Assessment of phenotypes associated with heat tolerance among Galla goats in North Eastern Kenya: Phenotypes of heat tolerance among Galla goats

Ednah Mutindi Masila; Irene  Ogali; Stephen  Kuria; Grace Moraa Kennedy; Eric  Too; James Munyao Kingoo; Cecily Sheila Ommeh

doi:10.4314/jagst.v21i1.2

Authors

Ednah Mutindi Masila Jkuat
Dr. Irene Veterinary Science Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization, P.O.BOX 32-0905, Kikuyu
Stephen Kuria Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O Box 6200-00200, Nairobi
Grace Moraa Kennedy Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O Box 6200-00200, Nairobi
Eric Too Veterinary Science Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization, P.O.BOX 32-0905, Kikuyu
James Munyao Kingoo The Technical University of Kenya, P.O.BOX 52428-00200, Nairobi
Dr, Ommeh 1Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O Box 6200-00200, Nairobi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/jagst.v21i1.2

Keywords:

climate change, diversity, heat stress, pastoral cluster, plasticity

Abstract

Galla goats have great adaptation vigor to different environments. However, the outcomes of the ongoing climate change have subjected livestock including the Galla goats to harsh environmental conditions like high ambient temperatures. In this study, Galla goats were characterized in the selected areas based on phenotypic, physiological, and behavioural responses to high environmental temperature. One hundred and forty-nine Galla goats selected from Isiolo, Garissa and Tana River were scored for various features such as coat colour, horn colour, skin colour, horn shape, horn length, ear orientation, ear length, wattles and horn circumference. Data collected was entered in excel spread sheet then analyzed in R statistical software version 4.0.4. White was found to be the dominant coat colour with an occurrence frequency greater than 60.0% in the studied counties. The study revealed that both male and female Galla goats possess horns with more than 88.9% of goats being horned across the three counties. There was a strong relationship between horn occurrence, number of horns, and the environmental temperature with both having p=0.05. A positive correlation was also observed between environmental temperature and rectal temperature, horn length, and horn circumference, ear length and horn circumference. The findings show the presence of an important gene pool from which guidelines on conservation of heat stress genes as a result of the ongoing climate change can be put in place.