Growth Modeling and Genetic Analysis on Growth Traits of Sirohi Goat under Field Conditions

The data on 6772 growth records of Sirohi goats maintained at All India Coordinated Research Projecton Sirohi goat at Livestock Research Station, Vallabhnagar, Udaipur, India, and recorded between 2004 and 2016, were analysed to study the growth related traits and their genetic control. The overall least squares means of body weight at birth, W3M, W6M, W9M, W12M, were 2.34 ± 0.03, 12.44 ± 0.19, 16.31 ± 0.22, 20.08 ± 0.47 and 25.09 ± 0.40 kg, respectively while least-squares means for pre- and post-weaning average daily gains were 113.66 ± 2.15 and 46.17 ± 0.94 g/day, respectively. The various non-genetic factors exhibited variable effects on the growth traits at different phases of age. Cluster and period of birth had significant effect on all growth traits. Season of birth had significant effect except birth weight. Summer born kids heavier and higher body weight and pre- and post-weaning gains than winter and rainy season born kids. Males had a higher weight and higher daily gain than females at almost all stages of growth. Kids of primiparous dams had significantly lower birth weight as compared to multiparous dams’ kids. Single born kids had a distinct advantage over those born in multiple births at all stages of growth. The regression on dam’s weight at kidding were positive significant for all stages of growth traits. The heritability estimates of all body weights and weight gains at different stages of growth were moderate (0.16-0.28), except for post-weaning average daily gain, which had low heritability (0.07±0.01). The phenotypic and genetic correlations among the different growth traits were positive and high, except for phenotypic correlation between pre- and post-weaning gains which was negative. Four non-linear growth models, viz., Gompertz, Brody, Logistic and Von Bertalanffy were used to describe the growth pattern in Sirohi kids based on the growth parameters. The highest R2 value and lowest mean absolute error (MAE), akaike’s information criteria (AIC) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values were observed in Brody model.