Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted to demonstrate the performance and morphometric traits of native male and female kids of “Chaugarkha” kept under the traditional system of goat production employing grazing on natural rangelands and supplementation of home produce energy feeds. Sixteen newly born goat kids with an average live weight of 2.50±0.041 kg and 2-5 days of age were divided into two equal groups of eight in each group, male kids are grouped as G1 and female G2, and maintained for 180 days. The kids were allowed to suckle milk from the respective mother goat twice daily up to weaning and offered locally available tree leaves and grass after 15 days of birth to lean the feeding. The kids, after 30 days of age, were allowed grazing for 7 to 8 hrs daily on natural rangelands supplemented with kitchen waste as and when available with local grains approx. 50 to 100g per day. The kids were maintained in groups under the shed and clean drinking water was available ad libitum during housing and grazing. The initial live weights (birth weight) of kids were similar (P<0.05) between the two kid groups, which ranged from 2.50 to 2.56 kg with mean weight of 2.52 kg, whereas live weights at the termination of the experiment were different (P<0.01) between the two kid groups, which varied from 11.79 to 15.98 kg with mean live weight of 13.89 kg. The kids of G1 group were the heaviest than G 2. Live weight gain during the 180 days of the experiment was 13.48 kg in G1 and 9.23 kg in G2, which were significantly (P<0.001) different between the two kid groups. The phenotypic traits viz., height at wither, body length, punch girth, face length, tail and horn length were significantly (P<0.005) different between the two kid groups, which were higher in G1 kids. Similarly, the kids of the G1 groups had a higher gain of height at wither, body length, punch girth, face length, tail and horn length on a monthly basis. At the age of 180 days, the mean kids’ height at wither was 51.1 cm, body length 54.06 cm, punch girth 57.16 cm, face length 17.73 cm, tail length 12.14 cm and horn length 4.57 cm. The present study concluded that goat kids raised traditionally employing grazing on natural rangelands with home-available grain supplementsattained appropriate live weight with an average daily gain (ADG) of 60g/ day. The male kids had higher live weights and morphometric trait gains than the female kids. The morphometric traits of the goat kids may be useful for characterising this lesser-known goat breeds of the country.