RELATIONSHIP OF HAEMOGLOBIN AND POTASSIUM POLYMORPHISM WITH CONFORMATION, MILK PRODUCTION AND BLOOD BIOCHEMICAL PROFILES IN AGROPASTORAL GOAT
RELATIONSHIP OF HAEMOGLOBIN AND POTASSIUM POLYMORPHISM WITH CONFORMATION, MILK PRODUCTION AND BLOOD BIOCHEMICAL PROFILES IN AGROPASTORAL GOAT
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2012
Authors
SAM, IDORENYIN MEME
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The dairy characteristics of small-holder agropastoral goats were evaluated using records
obtained from a total of 250 does at Jigawa and Katsina States over a period of one year. The
data collected included milk yield, udder characteristics, body conformation traits, blood
metabolites profile, haemoglobin and potassium gene and genotypic frequencies. The potential
of using these polymorphic genes and coat colour variations as markers for milk yield was also
determined. The effects of location, parity and breed on milk yield, udder and conformation traits
were also evaluated. The data obtained in this work were analysed using General Linear Model
of SAS. The results show that total milk offtake was 29.35kg, average daily yield 248.22g, initial
yield 243.57g, peak day 33.04 days, peak yield 358.72g, lactation length 118.26days and last test
day yield 100.68g. The milk yield characteristics, udder and body conformation traits were
significantly (P< 0.05) influenced by age, parity, coat colour and breed. The correlations
amongst milk yield characteristics were significantly positive (P<0.01-0.05; r=0.005-0.926). The
average udder characteristics were; udder Height (UH) 12.39cm, udder circumference (UC)
31.86cm, distance between teat (DT) 8.76cm, teat length (TL) 3.52 and teat circumference (TC)
5.00cm. The correlations between udder and milk yield characteristics were positive and ranged
from moderate to high ((P<0.01-0.05; r =0.07-0.52). The means of the conformation traits were:
body weight (BWT), 28.83kg; stature (ST), 65.43cm; Body depth (BD), 79.04cm; Height at
withers (HW), 60.82cm; Heart girth (HG), 69.83cm; and Body length (BL), 60.68cm. The
correlation between body conformation traits with milk yield characteristics were low to
moderate (P<0.01-0.05; r = 0.01-0.39). Two haemoglobin variants HbA and HbB with three
genotypes were identified, HbAA, HbAB and HbBB, Gene frequencies were 0.683 and 0.316 for
HbA and HbB, respectively while their genotypic frequencies were 0.467, 0.431 and 0.099 for
9
HbAA, HbAB and HbBB, respectively. Two potassium types were identified HK and LK, their
gene frequencies were 0.844 and 0.156; their genotypic frequencies were 0.91 and 0.01 for HK
and LK, respectively. Milk production traits varied significantly (P< 0.05) with Hb-types. HbAA
and HbAB were superior on ADY and PY to HbBB. Potassium types had no significant (P>0.05)
influence on milk yield characteristics. Hb-types significantly (P<0.05) influenced packed cell
volume (PCV) and Haemoglobin concentration (HB) in the blood while K-types significantly
(p<0.05) influenced Na concentration. The mean values of blood biochemical profiles were
28.47% PCV, 9.49g/dl HB, 136.40mmol/l Na, 64.44g/L Total protein, 31.12 g/L Albumin, 33.12
g/L globulin and 4.44 g/L glucose. Animals with combination of haemoglobin AA, and high
potassium (HK) with brown/white coat colour (AAHKBW) were superior in most of the milk
production characteristics, while those with combination of HbAA, HK and white coat colours
(AAHKW) were superior to other combinations in body conformation traits. It was concluded
that the high preponderance of allele HbA and HK in the study area suggests that these alleles
are favored by natural selection in North West zone of Nigeria and should be explored as
indirect selection criteria for milk yield characteristics in goats.
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU
BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA
2012
Keywords
RELATIONSHIP,, HAEMOGLOBIN,, POTASSIUM,, POLYMORPHISM,, CONFORMATION,, MILK PRODUCTION, BLOOD BIOCHEMICAL PROFILES,, AGROPASTORAL, GOAT