Resumen

MELLADO, Miguel; GARCIA, José E.; LEDEZMA, Rogelio  y  MELLADO, Jesús. Prediction of goat litter size using body measurements. INCI [online]. 2004, vol.29, n.12, pp.698-701. ISSN 0378-1844.

Changes in abdominal circumference (total and right half), live weight and vulva-cervix distance were used to predict the number of fetuses under range conditions. Total body weight gain during gestation was 5.49 ±2.3 and 6.9 ±2.9kg (mean ±standard error) for single and twin-bearing does, respectively. The increment in abdominal circumference was 9.3 ±2.9 and 10.6 ±3.3cm for single and twin-bearing does, respectively. At the end of pregnancy the vulva cervix distance was 3.0 ±1.6 and 3.3 ±1.2cm for single and twin-bearing does, respectively. Discriminant analyses on records of 97 goats indicated that at 68-90 days of pregnancy, live weight change was the best predictor variable, with 62% being correctly classified as twin-bearing does. At 91-114 days of gestation abdominal circumference on average identified two thirds of twin-bearing does. At 115-142 days of pregnancy live weight gain was again the best predictor variable for separation of does according to number of fetuses. In all stages of pregnancy, the vulva-cervix distance was an erratic variable for discriminating between single-and twin-bearing does. Little precision in predicting litter size was gained by combining pairs of variables. It is concluded that change in abdominal circumference at around 100 days of gestation is of moderate practical significance for predicting multiple fetuses in goats under field conditions.

Palabras clave : Abdominal Circumference ; Goats; Litter Size ; Live Weight .