Eaknath B. ChakurkarR. .S.SundaramS.B. Barbuddhe

A.V. Nirmale

~3f.jtJICAR

II mal Scences See 0ICAR RESEARCH COMPLEX FOR GOA(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)

•

TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE FOR GOAT REARING

Eaknath B. ChakurkarR.N.5.5undaram5.B. Barbuddhe

A.V. Nirmale

ANIMAL SCIENCES SECTIONICAR RESEARCH COMPLEX FOR GOA

ELA, OLD GOA - 403402, GOA, INDIA

2008

- CONTENTS-

Page No.

1. Introduction 01

2. Housing 03

3. Feeding 05

4. Reproduction 06

5. Selection of Breeding Stock 07

6. Health care 08

7. Economics 10

8. Model Project 11

Livestock production is steadilygaining importance in India and it isconsidered to be an integral part ofrural economy. Livestock farmingprovides regular income to the farmerIlandiess poor. Poor landless familieswho can not keep one or two dairyanimals, small ruminants like sheepand goat form their livelihood. Indiahas a total of 180.90 million smallruminant population which comprisesof 123 million goats. The demand formeat and meat products eachincreasing. Among the meat productsgoat meat is popular, costlier andfetches good return for the farmer.There is no social taboo for goatraising and chevon consumption.India ranks first in the world in goatpopulation. The economic value ofgoats can also be realized from thecontinuously increasing trend in theirpopulation during last 40 years, inspite of more than 1/3'd populationbeing slaughtered for meat and skinevery year. Around 410 million kgs ofgoat meat, 1900 kg of milk, 100.9million kgs of skin and 85000 metrictons of manure are availableannually.

Goat is a versatile animal. It isknown as the 'poor man's cow' inIndia and as 'wet nurse' of infants inEurope. Goat milk is cheap,wholesome, easily digestible andnutritious. It is recommended for use

in dyspepsia, peptic ulcer and pyloricstenosis. It is preferred to cow milk inliver dysfunction, jaundice, biliarydisorders, acidosis and insomnia.Goats are litter bearing animal sincethey give twin or triplets two times ina year, indicating its prolificacy. Goatmilk is nutritious due to its nature ofgrazing tree leaves and herbs. Themilk is easily digestible due tosmaller fat globules, with 4.9% fat,9.3% solid-not-fat (SNF), 4.33%protein and 0.877% ash. The ashcontent of goat milk is high indicatingthe mineral status of milk.

Goat in general is a hardyanimal and is adaptable to variedclimatic conditions. Since goat iscommonly reared in small herd, itcan also form an ideal componentunder watershed management.Integration of the differentcomponents like crop andhorticulture, recycling manure anduse of crop residues as localresources will enhance productivity.

Available shrubs and tree leaveslike Subabul, drumstick, bambooleaves etc. in the watershed areacan be fed with minimumconcentrate feed of 0.3kg/day for ananimal. The West Coast regionhaving plenty of shrubs and tropicalrain forest offer better scope forrearing goats.

Advantages of Goat Rearing

1) Goat meat has good potentialmarket value.

2) There is no social taboo for thegoat meat.

3) It provides self employment for therural mass.

4) The manure can be added to thesoil as nutrient for enrichment.

5) Prol ificacy of goat is good.

6) Unwanted weeds and vegetablewastes can be converted intouseful animal protein.

7) Goat milk also provides income tothe farm family.

Present status of Goat rearing inGoa

To ascertain the present status ofgoat rearing in Goa, an investigationwas undertaken through a researchproject "Investigation on thepresent status of Goats" by ICARResearch Complex for Goa during2001-2006. Observations indicatedthat the demand for meat and meatproducts is increasing. Goat is mainlyreared in the Ghat section viz.Bicholim, Pernem, Satari, Quepemand Canacona Talukas.ln most of theplaces particular community isrearing goats as their traditionaloccupation. They live as tenants and

some are nomads. Awareness aboutthe Government schemes is verypoor and the farmers are reluctant toapproach the officials. Majority(62.25%) are landless laborers.Some rear other livestock likebuffaloes for milk and work as farmlaborers during summer season.

Income from goat units rangesfrom Rs. 800-1500 and from labourRS.1500-Rs.2000 per month duringthe season. In many places, goatrearing is a part time occupationcombined with seasonal labor workand crop cultivation. In Volpoi areathe herd strength ranges from 10 to90 animals combined with cropcultivation. In Pernem area, goatunits with 15 to 40 animals arecommon. Cashew cultivation is theirpart time seasonal occupation. Insome units goat farming is the onlysource of income and their herdstrength ranges from 50-300animals.

