Abstract

SALVADOR, Alejandro; CONTRERAS, Ignacio; MARTINEZ, Gonzalo  and  HAHN, Martín. Relationship between body weight, biometric traits and age in growthof Canarian crossbreed goat from birth to one year-old in the tropic. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.3, pp.299-307. ISSN 0798-7269.

In order to study the relationship between body weight (BW) and some biometric variables in crossbred Canarian (from 3/4 to 7/8) growing goats, a study using 383 records was realized with 52 goats from birth up to one year old. The following measurements were recorded monthly: BW, thoracic perimeter (TP), thoracic depth (DP), wither height (WH), and body length (BL). Data were analyzed using linear models. Model included sex, calving type, and calving number of the dam. Calving number of dam was not significant (P>0.05), and the sex and calving type affected all traits. Pearson simple correlation between BW and TP, TD, WH and BL were estimated. The estimates were 0,96; 0,93; 0,94 y 0,95, respectively (P<0.01). To predict BW a multiple regression equation with two variables (age and a morfometric variable) and a multiple regression equation with all morfometric variables and age were calculated using weights adjusted by calving type. The best predictor of BW was TP using the equation BW = -8,84 + 0,32 (TP) + 0,02 (age) for females (r2 = 0.954) and BW = -12,73 + 0,42 (TP) + 0,03 (age) for males (r2 = 0.962).

Keywords : goat; Caprine Canarian group; body weight; biometric traits.

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