Relationship and Prediction of Body Weight from Morphometric Traits in Maefur Goat Population in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Erob district eastern zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia to determine the relationship between live weight and linear measurements in Maefur goat population under traditional management system. Data on live body weight, linear body measurement and physical body character were collected from randomly selected 600 (297 male and 303 female goats) and categorized into age group of 04-12, 13-18, 19-24, and 24-35 months equivalent with to 0 PPI, 1 PPI, 2 PPI and 3 ≥ PPI with 82, 87, 134 and 297 animals in each age groups, respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS software 16.0 version. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis were used. Heart girth was highly correlated to body weight (r=0.97, P<0.01) and used to predict live body weight with regression equations of y1.04 x-(43.3 ± 0.83), R²0.93 for pooled sex and age. The multiple regression equation for prediction of the live body weight was y=(0.74 HG+0.16 BL+0.18 HW) - 42.8, R2=0.95 for pooled sex and age. It was concluded that, there is variability in body measurements across sex and age indicated that these measurements could be exploited in predicting live body weight. Heart girth was the major body trait used to predict live body weight.