Mutations in the myostatin (MSTN) gene can inactivate its expression and result in a non-functional protein, which leads to dramatic muscularity and a "double-muscling" phenomenon in many species. Using gene sequencing and polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism methods, polymorphisms of the MSTN gene were investigated as a candidate marker for growth in 288 goats. The...

The history, origin and characteristics of the South African Boer breed of goats are reviewed. The development was carried out by a handful of farmers in the Eastern Cape, particularly in the district of Somerset East. The prototype for the breed was selected from several existing breeds of goats in South Africa in order to achieve the present functional characteristics and type. The Boer goat ...

Foraging behaviours of the Damascus, Mamber and Boer goat breeds were compared on the South Carmel mountain ridge in Israel. Dietary choice was determined for a group of 10 or 11 yearling animals of each breed, housed and grazed separately to prevent social facilitation, during a total of 4 (Mamber) or 5 (Damascus and Boer) 4-day periods in the fall of 2004 and spring of 2005. The proportions o...

Hematological parameters were studied in 163 apparently healthy goats comprised of 3 indigenous breeds at Adami-Tulu Agricultural Research Centre (ATARC) and Sheno Agricultural Research Centre (SARC), Ethiopia. Data were analyzed for the effect of breed, sex, age, and season. Hemoglobin (Hb) was significantly higher (P<0.0001) for Arsi-Bale (AB) than Longeared Somali (LES) and Central Highland ...

The present study aimed to analyze genetic relatedness and differentiation of common native goat populations in some countries of the Middle East. The populations were Ardi, Black Bedouin, and Damascus goats in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, respectively. Domesticated goats of the Middle East are mostly related to common ancestors, but there is limited molecular genetic evidenc...

Population structure and relationship information among goats is critical for genetic improvement, utilization, conservation. This study explored population level of introgression four goat breeds in Kenya: the indigenous Galla (n = 12) three imported breeds, Alpine 29), Toggenburg 31), Saanen 24). Genetic diversity was analyzed using indices (polymorphic SNPs, mean allele frequency, observed e...

BACKGROUND Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of small ruminants in Asia and Africa. In 2008, a PPR outbreak was reported for the first time in Morocco and a mass vaccination campaign allowed control of the disease. In this study, the susceptibility of four Moroccan local breeds of small ruminants to PPR virus was investigated by experimental infections. The o...