5 Best Goat Breeds in Bhutan For Farming

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Bhutan, the name comes with happiness, is traditionally rich in livestock farming. Along with cow farming the Bhutanese practice fish farming using modern aquaculture knowledge such as biofloc farming method. To use a huge natural greenfield or pasture people here mainly continue their farm in open space or open farming method. They usually send their cow, goat, pig, and sheep to the forest or natural grassland to feed them. Though the list of indigenous goat breeds in Bhutan is so long, here we will discuss the best goat breeds in Bhutan for farming commercially.

Goats, in Bhutan, are sent within the forest to graze free traditionally as they believe happiness is all. This sort of management control is bounded due to the environmental degradation by their grazing habits and freedom in life. Commercial goat husbandry can play a significant role in addressing this issue by enhancing rural income generation mainly by producing and marketing niche domestic chevon as well.

It provided economical security to farmers because it is often sold as and when there’s an urgent need for cash. Because of the high demand both for meat also as dress goats, some farmers believe that keeping goats is nearly as good as having taken advantage of hand. Farmers used income from goats for the schooling of youngsters, overcome food shortages, pay taxes, and repair houses helping them to alleviate poverty and improve the standard of life. It’s not scientifically proven to local people believe that chevon has the medicinal property to cure sub-tropical diseases including malaria.

Best Goat Breeds in Bhutan

Though there is a number of goat breeds have been raring in Bhutan, the list of the breeds is not so long. We here divide two types of breeds, the first one is indigenous goat breeds, and the second one is exotic breeds.

Best Goat Breeds in Bhutan
Goat Breeds in Bhutan

1 Black Bengal (Indigenous Breed)

Bhutanese goat types are almost like the bezoar type goat with a medium-sized body and straight or concave facial profile. But they’re genetically suffering from Indian breeds in southern areas or Tibetan goats from the north. It is one of the best goat breeds in Bhutan. Regardless of sexes, the coat color is usually black with less white and brown with typical black dorsal lines. The horns are mostly twisted and face bearded.

Black Bengal Goat Breed
Black Bengal Goat Breed

They need dropping ears and only fewer animals possess horizontal ears. An adult male weighs 25-30 kg the female 20-25 kg, but poor in milk production. Black Bengal Goat gains sexual maturity in no time. Females become pregnant twice a year and birth to 3-4 kids with common twin kidding twice a year. It’s documented for excellent chevon and superior skin quality.

2 Jamunapari (Exotic Breed)

Jamunapari, a breed of goat, originated from the Indian subcontinent. It is sometimes considered a Bangladeshi goat breed, though it is also found in Pakistan and Nepal. It is one of the dual-purpose breeds, that means we can farm it for both milk and meat purpose commercially. There’s an outsized variation in color but the standard Jamunapari is white with patches of tan on the neck and head.

Jamunapari Goat Breed
Jamunapari Goat Breed

Their heads tend to possess a highly convex nose, which provides them a parrot-like appearance. They need long flat drooping ears which are around 25 cm long. Both sexes have horns. Its udder is round-shaped. They even have unusually long legs. The Jamunapari male can weigh up to 45-50 kg, while females can reach around 35-40 kg. Milk yields 1.4-2 lit/day, length of lactation 160-210 days, and kidding rate 1.4 kids /litter.

3 Sirohi (Exotic Breed)

This goat breed originates from the Indian state of Rajasthan which is famous for goat farming. Sirohi goat breed is reared mainly for meat, though milk is also produced from this goat breed, it is a smaller amount than a liter per day. It is completely a compact medium-sized animal. The skin color predominantly brown with light or dark brown patches’ a really few individuals are completely white.

The body is roofed fairly densely with hair that is brief and coarse. Ears are flat and leaf-like, medium-sized, and droopy. Both the males and the females have small horns, curved upward and backward. The breed is compatible with stall feeding. Kidding is 40% single and 60% twin, with two kidding a year and first kidding in 19-20 months. Milk yield: 0.75-1kg/day. Live weight for doe 23-25 kgs and buck 50-52 kgs.

4 Boer (Exotic Breed)

The Boar goat of South Africa may be a meat-type goat with good conformation, a high rate of growth, and fertility. It has short white hair and red marking on the top and neck. Boers are well-known goat breeds for milk production. Live weight of doe 80-100 kg, bucks 90-140 kg, and litter size 1.5.  The mature Buck weighs 110-135 kg and does 90-100 kg. Average daily gains over 200g/day within the feedlot. A kidding rate of 200% is common. Reach early puberty, usually about 6 months for the males and 10-12 months for the females. Boer goat also has an extended breeding season making possible 3 kids every 2 years.

Boar Goat Breed
Boar Goat Breed

5 Beetal (Exotic Breed)

The breed originates from the Gurdaspur and Amritsar district of Punjab, India. It’s a dual-purpose breed. The breed is large and good dairy type. It is one of the best goat breeds in Bhutan. Coat color is variable, predominantly black (about 90%) or brown (10%) having spots of various sizes. The ears are long, flat, along with curled and droopy.

Both the males and the females have thick, medium-sized horns, caring horizontally with a small twist directed backward and upward. They need a Roman nose. Male possesses marked beard and females are beardless. The tail is little and thin. The udder is comparatively large and has well-developed having big conical teats. Bodyweight of doe 45-55 kg and buck 70-80 kg. Milk yields 1.4-2.5 lit/day, length of lactation 170-210 days, and kidding rate 1.4 kids/litter.


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