Human civilizational history extensively describes the domestication of animals. We have thrived from the domestication of cattle, poultry, goats, sheep, and other animals. This association between man and animal continues even today, and man has learned to benefit profusely from these animals.
Goat rearing has been one of the oldest professions along with agriculture and cattle rearing. The goat breeds in India have provided milk, meat, skin, and fur to us.
Goat breeds -classification
Goat breeds in India can be classified mainly based on their utility or the products they provide.
A basic classification along with examples of breeds is given below.
| Use | Examples of breeds |
| Meat | Bengal, Kodiadu, Kanniadu |
| Milk | Barbari |
| Meat and Milk | Beetal, Jammunapari, Tellicherry |
| Fur | Pashmina (Changthangi), Cashmere |
| Meat and Skin | Black Bengal, Kanni adu |
| Meat, Skin, and Milk | Barvari, Malabari (Tellicherry), Sirohi, Surti |
| Meat, Hair, and Skin | Gaddi, Kutchi, Marwari |
| Exotic | Toggenberg, Alpine, Sannen, Anglo Nubian, Boer, Angora |
The table shown above classifies goat breeds in India according to their uses. Now let us study some of the above breeds in detail.
Goat breeds in India
There are Total 37 registered goat breed in India. The most important goat breeds in India are:
1. Jamunapari
Also known as Totapari, Jamunapari is the largest goat breed in India. The breed’s home tract is the Etawah district and tract between the Jamuna and Jambal rivers in UP.
The body is white or yellowish tan with light brown spots on the neck and face. These are large animals with long, tall, and pendulous ears. The typical character of the breed is the presence of a convex nose line called the ‘Roman nose’. This majestic breed weighs 60-85 kilograms in the case of Bucks (males) and 45-60 kg in the case of Does (females).
The Jamunapari is used extensively for cross-breeding programs to upgrade other indigenous breeds by producing the best cross-breed goats in India. Jamnapari is the best goat breed in India.
The milk yield is 2.25 to 2.75 kg per day.
2. Barbari
It is a dairy-type breed that originated in British Somali land and UP. The Barbari is the smallest goat breed in India.
These goats vary greatly in color, white with red and tan spots being common. The horns are twisted. The bucks weigh 35 to 45 kgs and the Does weigh 25 to 35 kgs.
It is used for goat breeding programs to produce the best cross-breed goats in India. They are also very good milk yielders.
The average milk yield is 1.5 kg per day.
3. Beetal
One of the best dairy goat breeds in India, the Beetal breed is found in Punjab and Haryana. Although smaller in size, the breed is adapted to different agro-climates in India. Beetal is the most expensive goat breed in India.
This breed evolved from the Jamunapari breed, so the physical traits are almost similar to it except for the size. The Beetal breed is smaller in size. The color of the animal is red and tan, heavily spotted on white. The bucks weigh 50 to 70 kgs and the Does weigh 40 to 50 kgs.
The age at first calving is 20 – 22 months and the average birth weight is 3 kgs. The average milk yield is 1 to 2 kg milk per day.
4. Malabari
Also known as Tellichery, is a native of Kerala and is commonly seen in Kozhikkode, Kannur, and Malappuram districts. Malabari is one of the best goat breed in India.
The animals have no uniform color, and the color of the coat varies from white to black. The goats are long-haired. The adult males weigh 50 to 60 kgs while females weigh 30 to 40 kgs. The breed is mainly used for meat purposes and their skin is popular in the tanning industry.
They have good reproductive capabilities and can produce 2 to 3 kids in parturition. The Malabri goat can yield 1 to 2 kg of milk per day.
5. Osmanabadi
It is a dual-purpose goat breed that originated in the Osmanabadi district of Maharashtra.
The coat color is black but white and brown colored goats are also found. The average birth weight is 2.5 kg. 90% of the males are horned, and the females may be horned or polled.