A Goat unit was established inKrishi Vigyan Kendra of this instituteto study the management practices.Osmanabadi and local non-descriptgoats were maintained forcrossbreeding. Leaf and dry fodderscollected from the grazing field wereanalyzed for chemical compositionto ascertain the nutrients availablefor goats through grazing.

Housing

Goats can be kept with littleexpense. Marginal or undulatinglands unsuitable for other types oflivestock, may be used and anyinexpensive shelter can suffice. Thegoat farm buildings are constructedwithout any careful planning anddesigning. While preparing house forgoat care should be taken that itprovides sufficient ventilation. Itshould be able to protect goats fromadverse weather like hot sun, heavyrains and chilling cold. In Goa due toheavy rain goats are alwayspreferred to be housed at raisedplatform. This helps for properdrainage and to maintain dry flooring.

The following points should beconsidered in selecting the site forconstructing goat pens/sheds.

1. The site of goat sheds/pensshould be on higher land withbetter drainage.

2. Plenty of good quality watershould be available for drinkingand cleaning of pens.

3. The orientation of the shedsshould be on "east westdirection".

4. Goat houses with raised slattedfloor are best and suitable in hot,semi-arid and humid climaticareas and perforated floors forsmall goat units. The wooden

slatted floor is raised about 1-1 Iimeter off the ground. This helpsfor the collection of manure andto maintain hygienic condition ofthe goat house.

Breeds

There are about 13 well-knownIndian goat breeds, apart from anumber of local non descript animalsscattered throughout the country.The breeds are described on thebasis of their locations. They aresuited as per their local agro-climaticconditions. The important breeds areHimalayan breed Pashmina, Chegu,Jamnapari, Beetal, Barbari, Marwari(Mehsana and Zelwadi), Berari,Kathiawari, Deccani (Osmanabadi),Malabari (Tellicherry), Assam hillybreed anc Black Bengal.

Exotic Breeds

Apart from indigenous breedsthere are exotic breeds catchingattention as they are more productiveand fast growing. The principal exoticdairy breeds of goat are Toggenberg,Saanan, French Alpine and Nubian.They are well known throughout theworld on account of their high milkyield. These breeds are being tried inIndia for evolving, suitable cross-breds, and new breeds with moremilk or for improving the non-descript.

A, S, C, 0 & E : Different housing types and floorings for Goats used in Goa region.F: A tribal with his goat.

Feeding

It was observed during theinvestigation that the number of unitsis becoming less in Goa due torestriction on free range grazing.Considering the constrains on freerange system semi intensive rearingwith partial feeding may be practicedto sustain goat rearing as a viablesubsidiary occupation. Studies at theInstitute unit indicated that the weightgain was marginally higher in freerange system as compared to stallfeeding. The daily weight gain under

free range system was 83.60 g. andunder stall feeding 77.5 g. Theperformance of crossbred goats withpartial grazing and supplementaryfeeding was encouraging.Concentrate feed with 20.01 % CPand 2675 Cal DE was given for younganimals at the rate of 300 g per day.Maximum weight gain of 121.32g/day was recorded. This indicatedthat partial grazing withsupplementary feeding would bemore suitable for goat rearing underthe local condition.

Sr.No Specimen Crude Protein Crude Fibre Ether extract Total ash

1 Cashew leaf 10.50 23.54 3.30 6.70

2 Guava leaf 8.72 16.72 2.70 9.66

3 Mango leaf 9.22 23.20 2.15 7.46

4 Gulmohar leaf 12.15 14.63 1.60 5.73

5 Bamboo leaf 9.60 21.71 2.35 6.48

6 Jackfruit leaves 10.60 14.74 2.24 6.47

7 Sal tree leaf 9.60 15.27 1.92 7.66

LocalName of Botanical name Chemical Composition ( %DM basis)

treeCP DCP TDN Ca P

Pipal Ficus reliqiosa 9.7 7.0 38.3 4.1 0.2Jamun Eugimia jarnbolana 7.3 0.1 43.1 1.4 0.2Barqad Ficus benqalensis 9.6 2.0 44.5 1.8 0.2Lasora Cardia oblique 12.8 5.4 27.0 4.3 0.2Bamboo Denro 15.1 9.3 48.9 1.6 0.2

calamustrictusMahua Madheua indica 9.8 0.0 37.0 1.6 0.1Gular Ficus glomerata 11.2 6.7 53.8 2.7 0.3

Roxb.

