On farm Phenotypic Characterization of Indigenous Goat Breeds within Their Production System in Ancher and Gemechis Districts, West Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia

This study was conducted to study the morphological characteristics of indigenous goats breed under farmer’s management condition in Ancher and Gemechis districts, West Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia. The most frequently observed coat color pattern of goat was (60.8%) plain, (9.1%) spotted and (30.1%) were patchy coat color and coat color type in the study area was brown (36.8%) followed by white (24.7%). Heart girth had consistently the highest correlation coefficient (0.80), (0.76), (0.90) with body weight of intact male, female and castrated male goat respectively in both study districts. The mean of body weight, body length, chest girth, wither height, chest width, pelvic width, face length, horn length, rump length, ear length intact male are 38.1±0.7, 65.2±0.63, 74.0±0.70, 69.0±0.48, 15.0±0.12, 15.±0.14, 19.8±0.18, 16.0±0.56, 16.0±0.23, 14.4±0.14, respectively. The corresponding values for the female goat were 32.0±0.22, 62.0±0.20, 70.0±0.22, 64.7±0.15, 14.2±0.04, 13.8±0.04, 19.0±0.06, 12.0±0.23, 15.0±0.07, 14.1±0.04, respectively. The mean of body weight, body length, chest girth, wither height, chest width, pelvic width, face length, horn length, rump length, ear length castrated male are 44.4±0.42, 69.6±0.37, 78.9±0.42, 72.9±0.29, 15.1±0.07, 16.4±0.08, 20.5±0.12, 18.1±0.44, 15.8±0.14, 14.7±0.08, respectively. The body weight of castrated male goat was higher than the intact male and female goat in both districts. As conclusion castrated male goat has potential for improving income and to increase economy of smallholder farmers in the study areas as well as in the surrounding areas.