Effect of Hair Color Variation on Milk Production and Kid Growth in Turkish Hair Goat

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hair color variations in Turkish hair goat on doe milk production and growth performance of kids. A total of 86 kids which were born in the birth season of 2007 and 117 two-five years old goats were grouped as black, white, speckled and grizzly. Live weights at the age of 30 and 75 days were evaluated. The data were analyzed according to factorial experiment on randomized block design. Birth type had an effect on live weight gain at the age of 30 and 75 days (p<0.01) while sex had an effect on live weight gain at 75 days (p<0.01). There was no significant effect of color factor on lactation milk production and lactation duration and also on daily weight gain of kids at 30 and 75 days (p>0.05). These results showed that color variation had no effect on doe milk production and growth performance of kids due to the fact that climatically conditions in experimental region district do not lead to climatic stress. In conclusion, color of hair should not be used as a selection criterion to improve milk yield and growth performance of kids because neither milk production of different colored does nor growth performance of different colored kids were affected by differences in color hair. © Medwell Journals, 2011.