Morphological Characterization of Konso Goat under Community-Based Breeding Program in South Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was aimed on the morphological characterization of 362 indigenous Konso goats involved in a community-based breeding program across three villages: Baide, Arfayde, and Jarso. About five qualitative and nine quantitative traits were used to analyze the fixed effect of village, sex, and age based on dentition by using SPSS version 20. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in qualitative features such as coat color, coat pattern, wattle and ruff presence, and horn orientation, emphasizing notable diversity across locations. Quantitative traits were measured using ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test. The findings, revealed that sex, village, and dentition class significantly affected most measurements. Older goats showed larger body measurement values with males having longer horns and greater wither height while females were slightly heavier. Chest girth showed the strongest correlation with body weight (r = 0.86) followed by body length (r = 0.76) and wither height (r = 0.64). A stepwise regression model identified chest girth, body length, and wither height as key predictors of live weight, resulting in the equation: BW = -37.27 + 0.518CG + 0.246BL + 0.172WH (R² = 0.81). These results indicate the phenotypic diversity of Konso goats and offer practical tools for selection and field-based weight estimation which points important steps for improving management and genetic gains in this valuable local breed.