Breeds of Goat suitable for Konkan region

M. Karunakaran

National Dairy Research Institute

Eastern Regional Station

Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal

Konkan Kanyal

• They are native to the Konkan region of Maharashtra, and are reared mostly by the Dhangar and Maratha communities for meat.
• These goats are mainly black with a white marking in a specific pattern–the ventral surface of the body is white and the legs have white ‘stockings’. Konkan Kanyal goats have bilateral white strips from nostrils to ears; a flat and broad forehead; flat, long drooping ears; backward, straight, pointed, cylindrical horns; white muzzle and long legs, laterally black, medially white from knee to the fetlock joint. 
• The body weight of adult bucks and does averages 35 and 30 kg respectively. Konkan Kanyal goats are regular breeders and breed round the year, with a twinning percentage of about 66%.

Sangamneri

• The semi arid region of Maharashtra comprising of Nasik, Ahmednagar and Pune districts forms the native habitat of the Sangamneri goat breed.
• The breed derives its name from the Sangamner Tehsil of Ahmednagar District. They are medium-sized animals. The coat is completely white with mixtures of black and brown. Ears are long and drooping. Both sexes have horns directed backward and upward. The litter size is mainly single however 15 – 20% goats show twinning whereas triplets are rare.
•  The average daily milk yield varies between 0.5 to 1.0 kg with an average lactation length of about 160 days. Although this breed is reared mainly for meat, some animals show a good milch potential. Dressing percentage is about 41% at 6 months, 45% at 9 months and 46% at 12 months of age.

Adult Male                  Adult Female

Average Body weight (kg)                 39 to 42                       32 to 34

Average Body length (cm)                 73 to 75                       68

Average Height at withers (cm)          74 to 76                       69

Average Chest girth (cm)                    73 to 76                       73

 Osmanabadi

• Osmanabadi goats are native to the Latur, Tuljapur and Udgir taluks of Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, from where they derive their name. They are also fairly widespread in Karnataka, and the Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh.
•  The goats are large in size. The colour of the coat varies, but is mostly black (73%), with the rest being white, brown or spotted. Ninety per cent males are horned; females may be horned or polled.
• The breed is considered useful both for meat and milk. Average daily milk yield varies from 0.5 to 1.5 kg for a lactation length of about 4 months. In favourable conditions they breed regularly twice a year and twinning is common.

Adult Male     Adult Female    

Average Body weight (kg)                 31 to 36           32 to 33

Average Body length (cm)                 67 to 71           67

Average Height at withers (cm)          76 to 79           75

Average Chest girth (cm)                    70 to 74           72

Malabari

• Malabari also known as Tellicherry or Cutch are native to Kerala.
• Malabari goats are reared for milk and meat and their skin is popular in the tanning industry.
• The animals are medium in size. They have no uniform colour and the coat varies from completely white to black.
• All males and a small number of females are bearded. They have a medium sized head with a flat and occasionally a Roman nose with medium sized ears directed outward and downward.
• Malabari goats are reared under a semi-intensive management system, with 4 to 6 hours of grazing supplemented with stall feeding in the evening.
•  The breed is quite prolific and has a 50% twinning, 25% triplets and 5% quadruplets kidding percentage.
• The milk yield ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 litres a day with an average of 90 kg in a lactation period of 178 days. 

                                                            Adult Male     Adult Female

Average Body weight (kg)                 43 to 46           34

Average Body length (cm)                 77 to 79           68

Average Height at withers (cm)          77                    64

Average Chest girth (cm)                    79 to 81           73

Jamunapari

• The Jamunapari breed is native to the north-west arid and semi-arid regions of Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh, although they are currently found in a number of states, from Assam and West Bengal in the east, to Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand in central India, and Karnataka in the south.
•  They are white with tan or black markings on the neck and ears; a beard is present in both bucks and does with a tuft of long hair on the hind legs. They are considered the largest and most elegant of the long legged goats of India. They have long and pendulous ears (26-28 cm), tubular with the opening towards the front. The horns are short and flat, horizontal and twisting backwards.
•  Kidding occurs once a year resulting mostly in single births and at times twins.
•  The Jamunapari breed is a dual purpose breed with good meat and skin. The milk yield is 280 kgs in a lactation period averaging 274 days; the highest recorded is 4 kg a day with a lactation yield of 575 kg. The fat content of milk ranges from 5.2 to 7.8 percent.

Adult Male      Adult Female

Average Body weight (kg)                 43 to 46           38

Average Body length (cm)                 76 to 78           75

Average Height at withers (cm)          77 to 79           75

Average Chest girth (cm)                    78 to 81           76

Attappady Black

• The Attappady Black breed is native to the Palakkad district of Kerala. The economy of this region, home to the Irula, Muduka and Kurumba tribal communities, is primarily dependent on goat rearing and some agricultural activities.
•  This local goat breed evolved and developed by tribal communities in the region, is medium sized, lean and slender bodied and black in colour. They have bronze coloured eyes and black horns with curved backward oriented tips. The ears are black and pendulous and the tail is curved and bunchy.
•  Attappady goats are poor milk producers and are reared mainly for meat.
• The birth weight of males and females is around 1.73 kg and 1.60 kg respectively.
•  Sheds to house the Attapaddy are often constructed above the ground. The uncontrolled natural breeding of female goats by non-descript bucks has diluted the purity of the breed.
• A small number are also found in the state of Haryana. The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources has put the Attappady Black goat breed on the ‘endangered species list’.

Adult Male      Adult Female

Average Body weight (kg)                 34 to 36           31

Average Body length (cm)                 67                    63

Average Height at withers (cm)          80                    67

Average Chest girth (cm)                    71 to 73           68 to 70

 Source: The South Asia Pro Poor Livestock Policy Programme (SA PPLPP)