Relationship between reproductive performance and meteorological variables in French Alpine goats in the northwestern part of Croatia

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to determine the relationship between reproductive performance, kidding distribution, and birth weight of French Alpine goats and meteorological variables in the northwestern part of Croatia throughout six consecutive years (from 2013 until 2018). During the study, French Alpine goats (n=948) on the 6 dairy goat farms, birthed 1025 goat kids after 893 successful matings (55 matings were unsuccessful) during six consecutive years. The average birth weight was 3.46±0.48 kg for females (n=478) and 3.71±0.51 kg for male kids (n=547). French Alpine does with single kids accounted for 85.89% (n=767), with twins 13.44% (n=120) and triplets 0.67% (n=6). The average litter size was 1.15, and the average parity was 2.95. The birth weight of goat kids in primiparous and pluriparous goats was not significantly different. Survival rate (until 1 month of age) was 93.66 % (n=960). French Alpine does fertility in northwestern Croatia, through six years was 94.18%. Seasonal kidding of French Alpine was distributed mostly on two seasons winter (73.57%) and spring (24.52%) in the northwestern part of Croatia during six consecutive years 2013-2018. Observed differences in the kidding distribution per month during the years of observation were statistically significant (P = 0.018). The highest number of kidding was recorded in February in all years of observation. It can be concluded that there was not any relationship between monthly air temperature and precipitation amounts with tested reproductive performances in French Alpine dairy goats in the NW part of Croatia during the observed period.