Biometric assessment of White Fulani cattle in a semi intensive production system in Northern Cameroon using principal components analysis

Abstract

In order to appraise the population genetic diversity of a Cameroon native beef cattle breed, eighty-eight adult individuals(70 females and 18 males) of the White Fulani cattle breed in North Cameroon were characterized by metric tools involving 12 simple measurements (the height at the withers, the tail length, the face length, the width of the face, the ears’length, the horns’length, the top line which is the occipito-ischial length, the scapulo-ischial length, the bump circumference, the canon bone perimeter, the thoracic perimeter and the weight) and five combined measures, Body length Index (IBL)(oblique one), the Hearth Girth index (IHG), the index of the barrel bone, the index of compactness or massiveness (MI), and the thoracic auricular index (IAT).Sexual dimorphism was exhibit in White Fulani cattle breed for 50 % of the traits measured (Tail length, ear length, bump perimeter, cannon bone circumference, ,heart girth,body weight). For example, the body weight varied from 350.51a±26.61 in cows to 390.56b±51.33 in bulls. The principal components analysis revealed that, as far as body measurements are concerned, three factors accounting for 73.45 % of total variance should be considered for selection purposes. The MI should also be taken into account in such an exercise in White Fulani cattle breed in the North region of Cameroon.