Foetal Wastage of Goats Slaughtered in Zaria Abattoir

The study was carried out with the aim of determining the percentage wastage of foetus due to the slaughter of pregnant does in Zango Abattoir, Samaru - Zaria, Nigeria. Out of a total of 680 female goats slaughtered during three months (January to March, 1998), 275 (40.4%) of them were pregnant. From the pregnant uteri, 413 foetuses were recovered. Out of the recovered foetuses 41.7%, 32.9% and 25.4% were singles, twins and triplets, respectively. It was observed that multiple birth accounted for about 37.4% of the lost foetuses. The highest percentage (57.6%) of the foetuses recovered fell within the first trimester of pregnancy, while the second and third trimesters had 27.4% and 15% respectively. The correlation between the weight and length of the foetus was positive and significant (r = 0.928,