Correlation Analysis of Morphometric Traits, Body Weight, Age and Body Condition Score in Surti Goats

The present investigation was undertaken to study the interrelationships among morphometric traits, body weight, age and body condition score (BCS) in Surti goats. A total of 200 Surti goats of different age groups were evaluated for body length, height at withers, heart girth, paunch girth, body weight and body condition score assessed at lumbar (BCS-L), rib (BCS-R) and sternum (BCS-S) regions. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were estimated to determine the strength and direction of associations among the studied traits. The results revealed strong and statistically significant (P < 0.01) positive correlations among all linear body measurements, indicating their interdependence. Body weight showed a highly significant correlation with body length (r = 0.80) and height at withers (r = 0.75), while moderate correlations were observed with heart girth and paunch girth. Age exhibited a strong positive association with all morphometric traits, suggesting proportional growth with advancing age. Body condition score was significantly correlated with both body measurements and body weight, with the highest correlation observed between body weight and BCS-L (r = 0.92). Strong inter-correlations were also observed among different BCS assessment sites. These findings indicate that morphometric traits and BCS can serve as reliable, non-invasive indicators for estimating body weight, growth and nutritional status in Surti goats, thereby supporting their use in field-level selection and management practices.