DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTION INDEXES FOR MILK PRODUCTION TRAITS IN DAIRY GOATS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The ultimate goal of improving food security and elevating the livelihood of dairy goat raisers could be achieved by enhancing milk production through developing selection indexes. Selection indexes (SI) were developed with corresponding selection criteria based on formulated breeding objectives. Three SI were developed based on actual and possible traits in dairy goats raised under an intensive production system. Selection index IPhp includes milk production (MP) and lactation length (LL), IIPhp includes MP, LL, age at first kidding (AFK), and kidding interval (KI), while SI IIIPhp includes both the actual and possible traits which were already recorded but not yet used in milk price determination which includes MP, LL, AFK, KI, percentage milk protein (%MPROT), percentage milk fat (%MFAT), and somatic cell score (SCS). Selection index IIIPhp=134.81(MP) + 6.54(LL) – 4.33 (AFK) – 4.14(KI) + 0.43(%MPROT) + 0.29(%MFAT) + 0.13(SCS) have the highest selection accuracy of 0.982, thus a higher probability to increase profit due to selection. However, in the absence of milk quality records, SI IIPhp=184.98(MP) + 10.06(LL) – 5.58(AFK) – 4.30(KI) showed the highest MP and reproductive trait improvements.