A research study was carried out on the indirect selection efforts amongst small scale holders of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats based on coat pigmentation and wattle types in Ogbomoso, Nigeria using personal interviews and structured questionnaires given using simple random on-farm techniques. The questionnaires were focused on the ownership distribution, preferred pigmentation and wattle types, disease susceptibility, death status, kidding status and market sales regarding coat pigmentation and wattle types. The questionnaires revealed that WAD goats with black pigmentation and two wattles had the highest ownership distribution, most preferred and better priced. It further revealed that black goats were highly diseased and died more, although this could be as a result of the preponderance of black goats in the study area. However, the respondents revealed that goats with two wattles were not easily susceptible to disease and lower deaths were often recorded. This showed that indirect selection of WAD goats based on coat pigmentation and wattle type is constantly going on amongst the small scale holders of WAD goats and this could be utilized for the breed genetic improvement. تفاصيل المقالة

This study was focused on the effect of wattle trait on body sizes and scrotal dimensions of traditionally reared WAD bucks in the derived savannah environment. Data were collected from 153 bucks ranging from 4 months to 2 years of age and this included, scrotal length, scrotal circumference, body weight, height at withers, body length and chest girth. Parameters for wattle traits included, wattle incidence (presence or absence), wattle shape (oval or cylindrical) and wattle position (under or beside neck). Data obtained were adjusted for age effect and subjected to Analysis of variance. There were significant effects (P<0.05) of wattle incidence, wattle shape and wattle location on body weight, body length, chest girth and scrotal length of WAD bucks. In addition, height at wither was only affected (P<0.05) by wattle shape. Cylindrically shaped wattled bucks whose wattles were located under the neck had more of body weight, body length, chest girth and scrotal length. Meanwhile, the height of goats whose wattles were cylindrical were more than those with oval shaped. Therefore, selection based on wattle traits can be employed as an indirect and affordable means of determining higher body sizes and fertility in WAD bucks. تفاصيل المقالة