Using Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines to Estimate the Body Weight of Savanna Goats.

The Savanna goat breed is an indigenous goat breed in South Africa that is reared for meat production. Live body weight is an important tool for livestock management, selection and feeding. The use of multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) to predict the live body weight of Savanna goats remains poorly understood.

Correlation and path analysis of body weight and biometric traits of Nguni cattle breed.

Objective: This work was conducted to examine the association between body weight (BW) and biometric traits viz. head width (HW), head length (HL), ear length (EL), body length (BL), rump height (RH), withers height (WH), sternum height (SH), rump width (RW), and heart girth (HG) and to determine the direct and indirect effects of biometric traits on BW.

Materials And Methods: Sixty female and twenty male Nguni cattle between the ages of one to four years were used.