Characterization of Morphological Traits in Algerian Indigenous Goats by Multivariate Analysis

Abstract

Goat farming is an important economical resource in rural and harsh areas worldwide. In Algeria, a population of more than 5 million of goats is present but until recent years, genetic characterization of different indigenous breeds was not performed. A description of morpho biometric traits has been performed to establish characteristics distinguishing 4 different goats breed: Naine de Kabylie, Arbia, Mekatia and M’zabite bred in 4 different environments in north-central Algeria. A total of 416 goats, aged up to twelve months old, belonging to the four indigenous breeds were used for the analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed considering the following 5 quantitative traits: height at wither(HW), thoracic circumference (TC), ears length (EL), horns length (HoL) and hair length (HaL). In addition, 7 qualitative traits were used: the coat colour (black and white, black, white, brown, brown and white), type of hair (three levels: short, mid-long and long), type of ears (three levels: drooping,pedunculated and dressed), type of chamfer (two levels: curved or straight), incidence of horns (Ho, presence/absence), incidence of beard (Br, presence/absence) and incidence of wattles (W, presence/absence). Least square means of the morphometric measurements traits for sex were generally significant (p < 0.01). Component analysis and common factor analysis were used to analyse interrelationships among variables. Phenotypic frequencies of the qualitative traits were calculated. To analyse the pattern of relationships among the qualitative variables a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was performed. The first component accounts for the 61% of the variance and is associated with measures of height (HW) and length (TC, EL, HoL). The second component is associated with HaL with a correlation of 97%. The considered breeds were not perfectly clustered as some qualitative traits were in common between breeds.

Characterization of Goat Breeding Systems in Tunisia and In the Mediterranean Region

“…According to Peacock (1996), transhumant pastoral systems in North African countries dominate arid and semi-arid areas and are characterized by the seasonality of food resources, dependent on rainfall, and are a form of savings rather than an economic activity. In Algeria, the results of the study carried out by Kady et al,2013;Fantazi et al 2017;Belantar et al. 2018 andBelkhadem et al, 2019 intend to characterize goat farming in the mountainous regions of Kabylia on 94 breeders, confirm the extensive nature of the goat farming system in these regions, where it is noted that breeding and reproduction techniques are poorly mastered, in addition to the lack or absence of extension and structuring of the goat sector.…”

Karakteristik Fenotipik Sifat Kualitatif Kambing Lokal Di Kecamatan Bula Kabupaten Seram Bagian Timur

“…Sifat kualitatif adalah pada umumnya diperoleh datanya melalui pengamatan visual baik secara makro maupun mikroskopis dan bukan lewat pengukuran menggunakan alat ukur, sehingga merupakan karakter morfologi kambing pola warna bulu, brofil wajah, bentuk telinga, atau tanduk (Fantazi et al, 2017). Secara kualitatif fenotipe kambing lokal di Kecamatan Bula Kabupaten Seram Bagian Timur seperti ditunjukkan pada Tabel 1.…”

InDel and CNV within the AKAP13 Gene Revealing Strong Associations with Growth Traits in Goat

“…With the increase in the world population and economic development, the demand for livestock and poultry products has significantly increased [1,2]. However, it is difficult to provide an adequate supply of quality goat products due to various factors, such as traditional breeding methods and inefficient production constraints [3][4][5][6]. Therefore, in addition to improving feeding methods and management conditions, selecting goat breeds with excellent growth traits is an effective means of promoting the development of the goat industry and improving economic benefits.…”