Pakar Ficus infectoria 16.0 - - 2.5 0.3Bhimai Grewia 24.9 16.7 54.6 3.6 0.3

oppositifalisBeri Zizvphus iuiuba 8.7 3.1 30.7 1.5 0.3

Ingredient Grower mash Adultmash

(% OM) (% OM)

Maize 29 50GNCake 30 24Wheat bran 40 25Min.Mix 1 1CP 20.01 17.80CF 7.25 6.42Energy 2645 2900(DE kcal))/kg

Depending upon the availabilityand cost, other feed ingredients likesunflower cake, gram husk, rice bran,Jower etc can be proportionatelyadded to replace the costlyingredients.

Feeding schedule: Dry matterintake of goat (Total feed intake/day)is around 3 to 3.5% of its body weight.

An animal weighing 30 kg willconsume around one kg of dry feed/day.

Concentrate feed requirement / day:

Kids

1- 3 months age 50 to 75gm

3 to 6 months 75 to 150 gm.

6 months to 1year 200-250gm.

Adult female 300 gm

Adult male 400 gm

In addition to the above 4-6 hoursgrazing in a pasture land with treeleaves and forages is essential.

Reproduction

Goat is litter bearing animal sincethey get twin or triplets two times in ayear, indicating its prolificacy. Theyare seasonal breeders. In Goamostly goats show estrous in

December to January and May toJune.

Selection of Breeding Stock

Doe

Selection of doe is very importantas it is the nucleus of a productiveherd. Doe with good bodydevelopment is essential for high milkproduction. The doe should be wellgrown, healthy in appearance, andstand squarely on her feet and notdown on the pastern. The bodyshould be wedge-shaped and sharpat the withers. The depth of the ribsdenotes a capacity for consuminglarge amount of food. The thighsshould provide plenty of room for around, well-attached udder of fairsize. The milk potential cannot beestimated from the size of the udder.The udder of good miltch goat shouldbe soft and pliable rather than meaty.The teats should be pointed slightlyforward. The udder in a freshly milkedgoat should have a collapsedappearance.

Buck

The buck should have a strong,well-developed frame, goodconformation and breed characters.Good depth of ribs is essential. Legsshould be straight and well placedunder the body. The buck should behealthy and free from external andinternal parasites. It should be

chosen from a good milking strainand should be the progeny of damshaving good performance record.Many herdsmen prefer the bucks tobe hornless. A well-grown buck kidmay be bred to five or six does duringhis first season at an approximateage of six months. At 18 to 24 monthsold buck may be permitted to service25 to 30 does, and when fully mature50 to 60 does in a breeding season.Bucks are mostly sexual in winterand spring. During this period theyemit a strong odour, offensive tosome people.

Mating season

The does are more or lesscontinuous breeders. The signs ofheat in the doe usually areuneasiness, twitching of tail(shaking), pink and swollen genitalia,frequent urination, restlessness,bleeding and a little mucousdischarge for one to three days. Theperiod between heats varies from 18to 21 days. It is better to inseminatethe doe on the second day of the heatperiod. The sperms survive in thefemale genital tract for 22 to 42hours. Mating should be so timedthat the kids are born in a seasonwhen mortality among them is at itslowest and an adequate amount offood is available for theirnourishment and growth. Breedingseason will, therefore, vary withbreed, locality and climate.

Mating ofthe doe

Does must be fed well ,allowed liberal exercise andprotected from rain and cold. Doesmay be mated when 10 to 15 monthsold so that they kid at the age of 15 to20 months. But as a rule a goatshould not be mated until it is oneyear old. The average gestationperiod is 145 ± 3 days. The conditionof the doe during gestation mayinfluence on the quality of kids atbirth. A doe in good condition willproduce strong, lively kids, whereas adoe in poor condition may produceungainly kids, weak in constitution.The doe should be put in the pen afew hours before parturition. Shebecomes fussy about two or threehours before actual kidding. Theudder becomes engorged with milk,the belly appears shrunk and theflanks appear rather hollow. The tailhead is raised higher than usual asthe ligaments of either side relax.There is a thick, white, starchydischarge which soon changes to amore opaque substance.

Healthcare

In Goa, the goats are mainlybrought from Karnataka andMaharashtra for slaughter.Cleanliness and hygienemaintenance helps -to reducediseases to a large extent. Regulardeworming, balanced feeding,

vaccination of commonly prevailingdiseases is a way to maintain healthyherd. Contagious caprinepleuropnuemonia (CCPP), bluetongue and peste des petitsruminants (PPR) are importantinfections of goats. CCPP is severedisease of goats caused byMycoplasma. CCPP gainedprominence as cause of severaldisease conditions in sheep andgoats e.g. polyarthritis, pneumonia,septicemia. PPR is highlycontagious pathogen and belongs toMorbillivirus genus of the familyParamyxoviridae. PPR is an acutefebrile viral disease of goatscharacterized by mucopurulantnasal and ocular discharge,necrotizing and erosive stomatitis,enteritis and pneumonia. Thedisease is endemic in India andcause large economic losses eachyear due to high mortality andmorbidity in infected goats. Foot andmouth disease is also common ingoats. Blisters or vesicles form inlips, tongue, teats, or the coronaryband of the hoof which tend tobecome lame and possibly salivateexcessively. Brucellosis caused byBrucella melitensis causes abortionin late pregnancy. Retention ofplacenta and metritis are common. Inmale goat, infertility, orchitis andswollen joints are seen. Goatsshould be tested for brucellosis and

