PREDICTION OF LIVE BODY WEIGHT FROM HEART GIRTH MEASUREMENT FOR SMALL RUMINANT IN ETHIOPIA: A REVIEW ARTICLE

Belete Asefa^1*, Aynalem Teshome¹, and Michael Abera²

¹Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College Agriculture and Natural resources, Madda Walabu University, P.O.Box 247, Bale Robe, Ethiopia.

²Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College Agriculture and Natural resources, Debre Markos University, P.O.Box 269, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.

Accepted November 22, 2017

This review paper would highlight different methods used in estimating live body weights of small ruminants and serves as a weight-taking guide to village farmers, extension agents, researchers as well as the small ruminant clinicians. Body weight of animals varied as a function of breed, feeding, health, sex, age and management situation under which the animals were kept. Knowing the live bodyweight of small ruminants is important for a number of reasons, such as for breeding, correct feeding medication, marketing and replacement of male and female animals in the herd. Under Ethiopian condition most of small ruminant were reared under smallholder and traditional production systems. Under such situation, it is difficult to measure body weight of animals because of lack of weighing balance and its difficulties during measurements. Under such situation, the animal live body weight of small ruminant can be predicted from different linear body measurements, which have high correlation with body weight. Among linear body measurements heart girth have high correlation with body weight and body weight of small ruminant were predicted from heart girth for specific breed, age and sex of animals.

Key words: Body weight, Heart girth, Regression model, Small ruminant.

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