Abstract :
The use of exotic dairy goats in breeding programmes for smallholder production systems
is popular in Eastern Africa. However, information on the performance of exotic breeds
within these systems is scarce. This paper presents information on performance of Toggenburg
dairy goats under smallholder production systems in a medium to high agricultural
potential environment in Kenya under a community-based set-up as part of the characterization
of its adaptive and productive attributes. Environmental factors affecting growth of
646 goats born in the environment, and fertility and milk production of 160 does from 1997
to 2005were evaluated. Genetic parameterswere also estimated for early growth traits. The
average birth weight (BW) for 607 kids was 3.27 kg. Corrected weaning weights (CW), and
average daily gain to weaning (ADG) for 646 kids were 19.12 kg and 136 g/day, respectively.
The results indicated that the smallholder farmers were able to maintain comparably high
levels of milk production in the first three parities (LMY), with yields of 475±9 l in 201
days for 160 does in the first parity, 507±9 l in 264 days from130 does in the second parity
and 513±13 l in 296 days for 82 does in the third parity. Kidding intervals though initially
long decreased with time to reasonable levels (302±117 days). The heritability estimates
obtained were low (0.23±0.13 for BW, 0.18±0.11 for CWand 0.14±0.11 for ADG). Genetic
correlations between the traits were also low. Genetic and phenotypic trends indicated little
change in BW, CW and LMY over the years. The phenotypic trend in the kidding interval
showed a reducing interval over time. The results demonstrated that the Toggenburg goats
were able to perform and thrive reasonably well under the low-input farming conditions
