Physical Characteristics of the Strains of West African Dwarf Goat in Ogun State, Nigeria

Résumé

Six hundred and sixteen male and female West African Dwarf (WAD) goats comprising gold
(135), black (111), buckskin (162), Chaimose (58), Swiss markings (25), white (20), Dalmatian (46)
and chocolate (59) strains were used to determine the trend of inheritance for qualitative traits. The
physical characteristics observed were: beard (Brd), non-beard (Br+), wattle (WaW), non-wattled
(Wa+), polled (HoP), horned (Ho+), blue eye (BL), gold eye (bl). Wattle, beard, pollness and blue
eye are dominant physical characteristics. The possession of wattle was more in Swiss markings
(72.0%), Chaimose (68.90%), chocolate (65.91%), white (65.0%) and gold (62.90%).while more of
the strains possessed horns (>80%). The generated Hardy-Weinberg frequencies for wattle, beard,
pollness and blue eye were low. The gene frequency of the recessive non-wattle allele was 0.79, 0.80,
0.77, 0.84, 0.85, 0.81, 0.78, 0.81 in the gold, black, buckskin, Chaimose, Swiss markings, white,
Dalmatian and chocolate WAD goat respectively. The gene frequency of the recessive non- polled
(horned) allele was 0.94, 0.95, 0.99 and 0.96 in Swiss markings, white, Dalmatian and chocolate
respectively. The gene frequency of the recessive non-beard allele was 0.88, 0.96, 0.93 and 0.93 in
gold, black, buckskin and Chaimose. The frequency of the dominant eye allele is 0.02, 0.02, 0.21,
and 0.21 in the gold, black, buckskin and Chaimose. There is a need to conserve these adaptive
features (horn, wattle) in the strains of WAD goat.