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Selection Against Cryptorchidism in Angora Goat

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station

Abstract

Cryptorchidism (ridgling) of Angora goats is a recessive character conditioned by a few pairs of genes. Without resorting to progeny testing prior to use of sires the incidence of cryptorchidism in male kids has been reduced in Flock #1 (Texas Station registered flock) from 6.8% in the first 20 years of only mild selection pressure to 2.9% in the next 12 years of moderate selection and to 0.4% in the next 11 years of rigid selection. In experimental Flock #2, of grade Angora, mixed breed, and non-Angora goats, in which cryptochid sires had been used in the earlier years, slight selection reduced cryptorchidism from 50.9% during the four peak years to 11.7% in the next eight-year period of slight selection and 0.8% during the last 13 years of moderate to rigid selection against the defect. It is concluded that simple procedures such as these would be effective in reducing to a low point other defects in farm animals which are recessive even though there may be more than one pair of recessive genes.

¹ Professor, Retired March 1, 1960, Department of Animal Husbandry. Grateful acknowledgment is made of the value of the work of the following persons, each of whom had an important part, at one or more locations, with the breeding records: J. M. Jones, O. L. Carpenter, the late W. H. Dameron, L. J. McCall, R. O. Berry, C. A. Holden, Charles Turner and Eli Gray. Data for the years 1958 and 1959 were supplied through the courtesy of Maurice Shelton.