Ahmad Fahrudin Husen, Suyadi Suyadi, Yudi Parwoto, Muhammad Sairi, Richard Crooijmans, Veronica Margareta Ani Nurgiartiningsih
The Indonesian Etawah (PE) goat breed significantly supports smallholder farmers. This study evaluated fixed factors (year of birth, season, sex, housing system, and birth type) affecting morphometric traits, estimated genetic parameters, and assessed phenotypic correlations. Data from 325 PE goats (142 males, 183 females) at weaning age from BPTU-HPT Pelaihari, South Kalimantan, were analyzed. Eight traits were measured: body weight (BW), body length (BL), withers height (WH), chest girth (CG), chest depth (CD), hip height (HH), ear length (EL), and ear width (EW). Analyses included descriptive statistics, T-tests, ANOVA, and multivariate mixed models. Variance components were estimated using AI-REML in the DMU software. Heritability estimates ((Formula presented.)) varied, with high values for EW (0.64 ± 0.17), EL (0.59 ± 0.18), and BW (0.35 ± 0.15). Strong genetic correlations (Formula presented.)) were observed between BW and HH (0.81 ± 0.16), while phenotypic correlations ((Formula presented.)) were high between BW and BL (0.83 ± 0.04), indicating robust growth relationships. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) highlighted BW, ear dimensions, and BL as key contributors to genetic variation. Spearman correlation analysis supported consistent breeding value rankings. In conclusion, genetic improvement of PE goats can be achieved by selecting traits with high heritability and integrating PCA and Spearman findings into breeding strategies, while considering environmental influences.Highlight High heritability traits (ear dimensions and body weight) offer strong potential for genetic improvement in PE goats. PCA and Spearman analyses enhance selection accuracy by identifying key traits influencing genetic variation and breeding value consistency. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Graduate Program, Faculty of Animal Science, Brawijaya University, East Java, Malang, Indonesia; Faculty of Animal Science, Brawijaya University, East Java, Malang, Indonesia; BPTU-HPT Pelaihari, Ministry of Agriculture Republic Indonesia, Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan, Indonesia; Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
