PREDICTING BODY WEIGHT THROUGH BIOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS IN BOLIVIAN LLAMAS

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body weight (BW) and different biometric measurements in llamas (Lama glama) from the Bolivian highlands and to generate prediction models of BW. A total of 515 individual records of BW and biometric measurements were used. The measurements were taken on 202 males and 313 females aged between 0.5 and 5 years, and included: neck length (NL), withers height (WH), rump height (RH), heart girth (HG), body length (BL), abdomen circumference (AC), rib depth (RD), hip width (HW), pin bone width (PBW), thoracic width (TW), and back length (BKL). The relationships between BW and biometric measurements were developed using simple linear and multiple regression. For the evaluation, the relationship between the observed and predicted values of BW was determined by linear regression, the mean squared error of prediction (MSEP) and root MSEP (RMSEP); concordance correlation coefficient analysis was also used. The BW ranged from 22 to 122 kg. Regression equations between BW, HG and RD had an r² of 0.94 and 0.92, respectively (RMSEP= 6.06 and 6.70 kg, respectively). The equations were highly precise (r² >0.86) and accurate (Cb>0.98), with a reproducibility index > 0.92. The model efficiency (MEF) indicated a higher efficiency of prediction (MEF ? 0.86). Using a single predictor, HG and RD accounted for more than 92% of the variation in BW. Overall, HG may be used as a single predictor to predict BW in llamas maintained under the conditions of the Bolivian highlands.