isolated or culled if found positive.Cases of contagious ecthyma havebeen observed in goats in Goa. Itdevelops pustular and scabby lesionson the muzzle and lips. To check thespread of contagious ecthyma,infected goat kids should be isolated.The lesions should be treated withantiseptic drugs. In generalized orsystemic infection antibiotic shouldbe given to prevent secondarybacterial complicationBronchopneumonia andgastroenteritis have been observedin goat kids.

In a study conducted at ICARcomplex for Goa samples fromdifferent herds from Goa were tested.Out of 140 sera tested from goats, 37(26.43%) and 4 (2.86%) were positivefor CCPP and PPR, respectively. Outof 131 sera tested for blue tongue 76(58.01 %) were seropositive. Goatsshould be vaccinated againstcontagious caprine pleuropneumoniaand enterotoxaemia.

Economics

It is hardy, prolific and mosteconomical among all milk producingfarm animals. The economic value ofgoats can also be realized from thecontinuously increasing trend in theirpopulation during last 40 years, in

spite of more than 1/3'd populationbeing slaughtered for meat and skinevery year.

Number of units are declining inGoadueto:

1.Restrictions on grazing(urbanisation, intensive cultivation,mining and industrial activities).

2. Non availability of monetary help isa constraint since majority of the goatfarmers are landless poor.

3. Communication and approachroads are yet another constraint.Most of the units are located inremote areas.

4. In none of the units supplementaryfeeding of concentrates is practiced.Training on alternate methods ofrearing goats to improve the growthrate and to adopt disease controlmeasures is essential.

5. a) 80% of the farmers stay astenants.

b) Some are nomads in forestland

c) Some as tenants in privateland orTemple land.

d) Goats are reared by aparticular community

Model Project under Semi intensive goat rearing (40 adults and kids)Expenditure(A) Non Recurring Expenditure:i. Purchase of animals 38 F + 2 M (Rs1000/animal)ii. Cost of Goat shed construction

40 s.mt@ RS.1000/m2.)SubTotal

(B) Recurring Expenditure:Istyear:(a)Feeding i.Adult (40 No.)(40xO.25 x365xRs.6)ii.36 kids(180 xO.15kg x36 x Rs.6)(b) Miscel.ExpenditureSubTotalTotal ExpenditureII. REVENUE:I styearSale of young animals 32 x 1400Sale of manure 13.14 mtTotal receipt(Total loan RS.1,03,332- RepaymentBalance of loan at the end of1st year Rs. 88,136)

2 ndyeari) Recurring Expenditureii) Receipt:Sale of young animals 62 x 1200Sale of manure 19.45 mt (Rs.1400 /Mt)Total receipt(Rs.1 01 630- 39932 = 61698)Loan 88,136- Repayment 13,698 = Balloan 74438)Net income /annum

III. Repayment of loan

Rs.32,000Rs.40,000

RS.5832Rs. 3600

Rs. 31 ,332Rs. 1,03,332

Rs.44,800RS.18396RS.63196

15196

RS.74400Rs.27,230

RS.101 630

Endof1 styear1 03332-15196= 88136End of 2 nd year 88, 136- 13,698 =74438End of 3 rd year 74438 - 13698 =60740End of 4 th year 60740 -13698 =47042End of 5 th year 47042 -13698 = 33344End of 6 th year 33344- 13698 = 19646End of 7 th year 19646-13698 = 5948End of 8 th year 5948 + intr

Important points1. Goat rearing can be considered as a potential component for livelihood of

landless poor and marginal farmers as well as under watershedmanagement for increasing the productivity.

2. An area of 3 square meters for buck and 2 square meters for the Doe willbe sufficient. Thatched house with elevated floor, 1.5 meter above groundlevel is ideal to keep the pen dry and airy.

3. Any nonpoisonous weed even thorny bushes are relished by goat.4. A concentrate feed mixture containing 45% maize, 35% wheat bran, 17%

oil cake, 2% mineral mixture and 1% salt can be given at the rate of 300gm per day per animal in addition to partial grazing on top feed and shrubs.

5. The urine and waste materials will be an added benefit for crop cultivationthrough soil enrichment