Predicting the Body Weight Using Appropriate Regression ModelBeetal Goat Kids

摘要

This paper deals with designing a cheap and easy-to-attain method to replace weighing for estimating the body mass of goats. Several models on the relationship of heart girth (HG) to live weight (LW) were used and data was collected on 50 Beetal goatkids (25 males and 25 females) of different age groups maintained at organized goat farm in Tarn taran district of Punjab. The animals were divided into four age groups as 0,1, 2 and 3 months. To predict the body weight of Beetal goat kids four body measurements (height at wither, heart girth, body length and paunch girth) were recorded on each animal which was further used to develop the step wise multiple regression equations. Body measurements varied with increasing age of animals. In goat kids, thehighest correlation (r) was observed between body weight and heart girth at 0 (r = 0.701) and 1 (r = 0.762) months of age. Similarly height at wither at 2 month (r = 0.813) and paunch girth at 3 month (r = 0.825) of age.These correlations between body weight and body measurements were positive and significant (P<0.01). The regression analysis indicated that live weight and body measurements (height at wither, heart girth, body length and paunch girth). Multiple regression analyses were used to calculate the prediction equations. The coefficient of determination (R2) for weight estimation were for height at wither and paunch girth (86.0%) at 3 month. It was concluded that body weight of goat kids can be estimated in field using body measurements taken with a tape in the absence of weighing scales.