Effects of Kids birth characteristics on the weight growth under pastoral husbandry

Abstract

About 722 local kids’ individual weights were carried out under pastoral conditions on range lands in
arid zone. The weighing protocol was used to estimate the growth curves by kids’ gender and to estimate
kids’ weights at some ages. Data was analyzed to establish the impacts of the kids’ gender, the birth
mode (litter size) and mother age upon kids’ weights at ages 1, 10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days. A
GLM procedure and a means comparison test (SNK, α = 0.05) were applied to identify the magnitude of
the statistical effects of the studied fixed factors on the kids phenotypes. The Gompertz model was
applied on data file to assess and adjust the growth curve depending to analyzed factors. All factors seem
affecting kids’ growth especially at early ages, and the sex, birth mode and mother age acts only during
the first 2 months age by varying significantly the kids’ weights. Regarding the arid zone conditions, the
kid’s weight kinetic after birth seems respecting the forage scarcity and irregularities. Such growing
behaviour illustrates the local population adaptation to the harsh environment by realizing the essential
of growth since young age and during the favourable short period.