INFLUENCE OF BREED, FEED TYPE AND AGE ON SCROTAL SIZE OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF AND SAHEL GOAT KIDS FROM BIRTH TO PUBERTY CORRELATED WITH THEIR BODY MEASUREMENTS

Abstract

The study evaluated the influence of feed type on scrotal size of West African dwarf and Sahel goat kids, from birth to weaning age, correlated with their body measurements, at the Teaching and Research farm of the Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State. A total of 32 goats for the two breeds (WAD and Sahel) were used for the experiment. The animals were fed with Gmelina arborea leaves(Gm) and cassava peel meal, Gmelina leaves and cowpea husk, Ficus sycamores (Fs) and cassava peel meal(Cpm), and Ficus leaves and cowpea husk as experimental treatment diets (T1, T2, T3 and T4). The data obtained was subjected to analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficients analysis to determine variability among the scrotal size of the bucks as influence by different feeds types. The results show that, Sahelian goat had the higher scrotal size (SCL and SCR) compared to WAD. Diets containing Gmelina had higher scrotal value than the two without. Furthermore, the change in SCL (3.51cm) from one to six months of age was lower than that of SCR (4.92cm). The rates of kid bucks’ scrotal size from 7 to 12 months, the breed, diet and age had significant (P<0.01) effects on scrotal size. During this period WAD had higher SCL (10.49cm) and SCR (15.73cm) than Sahel with value of 9.18cm to 12.50cm respectively. The Fs+Cph diet had the lowest SCL (7.36cm) and SCR (10.14cm) while the values of SCL for other diets were not statistically different. Higher SCR value (17.01cm) was deserved for Gm +Cpm, while the lowest was Fs+Cph (10.14 cm). The range from 7.93cm to 13.38cm for SCL and 11.70cm to 18.74cm for SCR. The correlation values were high, significant (P<0.001) and positive. They varied from 0.6330 to 0.9040. In conclusion, feeding bucks with Gmelina arborea leaves +Cowpea husk and Ficus sycamores leaves give significant increase in scrotal size of bucks compared to Gmelina arborea leaves and cassava peel meal. Therefore, Ficus containing diets should be preferably used as against their Gmelina counterparts in scrotal size as well as semen quality of bucks