Determination of growth and development characteristics as well as fattening performance in alpine x Damascus goats

Different crossbreeding studies have been made to improve the goat milk production in Turkey for many years. Alpine and Damascus goats was crossbred in a private enterprise established in Adana that engaged in raising Damascus goat in order to develop a goat genotype that will give more milk in the hot and humid climate in summer months of Çukurova region. In this study, the growth and development characteristics as well as fattening performance of these crossbred kids were compared with Damascus kids. At the end of the study, birth weights, weaning weights, survival at weaning and daily gains at fattening of the crossbred and Damascus kids were determined as 2.5 ± 0.07 kg and 2.7 ± 0.05 kg (P <0.05), 10.3 ± 0.11 kg and 9.5 ± 0.06 kg (P <0.01), 75.6% and % %86.3, 201.7 ± 10.16 g and 246.1 ± 10.54 g (P <0.01), respectively. As result; Damascus goats had more live weight at birth, but this difference was reversed at weaning. On the other hand, the survival rate was decreased in crossbred kids and Damascus kids performed better in terms of daily live weight gain in fattening.