The study was conducted in Kafta humera district of Ethiopia, (i) to investigate the milk yield of Begait goat under different management and (ii) to evaluate the effects of different non-genetic factors on lactation performance. Data were collected from 428 lactating does under two managements (semi intensive and extensive) during October 2014 and March 2016. Statistical analyses were carried out using the GLM procedure of SAS version of 9.2 software. The least squares means (with standard error) for daily milk yield, lactation milk yield and lactation length were observed to be 0.75±0.01 kg, 85.6±1.04 kg and 111±1.21 days under semi intensive management, respectively whereas under extensive management these were found as 0.55±0.01 kg, 56±1.43 kg and 101±1.57 days, respectively. The results of this study indicated that management system, parity number and season of birth affected all variables highly significantly.

A. Hagos, Solomon Gizaw, M. Urge, 'Milk production performance of Begait goat under semi intensive and extensive management in Western Tigray, North Ethiopia', Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2018 | The study was conducted in Kafta humera district of Ethiopia, (i) to investigate the milk yield of Begait goat under different management and (ii) to evaluate the effects of different non-genetic factors on lactation performance. Data were collected from 428 lactating does under two managements (semi intensive and extensive) during October 2014 and March 2016. Statistical analyses were carried out using the GLM procedure of SAS version of 9.2 software. The least squares means (with standard error) for daily milk yield, lactation milk yield and lactation length were observed to be 0.75±0.01 kg, 85.6±1.04 kg and 111±1.21 days under semi intensive management, respectively whereas under extensive management these were found as 0.55±0.01 kg, 56±1.43 kg and 101±1.57 days, respectively. The results of this study indicated that management system, parity number and season of birth affected all variables highly significantly

The study was conducted to estimate the economic values (EV) of Begait cattle breeding-objective traits and their effects on the returns to investment in breeding programs using bio-economic model. Production systems were described according to their level of input and sale age, namely, low input herd management (LIHM) and medium input herd management (MIHM) based on fixed herd size for genetic improvement of multiple traits. Results showed that all considered traits have positive economic values across production systems except pre weaning daily body weight gain (PrDG). However, production systems had significant influence on the magnitude of EV of traits. The MIHM was superior by 100 to 9% to the LIHM system. Regardless of the two production systems, calving interval (CI) had the highest EV followed by dressing percentage (DP) and mature weight (MWT). Although, the overall change of beef trait EV influenced the marginal profit through price and production variable changes at constant MY, the more sensitive change was observed with the changes of MY EV. Traits of milk yield had 1 to 12% increment on profit with 1 to10% improvement in its EV by rising milk price, reduced weaning and reduced culling rates. However, beef traits only made 5.1×10-7 to 2.3×10 -6% raises on profits with 18 to 50% increment in its EV by beef price increment and reduced age at first calving. The higher increments of profit parallel to the EV of milk production trait and mostly simultaneous improvements on CI have a great indication to give priorities on milk yield traits than beef traits in any Begait cattle improvement program. Therefore, improving milk production traits and fecundity traits simultaneously with their market outlet is better to increase the profitability of farmers and sustains the valuable breed in their habitat.

The study was conducted to estimate the economic values (EV) of Begait cattle breeding-objective traits and their effects on the returns to investment in breeding programs using bio-economic model. Production systems were described according to their level of input and sale age, namely, low input herd management (LIHM) and medium input herd management (MIHM) based on fixed herd size for genetic improvement of multiple traits. Results showed that all considered traits have positive economic values across production systems except pre weaning daily body weight gain (PrDG). However, production systems had significant influence on the magnitude of EV of traits. The MIHM was superior by 100 to 9% to the LIHM system. Regardless of the two production systems, calving interval (CI) had the highest EV followed by dressing percentage (DP) and mature weight (MWT). Although, the overall change of beef trait EV influenced the marginal profit through price and production variable changes at constant MY, the more sensitive change was observed with the changes of MY EV. Traits of milk yield had 1 to 12% increment on profit with 1 to10% improvement in its EV by rising milk price, reduced weaning and reduced culling rates. However, beef traits only made 5.1×10-7 to 2.3×10 -6% raises on profits with 18 to 50% increment in its EV by beef price increment and reduced age at first calving. The higher increments of profit parallel to the EV of milk production trait and mostly simultaneous improvements on CI have a great indication to give priorities on milk yield traits than beef traits in any Begait cattle improvement program. Therefore, improving milk production traits and fecundity traits simultaneously with their market outlet is better to increase the profitability of farmers and sustains the valuable breed in their habitat | Gebretnsae Mezgebe, Solomon Gizaw, M. Urge, 'Economic values of Begait cattle breeding-objective traits under low and medium input production systems in northern Ethiopia', Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity at d-loop of mitochondrial DNA and establish the possible maternal lineages of indigenous goat breeds in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo). Phylogenetic relationships among and within 111 goats from three indigenous populations from a peste-des-petits ruminants outbreak in South Kivu, Eastern of Democratic Republic of the Congo and 22 goats sequences from the gene bank were analysed using mitochondrial control region sequences (d-loop region). The results show that a total of 120 segregating sites, 56 haplotypes and 124 mutations were found in a 1220-bp sequence. The mean haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.971±0.007 and 0.011±0.002, respectively with the overall number of nucleotide differences of 10.73. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all goat sequences were clustered into two haplogroups (A and B), of which haplogroup A was the commonest. The global analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), incorporating all the three populations independent of any hierarchical clustering, indicated that 83.22% of the total genetic variation present in studied goats was explained by genetic differences between individuals (pv= 0.327), 11.18% among groups (pv=0.000*) and only 5.60% of the variation was attributed to genetic differences between populations (pv=0.003*). These results conclude that there are high levels of intrapopulation diversity in Mwenga-Shabunda, Fizi and Kalehe goats and the weak phylogeographic structuring, thus, suggested that there existed strong gene flow among goat populations probably caused by extensive trans-border movement of goats in the past

B.A. Bwihangane et al., 'Mitochondrial DNA variation of indigenous goat populations from Peste-des-petits-ruminants outbreak in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo', Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2018 | This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity at d-loop of mitochondrial DNA and establish the possible maternal lineages of indigenous goat breeds in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo). Phylogenetic relationships among and within 111 goats from three indigenous populations from a peste-des-petits ruminants outbreak in South Kivu, Eastern of Democratic Republic of the Congo and 22 goats sequences from the gene bank were analysed using mitochondrial control region sequences (d-loop region). The results show that a total of 120 segregating sites, 56 haplotypes and 124 mutations were found in a 1220-bp sequence. The mean haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.971±0.007 and 0.011±0.002, respectively with the overall number of nucleotide differences of 10.73. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all goat sequences were clustered into two haplogroups (A and B), of which haplogroup A was the commonest. The global analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), incorporating all the three populations independent of any hierarchical clustering, indicated that 83.22% of the total genetic variation present in studied goats was explained by genetic differences between individuals (pv= 0.327), 11.18% among groups (pv=0.000*) and only 5.60% of the variation was attributed to genetic differences between populations (pv=0.003*). These results conclude that there are high levels of intrapopulation diversity in Mwenga-Shabunda, Fizi and Kalehe goats and the weak phylogeographic structuring, thus, suggested that there existed strong gene flow among goat populations probably caused by extensive trans-border movement of goats in the past