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Due to their hardiness in severe weather, capability to yield milk and meat, fast generation times, capacity to withstand the substandard diets, goats constitute an indispensable part of rural agricultural systems. Gene flow, genetic distance, and alleles were investigated in Red Sokoto (50) and West African Dwarf (45). For each animal, approximately 5 milliliters of aseptic blood taken. Restriction fragment length polymorphism and electrophoresis were carried out after the DNA samples were isolated and purified. Gene flow, anticipated (He) and observed heterozygosity (Ho), degree of genetic diversity and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) were determined. The results revealed that for Red Sokoto and West African Dwarf goats, the allele frequency of gene A and C varied between (7.2 &7.5) and (2.8 & 2.4) respectively. Ho values were 56% for Red Sokoto and 48.89% for West African Dwarf. The West African dwarf (37.35%) had the lowest estimates of He compared to Red Sokoto population (40.73%).The Mean Fis, Fit, Fst and Nm* were -0.3576, -0.3554, 0.0016 and 152.78 respectively for the populations studied. According to the findings, the goat populations exhibited the highest genetic similarity (0.9996) and the lowest genetic distance (0.0004), It was deduced that there is homology of alleles at the locus, low percentage of gene differentiation, and heterozygosis loss in the populations of native goats studied. 

This study evaluated the influence of milking methods and wattle on daily milk yield and its relationship between udder dimensions of West African dwarf does. Forty-eight does with age 3–4, parity 2–3 and liveweight 20–25 kg was put into three milking regimens, each consisting of sixteen duplicates, after spontaneously mating. Udder dimensions evaluated were teat length, distance between teats, udder circumference, and udder length. Milking was done three times a week and once a day at 8:00 a.m for 12 weeks while udder dimensions were taken before each milking program. SYSTAT (1992) was used to perform an analysis of variance on the collected data. High daily milk yield (p < 0.05) was recorded in goats milked through suckle-hand compared to weigh-suckle-weigh and hand-milking methods. Wattle had no discernible effect on the daily milk output or udder size (p > 0.05). Both udder dimensions and udder features showed positive relationships (p < 0.05) with daily milk yield. The study concluded that WAD does with or without wattle but with good udder traits should be considered for milk production and be milked with suckle-hand method owning to it significance in total milk extraction.

Trypanosomiasis remains a major constraint to small ruminant production in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among smallholder farmers. Although WAD goats are considered trypanotolerant because of their relatively low mortality during chronic infection, recent findings show that this survival is at the expense of reproductive efficiency. To back up this claim with scientific evidence, this review followed PRISMA guidelines and systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for important studies published between January 1980 and February 2026. Search terms included African animal trypanosomiasis, spp., WAD goats, reproductive dysfunction, trypanotolerance, oxidative stress, and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Of the 1245 retrieved articles, 14 met the inclusion criteria. Evidence from the included studies indicates that chronic trypanosome infection disrupts reproduction through interconnected mechanisms involving systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine imbalance, and impaired gonadal function. Available evidence suggests that is frequently associated with ovarian dysfunction and embryonic loss, whereas has been linked in some studies to uterine pathology and gestational reproductive disturbances. Female goats commonly exhibit irregular oestrous cycles, embryonic loss, and prolonged kidding intervals, while males develop impaired spermatogenesis, abnormal sperm morphology, and reduced testosterone levels. These reproductive impairments reduce kid output, milk yield, herd productivity, and household livelihood resilience. Integrated control strategies combining vector control, targeted chemotherapy, nutritional support, and selective breeding are essential for preserving both fertility and survival in trypanosome-endemic areas.

The haematological attributes during pregnancy assumed new importance when it was realised that pregnancy is a form of physiological stress and hormones appear to be involved in the process of pregnancy and parturition. Hence, an experiment aimed at assessing and determining the haematological, biochemical and hormonal profile during pregnancy was conducted for five (5) months using twelve (12) artificially inseminated female West African Dwarf goats aged 2 – 4 years with live weights ranging from 15 to 26 kg. Does were raised semi‑intensively throughout the duration of the experiment. Blood was collected once a month for haematological, biochemical and hormonal analysis. Data obtained were analysed by the method of least squares analysis of variance (SAS, 2003) using a general linear model appropriate for a completely randomised design. The gestation period had a highly significant ( < 0.001) effect on red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts. Cholesterol and glucose were significantly ( < 0.001) affected by the gestation period, similar to the cortisol and progesterone profile ( < 0.001). It can be concluded from this study that RBC counts were highest in the 4 week, WBC counts in the 8 week, cholesterol in the 12 week, glucose in the 8 week, progesterone and cortisol concentrations in the 20 week of gestation, respectively, in the West African Dwarf goats which reflect the physiological demands of pregnancy, foetal growth, and development. These changes can be used as a tool for monitoring foetal health and proper handling of pregnant does.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) cause severe economic losses to many countries of the world where the disease is endemic. It has been targeted for global eradication by 2030 following the successful eradication of rinderpest in 2011. The proposed eradication program would benefit from efficient and relatively reliable diagnostic tools for early PPR virus (PPRV) detection. A total of 33 eight to 12 months old West African Dwarf (WAD) goats were used. Nineteen goats infected by commingling with two PPR virus–positive animals formed the infected group (PPRV-infected goats) while 14 non-infected goats formed the control group (CTG). The suitability of hydroxyl naphthol blue (HNB) staining of reverse transcription loop–mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and haemagglutination (HA) assays was compared for their sensitivity to detect the PPRV in PPRV-infected goats and non-infected CTG. PPR disease severity in WAD goats at different days post infection (dpi) was evaluated by clinical scoring and haemagglutination titre (HAT). HNB staining RT-LAMP reaction and HA showed sensitivities of 100% and 73.68%, respectively, for PPRV detection. Expression of PPR clinical signs began from 3 dpi, attained peak at 5 dpi, thereafter showed irregular patterns till 24 dpi. Evaluation of HAT in PPRV-infected goats at 12 dpi ranged from 2 to 64 haemagglutination units (HAU), while CTG goats had 0 HAU. In conclusion, HA could be a good tool for rapid diagnosis of PPRV in a developing country setting. However, HNB staining RT-LAMP assay demonstrated high sensitivity for accurate diagnoses of PPRV and as an important diagnostic tool when precise phenotyping is desired.

