Abstract :
A crossbreeding program between Aradi Saudi breed (A) of goats with Syrian Damascus
breed (D) was practiced for six years in two experiments (dairy experiment in Jouf and meat
experiment in Qassim) applying bio-techniques of estrous synchronization and artificial
insemination. The breeding plan permitted to produce four genetic groups of AA, DD, ½D½A
and ¾D¼A in each experiment separately. A total number of 1800 ejaculates collected
from 298 bucks were evaluated for volume of ejaculate (EV), pH, sperm concentration (SC),
total motile sperm (TMS), total sperm output (TSO), percentages of motile (MS), live (LS),
abnormal (AS) and dead sperms (DS). Animal models were used to estimate the heritabilities
and permanent environmental effects, while a generalized least square procedure was used
to estimate individual additive genetic effects, individual heterosis, maternal heterosis and
individual recombination effects. Heritabilities for most semen characteristics were low or
somewhat moderate and ranging from 0.08 to 0.23, while the permanent environmental
effects were slightly higher than the respective heritabilities since the estimates ranged
from 0.10 to 0.29. Estimates of individual additive effects for SC, TMS and TSO were in favour
of Damascus bucks relative to Aradi bucks by 0.2, 0.43 and 0.44 × 109 per ml in the dairy
experiment and by 0.08, 0.13 and 0.11 × 109 per ml in the meat experiment, respectively.
Significant individual heterotic improvements (with a range of 4.9–26.5%) were recorded
in the dairy and meat experiments for EV (0.075 ml vs. 0.085 ml), SC (0.25 × 109 per ml vs.
0.11 × 109 per ml), TMS (0.275 × 109 per ml vs. 0.125 × 109 per ml), and TSO (0.33 × 109 per
ml vs. 0.155 × 109 per ml), associated with significant reduction in percentage of DS (5.5%
vs. 1.55%). Crossbred dams showed significant maternal heterotic improvements in semen
of their crossbred bucks in both dairy and meat experiments for EV (0.058 ml vs. 0.055 ml;
P < 0.05), SC (0.15 × 109 per ml vs. 0.09 × 109 per ml; P < 0.05), TMS (0.225 × 109 per ml vs.
0.085 × 109 per ml; P < 0.05), and TSO (0.58 × 109 per ml vs. 0.115 × 109 per ml; P < 0.01),
associated with favourable significant increases in MS (3.3% vs. 4.05%; P < 0.05) and LS (3.7%
vs. 2.25%; P < 0.05) along with a reduction in percentage of DS (4.3% vs. 2.25%; P < 0.05); the
estimates ranging from 3.3 to 34.1%. The estimates of individual recombination losses for
most semen parameters were favourable and non-significant.
