Typology, management and smallholder farmer-preferred traits for selection of indigenous goats (Capra hisrcus) in three agro-ecological zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Figures & data

Figure 1. Goats of DR Congo. (A) goat from the alluvial basin, equatorial forest (Tshopo province), (B) goats from the savannah plateau (Kinshasa province) and (C) goat from the high-altitude volcanic mountains (South Kivu province).

Table 1. Mean and Standard deviation (SD) of morpho biometric traits and reproductive performances of indigenous goat breeds in 3 AEZs of DR Congo.

Variables	South Kivu	Tshopo	Kinshasa
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD
Morpho biometric traits
Body length (cm)	61.95 ± 5.52	51.50 ± 2.04	61.72 ± 4.37
Height at withers (cm)	53.55 ± 5.19	47.69 ± 1.76	55.25 ± 4.13
Height at stern (cm)	50.71 ± 4.86	46.68 ± 1.87	52.50 ± 3.75
Body weight (kg)	32.75 ± 6.04	30.34 ± 5.09	33.23 ± 4.04
Reproductive performances
Estimated age (year)	3.34 ± 1.48	2.05 ± 0.73	2.56 ± 1.12
Number of kidding	3.85 ± 1.71	1.96 ± 0.94	2.52 ± 1.21
Double kidding	2.01 ± 1.1	0.88 ± 0.80	1.47 ± 1.05
Triple kidding	0.66 ± 0.90	0.04 ± 0.19	0.32 ± 0.74
Number of kids wened	2.92 ± 1.61	1.36 ± 1.06	2.23 ± 1.73
Litter size at the last kidding	1.93 ± 0.00	1.31 ± 0.12	1.80 ± 0.00
Litter size at the second kidding	1.59 ± 0.07	1.06 ± 0.14	1.32 ± 0.09
Litter size at the first kidding	1.47 ± 0.77	0.84 ± 0.82	1.12 ± 0.88

Notes: cm = centimeter; SD = standard deviation.

Figure 2. Hierarchical clustering based on morpho biometric traits and reproductive performances.

Figure 3. Principal component analysis based on morpho biometric traits and reproductive performances.

Figure 4. Canonical representation of the morphometric traits and reproductive performances associated with individuals by state.

Table 2. Pairwise Mahalanobis’ distances and probability values for the contrasts between local goats from different regions in DR Congo.

Regions	Kinshasa	South Kivu	Tshopo
Kinshasa	0.00	4.73	14.58
South Kivu	ns	0.00	14.48
Tshopo	***	***	0.00

Notes: The squared Mahalanobis’ distances are above the diagonal line. The probability values for the contrasts by the F-test (***P < 0.001 and ns = Non-significant) are below the diagonal line.

Table 3. Description of important traits assisting the choice of doe raised by farmers.

Important traits	Frequency (%)
	South Kivu	Tshopo	Kinshasa
Body conformation	0.00	1.923	1.754
Weight	0.455	1.923	0.00
Adaptability in the region	45.455	1.923	5.263
Adaptability and resistance to disease	15	13.461	38.592
None	0.00	1.923	3.509
Ability in protecting kids	0.00	3.846	4.386
Ability in protecting kids and resistance to disease	0.00	19.23	0.00
Prolificacy	0.455	7.692	0.87
Prolificacy and adaptability	6.364	5.773	0.87
Prolificacy, adaptability and resistance to disease	27.727	3.846	30.70
Prolificacy, ability in protecting kids, resistance to disease	0.00	7.692	11.40
Resistance to disease	0.455	15.384	0.00
Prolificacy and resistance to disease	4.091	9.615	0.87
Prolificacy and ability in protecting kids	0.00	5.769	1.754