A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON BODY MORPHOMETRIC, REPRODUCTIVE AND VITAL PARAMETERS AMONG INDIGENOUS GOAT POPULATION OF ODISHA, INDIA

The importance of goat in Indian economy is inevitable. A study on phenotypic traits of goats will give a better insight to their individuality and potentiality for future improvement. Phenotypic data on goat from different agroclimatic zones of Odisha were collected and analysed. The least square means of height at wither, height at rump, heart girth, punch girth, neck girth, body length (60.78 ± 0.93, 64.04 ± 0.91, 60.21 ± 0.43, 65.71 ± 0.47, 35.20 ± 0.52, 54.81 ± 0.74 cm) were found to be highest in Ganjam goat population followed by Koraput (Raighar) and Black Bengal goat with significantly (p < 0.01) positive correlation. For reproductive traits, the least square means of litter size (2.36 ± 0.11, 1.57 ± 0.13, 1.75 ± 0.11) and kidding interval (6.63 ± 0.24, 10.93 ± 0.28, 8.62 ± 0.23 months) for Black Bengal, Ganjam and Koraput (Raighar) goat breeds differed significantly (p < 0.05). The least square means of rectal temperature and skin temperature were found to be higher in Ganjam goat (102.38 ± 0.07 ºF, 100.95 ± 0.07 ºF) as compared to Koraput (Raighar) (102.19 ± 0.08 ºF, 100.85 ± 0.07 ºF) and Black Bengal goats (101.33 ± 0.10 ºF, 100.16 ± 0.11 ºF). But, the least square means of heart rate and respiration rate were found to be higher in Black Bengal goat (74.08 ± 1.61, 37.28 ± 1.06) as compared to Ganjam (72.47 ± 0.58, 31.35 ± 0.54) and Koraput (Raighar) goats (70.54 ± 0.42, 26.73 ± 0.35).