CONTRIBUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON LITTER TRAITS OF MALABARI GOATS

Malabari breed of goats possesses tremendous scope for development of meat and duel purpose strains suited to the humid tropics. Prolificacy being the most important economic trait, in the development of such strains of goats an attempt was made to evaluate the effect of parity, day length and season of date of kidding and date of breeding on litter size at birth and litter weight at birth of Malabari goats in its home tract. Least squares analysis revealed that the effect of parity on litter size at birth and litter weight to be highly significant. (P <0.001). The overall least squares means for litter size at birth was 1.983 + 0.081. Least squares mean for litter size at birth for first parity was 1.253 + 0.082 which continuously increased to reach a mean litter size at birth of 1.742 + 0.147 at 5`'' parity. Least squares mean for litter weight at birth was 2.607 + 0.137 kg. The least squares mean for the litter weight at birth during first parity was 1.998 + 0.140 which continuously increased to reach a litter weight at birth of 3.027 + 0.376 at 5`'' parity. The effect due to day length and season of date of breeding and date of kidding on litter size at birth and litter weight at birth were not significant.