Abstract

Data from 1048 young Angora goats by 15 sires in the Department of Lands and Survey's flock at Waitangi were used to obtain preliminary estimates of the effects of year, age of dam, sex, rearing rank and birth day (age). Characters studied included weaning weight, 6- and 12- month fleece weight, and yearling fleece weight (the sum of 6- and 12- month weights). Estimates were also obtained of the heritabilities of, and the genetic and phenotypic correlations among, these traits. The weaning weights of kids out of dams aged 3, 4, 5 and 6+ years of age were heavier (P<0.001) than those out of 2-year-old dams by 1.9, 2.2, 2.0 and 2.5 kg respectively. Corresponding differences for 6-month fleece weight of kids were 0.05, 0.05, 0.04 and 0.04 kg (P<0.01) but those for 12-month fleece weight were not significant. Males were heavier at weaning than females (1.6 kg, P<0.001) and also had heavier 6-, 12-month and yearling fleece weights (0.08, 0.10 and 0.18 kg respectively; P<0.001). Single-reared animals had significantly heavier weaning weights and 6-month and yearling fleece weights than multiple- reared animals (2.4, 0.09 and 0.11 kg, respectively). Age was a highly significant source of variation for all traits. The heritabilities of weaning weight, and 6-, 12-month and yearling fleece weights were respectively 0.28, 0.23, 0.40 and 0.53. Genetic correlations between weaning weight and 6-, 12-month and yearling fleece weights were respectively 0.0, 0.38 and 0.24. Corresponding phenotypic correlations were 0.58, 0.28 and 0.44.

BR, Wilkinson, and FJ Aitken

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 45, , 209-212, 1985