Estimating the live weight using some body measurements in saanen goats

Abstract

This research was carried out to investigate the estimation of the live weight in Saanen Goats by statistical methods. Seventy Saanen Goats were used as the study material. The goats were divided into two groups. The first group included 2-2.5 years aged goats at first lactation period while the second group included the goats ready to be inseminated for the first time. The average live weight, heart girth, shank circumference, withers height, body length and chest depth values were calculated as 55.37 kg, 91.57, 9.32, 66.94, 109.75 and 32.55 cm respectively for the first group whereas the same parameters were calculated as 41.03 kg, 84.00, 8.86, 62.07, 101.55 and 30.27 cm respectively for the second group. Live weight (LW) was found to be highly correlated with heart girth (HG), shank circumference (SC), withers height (WH), body length (BL) and chest depth (CD) in the first group, whereas live weight was highly correlated with heart girth and body length in the second group. The regression equation for the first group was established as LW = -151,295 + 1,067*HG + 3,262*BL + 0,167*SC + 0,604*WH + 0,254*CD and it was LW = -64,753 + 0,863*HG + 0,717*BL – 0,029*SC + 0,207*WH + 0,254*CD for the second group. It is concluded that live weight could be predicted by statistical methods using several body measurements in Saanen goats.