Reproductive Performance of the Galla and Toggenburg Goats and their Crosses in Mwingi Sub-county of Kenya

 

Ndeke AN, HM Mutembei, VT Tsuma and ER Mutiga

 

Research Paper I Published November,2015

 

Journal of Agricultural Science and Food Technology  Vol. 1 (6), pp.78-83

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

Retrospective data from 311 goats comprising Galla and Toggenburg and their crosses for seven years was used to determine and compare their reproductive performance in Mwingi. Goats were kept under extensive conditions with natural breeding program. Kidding occurred all year round with a peak in August. The average age at first kidding was 1066.7±37.7 and 976.0±79 days for the Galla x Toggenburg cross and the Toggenburg, respectively. The average kidding intervals were 464.6±28.7, 439.2±39.5 and 371.7±63.1 days for the Galla, Galla x Toggenburg crosses and Toggenburg, respectively. The effect of breed on the litter size and number of services per conception was significant (p<0.05). The average litter size were 1.25±0.02, 1.29±0.04 and 1.0±0.07 for the Galla, Galla x Toggenburg crosses and Toggenburg, respectively. The average number of services per conception was 1.6±0.05 and 1.36±0.07 for the Galla and Galla x Toggenburg crosses, respectively. In spite of feed supplementation, the purebred Toggenburg. Performance was significantly lower than that of the Galla and the Galla x Toggenburg crosses. The study indicated that the Galla x Toggenburg cross was a better genotype in terms of reproductive performance in Mwingi and recommended as a better adapted goat in the area than the pure Toggenburg.

Key Words: Reproductive indices, Galla goat, Toggenburg goat, Mwingi and Kenya.
 

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