Background Tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiasis severely hampers livestock productivity in Africa, imposing significant economic and health challenges. Traditional trypanocidal treatments are limited by toxicity and emerging drug resistance. Recent interest has focused on use of ethnoveterinary medicines like Aloe vera (AV) which are known for their medicinal and potential antitrypanosomal properties. This study was designed to evaluate the combined effects of diminazene aceturate (DA) and Aloe vera gel (AVG) on parasitemia, serum chemistry, physiological parameters, and hematological profiles in West African Dwarf Goats (WADG) infected with Trypanosoma congolense . Results Sixteen adult goats were randomly allocated into four groups (A–D) of four animals each. Groups B, C, and D were infected intraperitoneally with 3.0 × 10 6 /mL trypanosomes, while Group A served as the uninfected control. Two weeks post-infection, Group C received 3.5 mg/kg DA alone, and Group D received 3.5 mg/kg DA in combination with 1.2 ml/kg AVG; Group B remained untreated. Treatment was successful in both Groups C and D, but Group D demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in hematological parameters, with higher packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) count, and hemoglobin (Hb) levels compared to Group C. In contrast, untreated goats in Group B exhibited significantly elevated parasitemia, fever, tachypnea, tachycardia, and reductions in key haematological and serum chemistry values. Conclusion The combination of Aloe vera gel with diminazene aceturate not only enhances haematological recovery but also achieves earlier zero parasitemia compared to diminazene aceturate alone. These findings support the potential of integrating Aloe vera as an adjunct therapy in the management of trypanosomiasis in livestock.

A study was carried out to characterize and differentiate four West African Dwarf goat populations on the basis of morphometric traits and also predict their body weights using linear body measurements. A total of 384 goats were sampled from four agro-ecological zones from the middle belt and southern part of Ghana. The morphometric traits examined for phenotypic differentiation using univariate and multivariate analysis were body weight, body length, withers height, chest girth, chest depth, shoulder point width, rump length, rump width, head length, head width, shin circumference, horn length, ear length, tail length, and hair length. Results obtained showed that agro-ecological zone and age significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the performance of most traits. The phenotypic correlations among the traits were low to high (0.06–0.67) indicating linear relationships among these traits which may be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. The regression analysis also revealed that a single trait which may be used to predict the body weight of male West African Dwarf goats of ages 1–4 years is chest/heart girth and that of female counterparts is withers height. All the populations were significantly (p < 0.0001) distant (differentiated) from each other, but the largest (4.62) estimated Mahalanobis distance (D2) was between West African Dwarf goat populations in the transitional zone P1 and the rainforest P3 while the least (1.61) was observed between transitional zone P1 and semi-deciduous forest zone P2. The highest similarity between individuals within population was found in the rainforest P3 (79.76%) and the lowest in the transitional zone P1 (47.13%). The three canonical components (Can1, Can2, and Can3) explained the total (100%) between-population variation in morphometric traits. However, in partitioning of the variance, the first two canonical components (Can1 and Can2) accounted for cumulative proportion of 84.35% of between-population variance. In order of importance, tail length, head length, ear length, shin circumference, head width, and shoulder point width were the most discriminating variables responsible for the variations among the four goat populations. In conclusion, morphometric variations exist among West African Dwarf goat populations of Ghana. Yet, further studies on molecular genetic diversity of the populations are recommended to support a sustainable breed improvement strategy. Also, equations have been developed that can be used to reliably predict the body weight of WAD goats and future research should also focus on developing single variable weight estimator measuring tapes based only on either the chest girth, withers height, or body length prediction equations for farmers to use in the absence of weighing scale.

