ON-FARM PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION AND HUSBANDRY PRACTICE OF INDIGENOUS GOAT TYPES IN DODOTA AND HETOSA DISTRICTS OF ARSI ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Characterization is important in genetic resources conservation and utilization, but little information about indigenous livestock types are available. This study was aimed to generate organize information on phenotypic characterization and husbandry practice of indigenous goat types in Dodot and, Hetosa districts Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select households and study kebeles. The study was performed based on household survey and morphometric measurements and phenotypic visualization of indigenous goat type in the study districts. The average number of goat population in the study districts were 13.89 ± 0.55. The average age at first mating and kidding of due in the study districts were 7.94 ± 0.10 and 18.91 ± 0.10 moths, respectively. The main feed resource during dry season was bushes (54.53%) followed by tree branch (25.54 %) and crop residues (16.4%), while the main feed resource during wet seasons was natural pasture (75.90%), followed by shrubs (12.59 %) and tree branch (6.83 %). Lack of feed resources (44.24 %), diseases (28.42 %) and marketing problem (11.87 %) were the major production constraints across the study districts. Natural mating was the common breeding system and farmers used different criteria to select the breeding buke and doe in the study districts. Both qualitative and quantitative traits goats were evaluated and documented in the study districts. White (37.10 %), black and white (32.63 %), and red (16.05 %) coat color were most frequently occurred whereas, black, white, and red (0.26 %) and grey coat color (0.26 %) the less frequent coat type. In the study districts, plain (68.16 %), spotted (22.63 %) and patch (9.21 %) were the main dominant coat pattern. According to horn shape goat population also typed as 69.74 curved horn and straight horn (30.26 %). Based on the orientation of horns, about 66.84 % backward horned, 35.53 % upward horned and 2.37 forward horned goats in the study districts were identified. Most quantitative traits were positively correlated each other. Linear body measurements were positively correlated with body weight. Linear body measurements were used to predict the live body weight of animals. To improve goat productivity, famer’s goat awareness about goat production constraints, conservation feed resources and prevention of various diseases. To know the genetic potential of goat population in the study districts, intensive and comprehensive molecular characterization must be carried out. In the study area overall mean of body weight, body length, height at withers, chest girth, rump length, and ear length were 22.12 kg, 74.01 cm, 67.19 cm, 73.35 cm, 19.16 cm and 14.05 cm for buck, and 21.86 kg, 70.10 cm, 65.86 cm, 72.10 cm 19.16 cm and 14.05 cm for doe, respectively The relationship between linear body measurements with body weight in this study varied from strong (0.99) to low (0.01) and highly significant (p<0.01) to non-significant. For male goat population, chest girth, height at wither, body length and shoulder point width were highly correlated with body weight with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.99, 0.77, 0.72 and 0.63, respectively. 4