Linear Body Measurements as Predictor of Body Weight in Hararghe Highland Goats under Farmers Environment: Ethiopia

3 P.O. Box: 5466, Aleppo, Syria Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between body weight and morphological measurements and to estimate body weight from body measurements in Hararghe highland goat breed. A total of twelve variables which included body weight, heart girth, body length, body condition score, chest width, pelvic width, wither height, rump length, rump height, ear length, horn length and scrotal circumference was measured from 930 goats under farm situation to see their relationship with body weight. A correlation and regression analyses between body weight as a response variable and body measurements as predictor variable was conducted. The highest and significant (p<0.01) correlation was recorded between body weight and heart girth (0.96) for male and (0.93) for female goats. Heart girth alone has explained the variation in body weight with coefficient of determination of 0.82 and 0.73 for males and females, respectively. Body weight of goats can be predicted from heart girth, body condition, rump length, wither height and pelvic width with coefficient of 0.95 for male and 0.90 for female goat. It could be concluded that, body weight can be predicted with high accuracy from body measurements to support marketing, breeding, feeding and veterinary services in the rural settings.