VARIMAX ROTATED FACTORS DERIVED FROM BODY DIMENSIONS AS USED TO PREDICT PRODUCTION CRITERIA IN BUFFALO COWS

Data of highly intercorrelated type traits (8 body dimensions) surd pr oduction criteria (body weight, milk yield and fat content) were colle cted on 82 Egyptian buffaloes. Principal factor analysis followed by a varimax rotation was used to produce fewer mutually uncorrelated comm on factors. Most of the common variability (77.2%) in body dimensions was accounted for by 3 factors characterizing general size (F-1), skel etal thickness (F-2) and body compactness (F-3). Multiple linear regre ssion on these factors indicated that body weight and milk yield were more closely related to F-1 and F-2, and animals with more fine skelet on (lower F-2) were apt to produce more fat in their milk. However, th e magnitudes of R-2 indicated that prediction of dairyness criteria is difficult on the basis of the rotated common factors derived from hig hly intercorrelated body dimensions.