APPLICATION OF PATH ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY IN ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY WEIGHT AND BIOMETRIC TRAITS OF RED SOKOTO GOATS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Relationship between body weight (BW) and seven morphobiometrical traits [withers height (WH), body length (BL), chest girth (CG), shoulder width (SW), ear length (EL), cannon circumference (CC) and neck circumference (NC)] were studied in 142 Red Sokoto goats aged 19.3-30.6 months old using path analysis. The animals were randomly selected in certain smallholders’ farms located in northern Nigeria. Pair-wise correlations among body weights and linear type traits were positive and highly significant (r = 0.74 – 0.92; P< 0.01). The path analysis revealed that body length had the highest direct effect on body weight, closely followed by chest girth and shoulder width, respectively (path coefficient = 0.354, 0.253 and 0.214 for BL, CG and SW, respectively). The optimum linear regression model with a coefficient of determination ( R2) value of 0.934 included forecast indices, such as body length, chest girth, shoulder width, cannon circumference and neck circumference. This regression equation could be used to predict the body weight of Red Sokoto goats in the field and for selection purposes.