Growth performance and carcass characteristics of central highland goats in Sekota District, Ethiopia

On farm monitoring of central highland goats were conducted in Sekota district of the Amhara regional state, Ethiopia to evaluate the growth performances under the traditional management practices. On farm feeding trial was also conducted to see the feeding performances and carcass characteristics of Central Highland goat types. Data used for the study was collected from randomly selected on-farm flocks for two years. Yearling bucks were assigned randomly in to two feed types: grazing only and grazing plus concentrate. The overall mean birth weight, weaning weight and yearling weight obtained were 2.01±0.03, 9.02±0.18 and 20.61±0.74 kg, respectively. All the fixed effects considered were significantly affected birth weight and weaning weight. However, at yearling age, parity and type of birth were not significant. Kids from larger parity does, single born kids, male kids and kids born in the wet and cool season had higher (p<0.001) birth and weaning weights from their group. Male kids and kids born in the dry season had heavier weight than female and wet season born kids. The overall mean preand postweaning growth rate obtained were 76.6±2.3 and 42.8±2.9 g/day, respectively. Kids born from later parity does, single and kids born at wet season had higher (P<0.001) pre-weaning growth rates than kids born from first parity, as twins and kids born during hot dry season, respectively. The overall mean final body weights of goats from the feeding trial were 28.7 and 30.8 kg for the control and