On – Farm Evaluation Of Performance Of Sukuma And Malya Goats And Their Crosses In Maswa District, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Goat production is an integral component of small holder agriculture in Tanzania but farmers have been keeping indigenous goats which have poor genetic potential for growth and have small mature body size. Goat keepers can improve mature body size by crossing with improved breeds. However, in Tanzania there is paucity of information on performance of crossbreds in comparison to their parents. The effects of breed, sex, birth type, season of birth, year of birth and dam weight class on growth performance of kids born, twinning rate of dams, genetic parameters and finally farmers’ preference on crossbreds and indigenous Sukuma goats were investigated. Sixty participating farmers were trained on basic meat goat management. Does of either breed i.e. Sukuma or Malya goats to be used in breeding program were dewormed and unwanted bucks in the herds were castrated. Breeding bucks were kept separately by chosen farmers. Dams were initially weighed then were mated to bucks in a such a way that Malya bucks were allowed to mate with Malya does and Sukuma does while Sukuma bucks were allowed to mate with Sukuma does only. Goats were allowed to free graze on natural vegetation within each household’s farmland without supplementing them. Kids born of pure Malya, Sukuma and crossbred (Malya x Sukuma) goats were monitored for over two years. Data on growth traits from birth to one year and some reproduction traits were recorded. The results showed that all growth traits of Malya kids were highest, which were 2.37±0.03 kg for birth weight, 11.08±0.19 kg for weaning weight, 13.04±0.22 kg for 32 weeks’ weight, 25.91±0.41 kg for yearling weight, 75.67±2.63 g/day for pre-weaning growth rate, 57.79±2.56 g/day for post-weaning growth rate and 63.29±1.70 g/day for birth to yearling growth rate followed by crossbred kids which had 2.18±0.05 kg, 7.22±0.26 kg, 9.60±0.30 kg, 21.99±0.55 kg, 47.90±2.94 g/day, 55.60±2.86 g/day and 53.23±1.90 g/day of corresponding growth traits. Sukuma kids were the least with 1.66±0.06 kg for birth

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weight, 5.13±0.34 kg for weaning weight, 7.53±0.38 kg for 32 weeks’ weight, 14.22±0.71 kg for yearling weight, 30.19±3.81 g/day for pre-weaning growth rate, 35.45±3.70 g/day for post-weaning growth rate and 33.83±2.45 g/day for birth to yearling growth rate. Sex of the kids affected all weights at different ages at P