The age at first kidding is 18-20 months. The maximum milk yield is 3.5 kg per day for good-quality goats.
6. Black Bengal
The breed is found in the eastern region of India. Black Bengal has short legs and a compact body. The coat’s color is black. Black Bengal is the most prolific goat breed in India.
The average weight of bucks is 15 kg and the doe is 12 kg. Multiple births are common for this breed- 2, 3, or 4 kids are born at a time. The age at first kidding is 8-10 months. The average lactation yield is 53 kg per lactation period of 90 to 120 days.
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7. Sirohi
This Indian domestic goat breed originated in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. It is a medium to large-sized goat breed which is reared for both meat and milk. Sirohi is one of the best goat breeds for meat in India. The breed is well-adapted to the dry tropical desert climate of Rajasthan and adjoining areas.
The coat color is brown and brown with light to dark brown patches (spotted brown). The body is cylindrically shaped and hence is a better meat producer. Sirohi has flat, leaf-like ears. The bucks weigh 50 kg on an average and the does weigh 23 kg.
The age at first kidding is 19 months. The does produce only 1 (90%) or 2 kids on kidding. The lactation period extends for 90 days with the animals producing 0.75 to 1 kg milk per day.
8. Jhakhrana
The Jakhrana (Jakharana) is a dairy goat breed in India that is found in the Jakharana village of Rajasthan. They look similar to Beetal goats, however the Jakharana is longer.
The body is predominantly black colored and possess short and lustrous hair on their coats. Jharkhrana breed has short, stumpy, and upward-directed horns. The average weight of the bucks is 55 kg and the does is 45 kg.
Kidding is single in 60% of cases and twins are produced in 40% of cases. The age at first kidding is 565 days. The lactation period is 180-200 days. The udder is large-sized with large conical teats. The average daily milk production for the Jakhrana breed is 2-3 kg.
9. Surti
The breed ranks in the top 5 best goat breed for milk in India. It originated in the Surat district of Gujarat hence the name ‘Surti’. The population of the breed is low and is an endangered goat breed in India.
The breed is medium-sized with a white coat color. Surti have prominent foreheads with drooping ears. The horns are medium-sized, directed upwards and backward. The udder is well-developed with large conical teats. The males weigh 30 kg on average whereas the females weigh 32 kg.
Surti goats are prolific breeders with the females giving birth to twins and triplets. The age at first kidding is 400 to 500 days. The breed is an excellent milk producer yielding 2 to 2.5 kg per day.
10. Mehsana
This dual-purpose goat breed originated in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. It is good for hair production.
They are black with white color at the base of the ears and have long and shaggy coat hairs. Leaf-like and dropping ears. The horns curve upward, are twisted, and have pointy ends. The tail is short and remains upwards. They have well-developed udder with large and conical teats. The males and females weigh 37 and 32 kg respectively.
The age at first kidding is 600 – 650 days with single kidding being common (80-85%). The breed produces 1 to 2 kg of milk per day.
11. Chegu
The breed, also known as the Pashmina goat originated in the northern and western zones of the Tibetan plateau.
The chegu goats are mainly white colored, but grey to black and cream to red-brown variations are also present. Small to medium-sized animals with a convex face. Ears are straight and short. The horns are curved and twisting. The male weighs 39 kg on average and the female weighs 26 kg.
The most important use of this breed is in the production of the infamous Pashmina shawl revered worldwide for its craftsmanship and quality. The lactation yield is 69 kg per lactation period of 187 days.
12. Kutchi goat
The breed possesses a black colored coat with few white spots. The males have long and strong horns whereas the females have flat and weak horns. Udder is well-developed with long and conical teats. The males weigh 45 to 50 kg and the females weigh 40 kg.
The average lactation period of the breed is 6 to 8 months. The females can produce 2 kg of milk per day. Kutchi goats are also for meat production and hair production. They can produce 200 g of hair per year.
