EFFECTIVENESS OF SELECTION INDICES FOR GENETIC ADVANCEMENT IN CARCASS YIELD OF BLACK BENGAL GOATS

Selection indices were developed by incorporating 6 traits (pre-slaughter body weight, body length, height at withers, chest-girth paunch-girth and hot-carcass yield) in different combinations to know which and how many traits combine best in an index that has maximum relative efficiency and genetic progress for most of the traits. Index no. 17 with preslaughter body Weight, body length and paunch-girth (3-variates) was expected to achieve more genetic gain in hotcarcass weight (0.63 kg) followed by the index. no. 16 with per-slaughter weight, length and chest-girth (0.52 kg). But taking into the consideration the R IH , ?Xi and ?H of all the indices the index. no. 19 with pre-slaughter weight, length, height and chest-girth (?Xi = 0.50 kg for hot-carcass yield) ranked tirst followed by index no 16 with pre-slaughter weight, length and Chest-girth.