Estimation of daily milk production from some body measurements in local goat population under Tunisian arid conditions

Abstract

In order to estimate some equations of daily milk production from linear body measurements of 85 local lacting goats were used in the present study. The morphostructural parameters included body length, withers height, heart girth and hip height, the body weight and the daily milk were recorded weekly from from the 7th postpartum day up to the end of lactation period. Four models were tested to estimate daily milk from some body measurements. A high correlation between daily milk and all linear body measurements was obtained. A significant correlation (p<0.05) were obtained between all linear body measurements and daily milk yield. The high value of correlation was presented between body weight and the daily milk (r=0.66). A estimates equation with coefficient of determination (44%) has been got to estimate daily milk with (R2). The daily milk of local goat could be estimated from linear body measurements and it could be use the goats' body weight and withers height as a good measurements to predict daily milk with reasonable R2