WATTLE GENE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND RECTAL TEMPERATURE IN RED SOKOTO (MARADI) DOES RAISED SEMI-INTENSIVELY IN MINNA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

A study on the Influence of wattle gene in Red Sokoto (Maradi) goats on reproductive performance and rectal temperature was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Animal Production, Federal University of Technology, Minna. Thirty-six (36) Red Sokoto goats comprising of thirty-two (32) does (ages between seven to eight months) and four (4) bucks (between one and half to two years of age) managed semi-intensively were used for the study. Parameters examined includes: Conception rate, Abortion Rate, Parturition, Gestation gain, Gestation length, Weight of does pre and post-partum kidding loss, Litter size, Body weight of kid(s) at birth, Mortality rate, Rate of twin/singles and Ratio of males to females, The rectal temperature, Progesterone and oestrogen profile of the does. The experiment revealed that: wattle gene had significant (p<0.05) influence on the reproductive performance of Red Sokoto does. Wattled does mated with wattled buck (T4) had the lowest weight of doe pre and post-partum. Wattled does mated with non-wattled buck (T3) and wattled does mated with wattled buck (T4) had the highest kidding loss and larger litter size. Non wattled does mated with wattled buck (T2) and wattled does mated with non-wattled buck (T3) had the better birth weight of kids. Females mated with non wattled buck (T1) and (T3) had the highest conception rate of up to 62.5 %. Mating between the wattled and non-wattled (T2 and T3) had 0 % abortion. Mating between wattled does mated with wattled bucks (T4) had up to 50 % twins. Mating between non-wattled does mated with wattled bucks (T2) produced the highest number of males while mating between wattled does and wattled buck (T4) had the largest percentage of female kids (66.7 %).