ABSTRACT

This research work was conducted to examine the effect of crossbreeding in improving economically important traits necessary for commercial production of hybrid meat goat. Heterosis of body weight and some conformation and reproductive traits were evaluated in Red Sokoto goat and West African Dwarf goat and their crosses namely: main cross (RS X WAD)and reciprocal cross (WAD X RS). Data was collected from 38 kids comprising 22 males and 16 females for a period of 18 weeks. Parameters measured include body weight changes, and linear body measurements. Estimates of direct and parentage heterosis of the main and reciprocal crossbred progenies were recorded. Result showed that the RS X RS males weighed heaviest (1840±230.98g) at birth than the RS X WAD (137 l.43±56.54g) WAD X RS (1430±144.56g) and WAD X WAD (1150±35.36g). The RS X WAD female kids were superior in body weight (BW) to the two parental lines and maintained this superiority till the 18t11 week of life. The linear body parameters were generally highest in the RS X RS kids which were significantly longer in body length (BL). They also had the highest height-at-withers (rHW) and hearth girth (HG).The RS X RS males had the longest scrotal length (SL) and biggest scrotal circumference (SO). The RS X WAD kids ranked next in nearly all of these parameters studied. Estimates of direct and percentage heterosis were positive for RS X WAD for most of the body measurement except in body length which had a negative value. The RS X WAD goat had higher heterosis value of 5.07% and 1.62% for body weight (BW) and heart girth (HG) respectively. Negative heterosis value of -0.05% and -3.09% for body weight and heart girth were obtained in the WAD X RS goat. Other body measurement like the scrotal circumference (SO) and scrotal length (SL) also showed positive heterosis effect in the RS X WAD goat with values of 8.20% and 2.5% respectively and lower values of -6.6% and -5.04% in the WAD X RS goat. These positive heterosis effects for most measured parameters in RS X WAD seem to show that the RS X WAD is a more promising and suitable hybrid for meat goat production in the rainforest zone of South Eastern Nigeria.