VARIATION OF SUPERNUMERARY TEATS AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH AGE AND PARITY OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence of supernumerary teats (SNT) and their association with non-genetic factors (age and parity) in West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. A total of 150 lactating does were randomly sampled from households. Data on age, teat number and parity (primiparous or multiparous) of the goats were collected. These data were analysed using descriptive (frequency) and inferential (Chi-square) statistics. The results revealed that 78.6% of the goats had two teats, while 21.4% exhibited SNT, with 12.7% possessing three teats and 8.7% having four teats. While multiparous goats had a higher proportion of SNT than primiparous goats, there was no significant association (p>0.05) between teat number and parity. Similarly, no significant association (p>0.05) was found between teat number and age, although goats within the 1.6–2-year age range had the highest occurrence of SNT. In conclusion, the study found a relatively low frequency of SNT in WAD goats, with no significant relationship between teat number, age, and parity. The occurrence of supernumerary teats were low compared to proportions of goats with two functional teats. There was also no significant association between teat numbers, age and parity of WAD goats.