Linear body measures to predict the live weight of creole goats in Northeastern of Mexico

Abstract

Linear body measurements (LBM) can be used to develop selection criteria for breeding animals. They are an indirect way to estimate live weight (BW) in some herbivores. The objective of this study was to obtain a formula to estimate the BW of unscaled female goats from five MCLs. Body length (CL), thoracic perimeter (TP), rump width (WG), rump height (HH), withers height (HC) and PV with scale were recorded in 206 Creole goat females from the Altiplano region (RA) and San Fernando Valley (SFVR) at Tamaulipas state. Student's t -tests for comparison of means, Pearson correlations and generalized linear models were performed to obtain multiple regressions. Goats from the RVSF presented lower LC and AC compared to those from the RA (P<0.01). Correlations in both districts were positive and significant. The proposed formula for PV estimation in the RA was (0.80 x PT) -29.83 and for the RVSF (0.89 x PT) -37.30. No differences were observed between the live weight obtained with scale (PVB) and the estimated live weight (PVE).