Phenotypic characterization of an endangered indigenous goat: comune di Sicilia ecotype

Characterization of indigenous livestock species is the key to the development of proper strategies for long-term maintenance and use of genetic variation and for guidance in decisions about future utilization and conservation strategies. Comune di Sicilia goat, counts about 500 adults, is bred in western Sicily under low-input management systems and contributes significantly to the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers as a source of protein and income, thanks to its typical dairy products. It is known for its unique adaptive traits, such as heat and drought tolerance, and low disease susceptibility, which make it ideal for production under stressful environments. However, it has received little attention, and, in fact, it is not currently recognized as a breed but only as a local ecotype. The aim of this study was to phenotypically characterize the Comune di Sicilia goat so as to collect all data needed for drafting a breed standard, which, together with genotyping, would allow its official recognition. Phenotypic traits for 78 adult goats (9 males, 69 females) included body weight (BW); withers (WH), croup (CH), and chest height (CHH); chest (CL), length (TL), and croup length (CHL); chest width (CW), hip breadth (HB), and coxofemoral width (CXW); and chest (CC) and shin circumference (SC). Qualitative traits included coat color pattern and type, presence or absence of horns, ears and wattles. Age was estimated based on dentition. Analysis of the morphological descriptors showed some sexual dimorphism (BW: males 54±5 kg, females 43±8 kg; WH: males 75±2 cm, females 71±3 cm; TL: males 81±5 cm, females 73±6 cm; CC: males 102±4 cm, females 82±6 cm), but overall, all parameters showed very little variability. As regards qualitative traits, badgerface was the prevalent coat colour, and there were subjects without horns (50%), ears (5%), and wattles (55%). A relative homogeneity was observed in Comune di Sicilia goats, as well as peculiar phenotypical features, such as diluted pheomelanin and the presence of horns, which might represent environmental adaptative traits. This comes together with an effective population size big enough to be exploited for future breed improvement.