Productivity of Pure Breeds and Crossed Caprine Genotypes in the Coastal Oases of Southern Tunisia

Abstract

The comparison of pure breeds of goats and genotypes resulting from crossing of absorption of the local goat by ameliorative breeds aims at determining the best goat genotypes which allow enhancing oasis resources. The study of individual growth performances in kids of the local population, in Alpine, Damascus and Murciana-Granadina breeds is insufficient to conclude on genetic and economic advantages allowing to select the ameliorative breed. This study helped to establish bioeconomic indices to evaluate the productivity of pure and crossed genetic groups. The meat index corrected the growth performances by the metabolic weight of the adults and productivity rates. The index analysis, elaborated from a data bank based on sixteen performance control campaigns, led to somewhat different results from those established on the comparison of individual performances. It is necessary to develop more complete indices, which will help to consider productivity better as well as costs of intensive farming, and to apply them to the whole of the data in order to answer the genetic and economic objectives of the project on crossing of absorption of the local goat population.

Keywords

• Caprin
• Croisement
• Productivité
• Oasis
• Tunisie