13. Attapady black
Attapady black goats are medium-sized, lean, and long-legged animals. Their coat is black with some animals having white spots on the forehead. The horns are curved with backward-oriented tips. The average weight of males is 34 kg and that of females is 31 kg.
The average birth weight of the breed is 1.7 kg. The animals are poor milk yielders and have bowl-shaped udders with funnel shapes and pointed teats.
14. Kanni aadu
It originated in the Tirunelveli and Ramanadapuram districts of Tamil Nadu. Kanni aadu is well adapted to drought regions.
The body is black with the presence of black or white spots. Best for meat production. The bucks weigh 35 to 40 kg and the does weigh 25 to 30 kg.
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15. Berari
An important Indian goat breed originated in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The goats are found in Nagpur, Akola, Wardha districts of Maharashtra and Nimar district of Madhya Pradesh.
The coat color is black with light black variations also present. The horns are straight, extending upwards and curling backward. They have a convex forehead and pendulous, flat, and leafy ears. Good breeding efficiency with 57% twinning and 2% triplets and quartets.
The average daily milk yield is 530 g per day. The total lactation yield is 78 kg in 130 days. The age at first kidding is 10 to 11 months.
Exotic Goat Breeds
Till now we have looked at the 15 best goat breeds in India. But one thing that we must understand is that there are breeds that originated outside our country that are better in case of some characteristics than Indian breeds. So let us look at some of them.
1. Boer
The Boer goat breed is the best milk-producing breed and is native to South Africa. The ears are long and pendulous. Their most favored characteristic is the high growth rate which makes them apt for meat production. The males weigh 110 to 135 kg and the females weigh 90 to 110 kg. The gestation period is 150 days. Boer is the best goat breed for meat in India.
Boer is the most expensive goat breed in India.
2. Alpine
As is obvious from the name, the Alpine breed originated in the French Alps. the breed is known for its excellent milking ability. They have long horns curved backward and the ears are erect. The does weigh 61 kg and the bucks weigh 77 kg. The coat color is predominantly brown but variations are observed.
The average lactation period is 150 days. The females produce 950 kg of milk per lactation period. The fat content in milk is only 3.4%. Alpine is one of the best goat breed for milk in India.
3. Saanen
It is the largest dairy goat breed in the world that originated from the Saanen Valley of Switzerland. They are fully white-colored goats with short coat hairs. The ears are erect. The legs are short and the udder is huge. The bucks weigh around 70 to 90 kg and the does weigh around 60 to 70 kg.
Saanen is the best goat breed for milk in India. They produce 3.8 liters of milk per day during lactation. The fat percentage in milk is 3.5% and it is creamy and delicious.
4. Toggenberg
It is the oldest known dairy goat breed that originated in the Toggenberg Valley in Switzerland. Toggenbergs are medium-sized animals and their color varies from light fawn to dark brown. They have dished foreheads. The ears are erect and point forward. They have well-developed udder.
They yield about 740 kg of milk per lactation period. The fat content is 3.5%. The milk also has a good protein content of 2.9%.
5. Anglo-Nubian
These strong and beautiful goat breeds originated in Great Britain. The Anglo-Nubian was produced as a result of cross-breeding between British and Indian goat breeds. The coat color varies between white, black, or brown, or maybe a mixture of these colors. The ears are long and pendulous and hang close to the head. The adult males weigh 90 kg and the females about 60 kg.
Anglo-Nubian is the best cross-breed goat in India and is used for both milk and meat purposes. The females produce 2-3 L of milk per day. The milk has a fat content of 4% and is enriched with butter.
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Conclusion
So far in this article, we have looked at 20 of the best goat breeds in India that are of Indian as well as Exotic origin. Some of them are good milk yielders while others are good for meat production. Whatever the use, we must ensure one thing: proper management. The animals should be provided with hygienic housing facilities. Good feed and regular medical attention should also be ensured. If the management is proper, then goat rearing is a venture that can fill your pockets.
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