HIMALAYAN (HILLY TRACT) REGION
This region comprises Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Himalayan breed
The goats of this breed are white-haired and sturdily built. The breed is also known as Chamba, Gaddi and Kashmiri, after the localities where these goats are reared. They inhabit Kangra and Kulu valleys, Chamba, Sirmur and Simla in Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Jammu hills. Castrated bucks are used for transporting merchandise in the hilly tracts.
Pashmina
The goats of this breed are small dainty animals with quick movements. They are raised at elevations above 3,400 m in the Himalayas, Ladakh, and Lahaul and Spiti valleys. They produce the softest and the warmest animal fibre used for high-quality fabrics. The yield of this valuable downy hair varies from 75 to 150 g per goat.
Chegu
This breed is found in the mountainous range of Spiti, Yaksar and Kashmir. The goats of this breed yield pashmina, good meat and a small quantity of milk.
NORTHERN REGION
This region comprises Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh. In this region there are a few important milch breeds.
Jamunapari
This breed is usually found in the Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh and in the tracts lying between the Jamuna and Chambal rivers. The goats of this breed are large-sized, tall and leggy, with a convex face line, large folded pendulous ears and a prominent Roman nose. They carry long and thick hair on their hindquarters and possess a glossy coat. The horns are short and flat. The length and height vary, respectively, from 127 to 137 cm and 91 to 102 cm in the buck, and from 116 to 127 cm and 76 to 86 cm in the doe.
The body weight of adult bucks varies from 65 to 86 kg and 45 to 61 kg respectively. The average daily milk yield is 2-25 to 2-7 kg. The milk yield in a lactation period of 250 days varies from 250 to 300 kg with 3-5 per cent fat content.
The Jamunapari goats have been used for evolving the famous Anglo-Nubian breed of goats in England. According to the British Goat Society Yearbook (1940) the two Jamunapari bucks, viz. ‘Sedgemere Chancellor’ and ‘Bruchest cross’ (the first imported in 1896 and the second in 1904), used for breeding have greatly influenced the building up of the Anglo-Nubian breed.
Beetal
This breed is mainly found in Punjab and has been evolved from Jamunapari breed. The colour of the goats of this breed is red and tan, heavily spotted on white. The length, height and body weight of bucks range, respectively, from 127 to 132 cm, 91 to 99 cm and 65 to 86 kg, and of does from 107 to 122 cm, 76 to 83 cm and 45 to 61 kg. Does yield about 1 kg of milk daily, the maximum yield being 591 kg in a lactation period of 177 days. Bucks generally carry a beard.
Barbari
This breed has its origin from Berboa in Somali Republic in East Africa. The goats are small, short-haired and erect-horned, and are popular in urban areas of Delhi, Aligarh, Etah, Etawah, Agra and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, and in Gurgaon, Karnal, Panipat and Rohtak in Haryana. The colour varies, with white, red and tan spots being common. The length of bucks and does ranges from 96 to 112 cm and 91 to 114 cm, respectively, and the height ranges from 66 to 76 cm and 61 to 71 cm respectively. The adult buck weighs 36 to 45 kg and the doe 27 to 36 kg. They are usually stall-fed and yield 0-90 to 1-25 kg of milk (fat content, 5 per cent) per day in a lactation period of 108 days. They are prolific breeders and usually kid twice in 12 to 15 months. The outstanding quality of this breed is its habit of stall-feeding, which makes it most suitable for cities and towns where grazing facilities are lacking.
CENTRAL REGION
This region comprises Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and northern parts of Maharashtra.
Marwari, Mehsana and Zelwadi: These breeds are derived from Jamunapari breed. They are commonly found in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Different colour combinations are met with in these breeds. They yield 0-75 to 1-0 kg of milk per day.
Berari
This breed is found in Nagpur and Wardha districts of Maharashtra and Nimar district of Madhya Pradesh. The Berari is tall and dark-coloured. The doe yields about 0-6 kg of milk per day.
Kathiawari: This breed is a native of Kutch, northern Gujarat and Rajasthan. The goats have a black coat and reddish mark on the neck. The doe yields about 1-25 kg of milk per day.
SOUTHERN REGION
The Southern region comprises parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This region possesses distinct breeds, viz. Surti, Deccani, Osmanabadi and Malabari.
Surti
This breed is probably derived from the small Arabian milking goats. Surti goats resemble Berari goats in broad details and possess white, short legs. Surti is popular in Bombay, Nasik and Surat, and is known after the locality it inhabits. The does are good milk producers, yielding 2-25 kg per day.
Deccani and Osmanabadi
These have originated from a mixture of goats of the plains. They are black; mixtures of white and black or red are also found. The milk yield is 1-4 to 2-25 kg per day.
Malabari (Tellicherry)
This breed is found in northern Kerala. The goats of this breed seem to possess Surti blood, being a mixture of two or more types of goats. They have no uniform colour. They yield 0-9 to 2-8 kg of milk per day.
EASTERN REGION
This region comprises West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Orissa and part of Bihar. Variations in climate and heavy rainfall are not suitable for rearing high milk-yielding types of goats. The goats in this region manage to thrive on meagre food.
Bengal
The goats of this breed are found in 3 colours, viz. black, brown and white. Their legs are short, the body is deep. The meat is regarded as excellent. Bucks weigh 14 to 16 kg and nannies 9 to 14 kg. Nannies kid twice in a year; twins are common. The skin of the Bengal goat is of superior quality and is in great demand both in India and abroad in foot-wear industry. The milk yield is low.
Assam hilly breed
This breed is similar to the hilly breeds seen in Kangra and Kulu valleys and in the Himalayan ranges of Uttar Pradesh, but has been described as a distinct type.
There are also other varieties of goats, but it is doubtful whether they represent distinct breeds or are mere types. Their names are, therefore, not mentioned here.
On account of the milk-producing qualities, Jamunapari, Beetal and Barbari goats are in great demand. These breeds are maintained on different government farms for providing bucks of approved quality to the rural areas for improving the local varieties or the non-descripts.
Some exotic breeds, known for high genetic potentialities for milk, are being used for evolving new breeds of milch goats, suitable for different climatic conditions and capable of yielding more milk.