CORRELATION BETWEEN CERTAIN EXTERIOR AND PRODUCTION TRAITS IN INDIGENOUS BALKAN GOAT IN MACEDONIA

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine the average values of certain exterior measures and production traits in goats of the indigenous Balkan breed in the Republic of Macedonia as well as to study their mutual correlation dependence. It was determined that the average body weight of the goats of Balkan breed is about 44 kg, whereas the values of the other exterior measures were: height of withers 65.40 cm, height of back 63.67 cm, height of sacrum 65 cm, body length 65 cm, chest width 21.73 cm, chest depth 25.23 cm, size of chest 82.40 cm, rump width 19.92 cm, rump length 23.05 cm. The average lactation was 166 litres. Regarding the strength of the correlation, the general conclusion is that there is a relatively weak correlation (0.2 ≤ R < 0.5) between most of the exterior measures. An average strong correlation (0.5 ≤ R < 0.8) was determined between the height of the sacrum and the height of withers and the height of the back, between the length of the body and body weight, as well as between the chest size and the width and length of rump. A strong correlation (0.8 ≤ R < 1) was determined between the height of withers and height of the back, as well as between the chest size and body weight. With the analysis of the correlative dependence of the lactation with the other exterior measures, it was determined that the lactation is not in correlation with most of the exterior measures, but there is an insignificant correlation (0 < R < 0.2) with part of them (height of sacrum, chest size and length of rump).