Adjustment of the Kid's Growth Curve in Pure Goat Breeds and Crosses Under Southern Tunisian Conditions

Abstract

Gaddour, A. and Najari, S. 2008. Adjustment of the kid's growth curve in pure goat breeds and crosses under southern Tunisian conditions. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 34: 117–120.

Five non-linear statistical models, Gompertz, Brody, Richards, Logistic and Polynomial, were tested to fit the kid's growth curve parameters and shape of indigenous goat, Alpine, Damascus and their crosses. Data from 16 years periodical weighing was used to adjust growth curve before 5 months age of 1687 suckled kids. Gompertz model was the best to adjust kid's growth evolution. Curve parameters were fitted by Gompertz model after about 16 iterations with a CD value of 71%. The crossbreeding allowed a better growth kinetic with respect to indigenous kids. The best growing performances were obtained for the first generation of crossbreeding. The growth curve adjustment will help to a better herd management and kid's fattening according to each genotype potential.

Keywords:

• Goat
• kid's growth
• Gompertz
• crossbreeding
• Tunisian oases