This study evaluated the effects of feeding different forages ( (PM, control), (GA), and (MI) on the performance, milk yield, and milk composition of West African Dwarf (WAD) goat dams during the dry season. Twenty-one multiparous does with age range of 2–3 years old were naturally mated and assigned to the three forage treatments, with seven replicates per treatment. Data was collected for eight weeks post-partum. Results showed that MI-fed dams had the highest final weight (21.63 kg), while GA-fed dams had the lowest (19.50 kg). Forage intake was highest in PM and MI groups but lowest in GA-fed does. Water intake followed a similar pattern, being highest in MI-fed does. Hematological parameters were superior in GA-fed dams, with the highest packed cell volume (36.75%) and hemoglobin concentration (12.63 g/dl). Milk mineral composition varied significantly across treatments: PM-fed dams had the highest calcium and magnesium contents, while MI-fed dams had the highest potassium content. The study concluded that is beneficial for maintaining optimal body weight in WAD dams during the dry season, whereas enhances milk protein and casein content.

Inclusion of some plants especially spices in the diets of farm animals have been researched upon extensively for parameters like growth, blood chemistry, and feed utilization among others. In contrary, the use of turmeric as feed additive for ruminant production is so low, while its effects on reproduction (especially during pregnancy) in ruminants are not available due to little/no information on its properties, processing, and inclusion rate. Thus, a study was conducted to evaluate pre- and post-weaning performances of kids produced by three breeds of goat fed diets supplemented with graded levels of turmeric powder intensively in southwestern Nigeria. Kids produced by Kalahari Red (KR), West African Dwarf (WAD), and KalaWAD Does fed diets containing turmeric powder (TP) at different levels were monitored for pre-weaning that lasted for 12 weeks, while selected kids were observed for 4 weeks post-weaning. Each Doe breed was fed diet at 5% bodyweight during pregnancy and pre-weaning, including some selected kids during post-weaning. Dietary treatments included concentrate diet (CD) as TP-0, CD + 2 g/kg TP as TP-2g, and CD + 5 g/kg TP as TP-5 g. Brachiaria ruziziensis was used as basal diet. Data obtained were arranged in a 3 × 3 factorial layout in a completely randomized design, while analysis of variance was done using SAS 9.1. Significance level was taken at 5% probability, while means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test of the same statistical package. Results of the study for breed effect revealed that KR kids had the best (p < 0.05) pre-weaning performance from birth (3.2 kg) till weaning (14.5 kg) and for weight gains (11.2 kg and 134.0 g/day). No mortality was recorded for WAD kids. For TP effects, the kids fed TP-2g had the highest (p < 0.05) weight gains (1.6 kg and 58.6 g/day) and reduced value for feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 6.2 for post-weaning performance. Kids fed TP-5g had the highest (p < 0.05) value for protein efficiency ratio (PER) of 1.4 at the end of post-weaning. For interaction effects of breeds and TP, KR kids fed TP-5g performed best (p < 0.05) at the pre-weaning period in terms of weights from birth (3.6 kg) till weaning (15.7 kg), while KR kids fed TP-2g had highest (p < 0.05) pre-weaning weight gains (12.5 kg and 148.9 g/day). KR kids fed TP-5g performed best (p < 0.05) at the post-weaning period in terms of weight gains (1.8 kg and 64.4 g/day). KR kids fed TP-2g and KalaWAD kids fed TP-5g had the lowest FCR (5.2) and the highest PER (1.6) respectively at the post-weaning period. It can be concluded that breeds of kid, TP inclusion, and their interaction influenced pre- and post-weaning performances of the kids.

An in vivo digestibility trial was conducted to evaluate the digestibility of six forages. These were selected indigenous browse species and groundnut haulms in Lawra and Jirapa Districts of the Upper West Region of Ghana. Groundnut haulms served as a control due to its known good digestibility in small ruminants. Thirty West African Dwarf (WAD) young castrated billy goats with a mean age of 8 months were used. The average live body weight was 8.9 ± 0.1 kg. The animals were randomly assigned to the six treatments and replicated five times in a completely randomized design. They were confined in metabolism cages. The adaptation period was 3 weeks after which data was taken for 10 days. The treatments were the leaves and tiny twigs of T1 Annona senegalensis, T2 Ficus gnaphalocarpa, T3 Pericopsis laxiflora, T4 Pterocarpus erinaceus, T5 Afzelia africana, and T6 (control) Arachis hypogaea. Feed intake, faecal matter and urine output were measured. The results indicated that dry matter (DM) contents of the feedstuffs were less than 50% but crude protein (CP) contents were higher than the minimum required for sustaining ruminants. Neutral and acid detergent fibre contents were high, and F. gnaphalocarpa, in particular, contained a higher level of phosphorus (P). The amounts of feed intakes were typical of most fodder species with the exception of P. laxiflora and P. erinaceus, which were lower (P < 0.05). The apparent digestibility values were also typical of most fodder species but the digestibility of A. africana fibre appeared to be lower. Nitrogen retention was positive for all test species with the exception of P. laxiflora, which was negative. Mortality was recorded in animals on P. laxiflora, and the rate was high. Pericopsis laxiflora leaves, even though morphologically similar to the leaves of P. erinaceus, were not a suitable fodder. Ficus gnaphalocarpa appeared to be the overall best fodder species in terms of nutrient uptake.