Effect of Body Condition Score at Mating on Reproduction Performance of Beetal Goat

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of body condition score at the time of breeding on reproduction performance of Beetal goats at Goat Research Farm, GADVASU, Ludhiana. A total of 40 breedable female Beetal goats were divided into 5 treatments/groups on the basis of their body condition scores (BCS) one week prior to start of breeding. Nine point scale was used for body condition scoring i.e. 1 to 5 scale with increments of 0.5 point, however, available Beetal goats were having 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 BCS (T_1.5, T_2.0, T_2.5, T_3.0 and T_3.5 groups, respectively). These groups comprised 3, 18, 8, 8 and 3 number of goats, respectively. These goats were maintained in similar conditions and bred randomly with available bucks. Reproduction performance decreased with decrease in BCS (3.5 to 1.5 BCS) due to decline in conception rate and increase in mean conception period, number of services per conception and anoestrus rate. Beetal goats with higher BCS produced higher (non-statistically) kid mass, litter size and heavier kids, and this trend consistently reversed with decrease in BCS. It is concluded that Beetal goats of higher BCS (up to 3.5) at the time of breeding have better reproduction performance than lower BCS groups.