Assessing the Accuracy of Schaeffer’s Formula for Live Weight Estimation in Black Bengal Goats
Assessing the Accuracy of Schaeffer’s Formula for Live Weight Estimation in Black Bengal Goats
Jahid Hasan Tipu1, Md Ashraful Islam2, Md Altafur Rahman3, Md. Nazim Uddin4, Obaidul Islam5*
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to assess the accuracy of Schaeffer’s formula and examine the relationships between live weight and various body measurements, including heart girth, body length, height at withers, height at back, and paunch girth in Black Bengal goats. A total of 125 Black Bengal goats were selected from Sylhet Government Goat Development Farm and Khadimnagar union of Sylhet Sadar upazila of Bangladesh. Goats were categorized into different groups based on their age and sex. Live weight was estimated by digital balance, and other body measurements were estimated by measuring tape and scale. Our findings indicated that the lowest deviation was 0.08% in the 1–2-year age female group and the highest deviation was 5.26% in the 6-month age male group with a deviation from the actual body weight. Additionally, the linear regression equations developed in this study for predicting the live body weight on heart girth, body length, and a combination of both were: y = -22.429 + 1.6830 x1, y = -19.99 + 1.7759 x2, and y = -23.060 + 0.5348 + 1.2422 x1x2, respectively, where y = body weight (kg), x1 = heart girth (inch), and x2 = body length (inch). In addition, Pearson correlation with body weight and other body measurements showed that heart girth has a significant positive correlation with body weight, with 0.97 correlated values. Finally, it can be strongly ascertained that Schaeffer’s formula is one of the most reliable and cost-effective methods for predicting live body weight in Black Bengal goats.
To share on other social networks, click on any share button. What are these?
