indian goat keeping ........................

Goat Keeping is followed in arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall is less and uncertain and hence incomes from Crop Production are low and also uncertain. The goat keeping is mainly carried out as subsidiary activity (enterprise) to supplement incomes from crops. In such areas, goat keeping is an almost fully free-range type i.e. allowing goat to graze in open fields and wastelands. In addition, they are also fed some by-products of crops, which otherwise go waste.

Breeds;

There are nearly 102 breeds of goats in the world, of which 20 breeds are in India. Goats are reared for two purposes i.e. meat & milk. But meat production is the main objective. According to the purpose, following are the important breeds.

Milk and Meat (dual purpose) – Osmanabadi, Barberi, Jamnapari (U.P.) Sangamneri, Mehasa & Zalwadi (Gujarat) Beetal (Punjab), Ajmeri & Kachhi (Rajasthan).

Meat – Assam, Kali Bengali, Brown Bengali and Marwari.

Wool – Angora, Gaddhi (HP) and Pashmina (Kashmir)

Foreign Breeds :

Sannen

Anglonubian

Tonanburg &

Alpine.

Among the Indian breeds, Jamnapari is a good milk yielder and gives about 200 to 250 litres per year.

In Indian consuming market, there is very little demand for goat milk accounting for only 3.5% of the total demand for milk. However, goat meat is quite popular constituting about 35% of total meat market. Poultry meat production has been increasing quite fast and goat meat has to compete with it. As per the livestock census, goat population in Maharashtra was as under :

1987 census – 91.95 lakhs

1992 census – 99.40 lakhs

From the point of view of meat production, two parameters are important.

Growth of kids and

Kidding rate

Higher kidding rate and faster growth rate are desirable from commercial point of view. These rates are different in various breeds. Some of the normal economic characters of goats are as under:

Age of maturity – 9 to 12 months

Age at first pregnancy – 15 to 18 months

Pregnancy period – 145 to 150 days

Inter – kidding period – 8 to 9 months

Chances of twinning – 30 to 40%

Chances of triplets – 10 to 15%

Productive life – 6 to 7 years

Mortality of kids – 8 to 10 %

Mortality of adults – 5%

No. of kidding in two years – three

Male – female kids ratio – 1:1

Weights of kids at different ages indicating growth.

Sr
No.

Males
(Kg)
Females
(Kg)

1
At birth
2.0
2.0

2
3 Months
6.5
5.5

3
6 Months
12.0
10.25

4
12 Months
19 to 22



Age of 10 – 12 months is good for meat production. Meat at this age is tasty, soft and liked by the people. These weights are obtained when kids were fed with mother’s milk only. If they are fed with ready-made feeds, higher growth will be achieved. The production of meat is about 50 to 55% of body weight.

Feeding : Adults :

If the goats are completely stallfed following feeds are to be fed daily.

Green fodder – 3 to 4 kg.

Dry fodder – 1 to 2 kg.

Readymade feeds – 200 to 250 gms. (Concentrates)

If they are partlystallfed and partly free range then 50% of the above quantities are to be fed in the stall.

Feeding Kids :

Kids should be allowed to suckle since beginning so that they will get adequate quantity of colostrum, which is necessary to acquire natural immunity. After 10 – 12 days supplementary special kid ration can be given but milk feeding should continue upto 2.5 to 3.0 months of age. Simultaneously kids should be given very succulent green fodder's like maize, lucern, etc.

Adult goats relish green leaves of Anjan, Subabhul, Babulbeans, Shevari, Pangara, etc.

Diseases :

Following diseases are observed in goats.

Pneumonia

Diphtheria

Goat pox

Entrotoxemia

Dysentery

Mastitis

Foot and Mouth

Blue tongue

Brucellosis

Ag.
Technologies
(Animal Husbandry)