ± O. 9
cm respectively.
The corresponding values for females
were 58.36 ± 0.81,59.0 ± 0.7 and 58.36 ± 0.72 and
respectively.

There was no significant difference between the
birth weights of- male and female Malabari kids and
between the birth weights of the two genetic groups.
But the difference was significant in the Alpine x
Malabari crossbreds.
There was significant difference in the bodyweight
at 12 months of age between male and female Alpine x
Malabari crossbred kids.
No significant difference was
observed in the bodyweight at 12 months between the two
genetic groups.
During the experiment period mean maximum and
minimum temperature were 34.55 ± 1.2 and 22.03 ± 1.4 °c
respectively.
Season had a significant effect on the body weight
at six, none and 12 months of age in Alpine x Malabari
crossbreds.


The effect of type of birth was not significant on
the birth weights in Alpine x Malabari crossbreds and
Malabari kids. Type of birth had no significant effect
on the 12 months body weight in both the genetic
groups.
analysis
showed
non-significant
Least
squares
effects of season and sex on the body weights in
Malabari kids while in the Alpine x Malabari the effect
of sex on body weights was significant at all the ages
studied.
Season at six, nine and 12 months of age had
significant effects on bodyweight in Alpine x Malabari
crossbreds
Breed had no significant effect on body weights.
The heritabilities of bodyweights at various ages
were higher in Malabari when compared to Malabari x
Alpine crossbreds.
The highest phenotypic correlations were observed
between the bodyweight and heart girth in both genetic
Genotypic
correlations
between
different
groups.
traits were found to be low at different ages in both
the genetic groups.

The highest coefficients of determination were
observed at the age of six months for both the
prediction equations.