Fertility of the West African dwarf goat in its native environment following prostaglandin F2-alpha induced estrus.

The fertility of ten West African Dwarf goats in which oestrus was induced with PGF2 alpha was comparable to that of the five West African Dwarf goats in the control group. Performance indices as determined by duration of oestrus and length of gestation were not affected. Similarly the birth weight of kids was not significantly influenced. However, treated goats were superior to controls when the interval from commencement of experiment to oestrus is considered, although there was no difference between the two treated groups of goats (5 mg vs 10 mg PGF2 alpha). Results showed that PGF2 alpha could be an important tool in oestrus synchronization and thus in controls of the reproductive performance of the West African Dwarf goats under humid lowland tropical environmental conditions.