Phenotypic characterization of indigenous goose

Abstract

The study pertained to characterize indigenous goose phenotypically. Both qualitative and quantitative traits were considered in the study. Overall body length, wing span, shank length, beak length and head length of mature indigenous goose were 73.47±0.95, 134.53±1.38, 9.27±0.09, 8.88±0.10 and 6.42±0.02 cm, respectively. Overall body weight of indigenous goose at day old, 2-week, 1-month, 2-month and 10-month of age were 95.45±0.88 gm, 148.59±1.55 gm, 407.34±7.27 gm, 1.19±0.03 kg and 3.65±0.06 kg, respectively. Overall egg weight, egg length, egg width, incubation period, clutch size, number of eggs in a breeding season and age at first egg of indigenous goose were 131.85±1.70 gm, 7.40±0.02 cm, 5.22±0.02 cm, 30.30±0.07 days, 7.42±0.08, 20.52±0.38 and 313.22±3.03 days, respectively. Phenotypic correlation among body length, wing span, shank length, beak length, head length and body weight of mature indigenous goose ranged from 0.26 to 0.86. The majority of the morphometric characteristics had favorable phenotypic correlations with each other. Phenotypic correlations among body weights at different ages ranged from 0.42 to 0.86. Correlation among egg weight, egg length, egg width and incubation period of indigenous goose ranged from 0.05 to 0.81. The color of beak, eye, eyelid, skin, head feather, neck feather, back feather, wing feather, flight feather, tail feather, down feather, shank and egg in brown type goose were black, dark brown, black, white, brown, brown, brown with grey, brown, brown with grey, brown with white, white, yellow and white, respectively and those in white type goose were orange, blue, yellow, white, white, white, white, white, white, white, white, bright yellow or orange and white, respectively. Both brown and white type had long, broad and thick body with a slightly upright carriage and long, broad and flattened beak. The eggs of both brown and white type goose were oval in shape.