EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE OF DAMASCUS GOAT AND ITS CROSSES WITH EGYPTIAN BALADI AND BARKI

Abstract

A total of 3108 records on conception rate (CR) and 2123 on litter size (LS) were used in this study. CR data represented 1600 Damascus (D) does, 201 Barki (BR) does, 229 Baladi (BL) does and 1070 crossbred does between D and each of BR and BL, while LS represented 1070 D does, 128 BR does, 145 BL does and 775 crossbred does. These records were used to study the effect of crossing and other fixed effects and to estimate heritability of these two traits in the Damascus goats. Statistical models included varying combination of the fixed effects of station, genotypes within station, year of mating, month of mating, and parity and the random effect of animal nested within station, genotype, year of mating and month of mating. Variance and covariance components for Damascus data were estimated through the Gibbs Sampling technique using a model that included the fixed effects of station, year and month of mating and parity, and the random effects of doe additive genetics and permanent environmental. CR mean in different analyses ranged from 0.39 to 0.63. Damascus, with a range of CR of 0.48 to 0.63, surpassed both local breeds (ranging from 0.33 to 0.58) and was close to the crossbreds that ranged between 0.34 and 0.68. LS mean ranged from 1.26 to 1.50 in different analyses. Baladi scored the highest in LS (1.49). Damascus ranged from 1.15 to 1.24 in different locations. LS ranged from 1.37 to 1.67 for crossbreds. For both traits there was no clear evidence of the merit of Damascus goats or their crosses over the Barki and Baladi goats. More data taken under sound herd management are needed to clarify the utility of the Damascus and its crosses. Heritability estimates+SE for CR and LT in Damascus goats were 0.03 ± 0.003 and 0.04 ± 0.003, respectively.

Keywords

• egyptian baladi goats
• barki
• damascus
• crossbreeding
• heritability
• conception rate
• litter size