Top 10 Goat Breeds in India and Their Characteristics

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Top 10 Goat Breeds in India
  • Black Bengal Goat
  • Marwari Goat
  • Barbari Goat
  • Osmanabadi Goat
  • Jamunapari Goat
  • Sirohi Goat
  • Kanni Adu Goat
  • Beetal Goat
  • Malabari Goat
  • Gaddi Goat

Introduction

Goats are versatile animals reared for milk, hide, leather, and meat (goat meat is also called chevon). They were one of the first animals to be domesticated for their meat and milk. Goats play a significant role in the livelihoods of the poor rural population of India, which is why they have been rightly termed the 'poor man's cow'.

India has the largest goat population in the world. According to the 20th Livestock Census of India (2019), the goat population is 148.88 million, and it forms 27.8% of the total livestock population of the country. If we talk of states with the largest goat population, Rajasthan comes first, followed by West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.

Which are the Top 10 Goat Breeds in India?

In 2022 and 2023, five new goat breeds were registered and with that the total number of registered types of goats stands at 39. The newly registered breeds are Sojat, Karauli and Gujari goat of Rajasthan, Andamani goat of Andamans, and Anjori goat of Chhattisgarh.

Some breeds in India are famous for their meat and skin, such as Black Bengal. Some are known for their milk, such as Sirohi goats, and some are reared for their hair and skin, such as Gaddi goats. Lastly, some goats are reared for all purposes, such as Jamnapari and Beetal goats. Let us see the list of the top 10 goat breeds in the country in terms of their population, as per 19th Livestock Census (2019).

Black Bengal Goat

The Black Bengal goat is native to West Bengal and is also distributed in Odisha and Assam. Its population is the largest in the country, at 276.61 lakhs.

Some of the key characteristic features are:

• They are the most prolific goat breeds among all the breeds found in India.
• They are small, have a straight back, have short legs, and have beards.
• The average body weight of males and females is 32 kg and 20 kg, respectively.
• They generally are black but are occasionally grey, white, and brown.
• Their skins are widely preferred for making high-quality shoes.

Marwari Goat

The Marwari goat breed is found in the Marwar region of Rajasthan, comprising the Pali, Jodhpur, Jalor, Bikaner, Barmer, and Jaisalmer districts. Its population is 50.41 lakhs, making it the second-most populous goat breed in the country.

Some of the key characteristics are:

• They are demanded for their meat, hardiness, and disease resistance.
• They have long, coarse hair and are predominantly black.
• They have medium-sized bodies with flat and drooping ears.
• Their horns are short and pointed upwards and backwards.
• The average body weight of a male goat is 33 kg, and of a female goat is 26 kg,
• The average daily milk yield is 0.53 kg, which is very low.

Barbari Goat

These goat breeds are found in the urban areas of Gurgaon, Karnal, Rohtak, and Panipat in Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. They are the best meat giving goat breeds in India. With a population of 47.59 lakhs, they are the third-most populous goat breed in the country.

Some of the key characteristics of the Barbari goats are:

• The coat colour of Barabari goats is white with light brown patches.
• They are known for their reproductive capabilities and are prolific breeders.
• They are reared for the dual purpose of meat and milk.
• They have short hair and erected horns.
• The average weight of a male goat is 37 kg, and that of the female is 20 kg.
• The average daily milk yield of these breeds is about 1 kg.

Osmanabadi Goat

Osmanabadi goats are largely found in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra. Their population of 35.97 lakhs is spread over Latur, Udgir and Tuljapur taluka of the district. They are the fourth-most populous goat breed in India.

The key characteristic features are:

• Their body size is large and have variety in colour but mostly are black (73%).
• 90% of the Osmanabadi male breeds are home, whereas female breed many be poled or homed.
• The breed is a dual-purpose one, that is, reared for meat and milk.
• The average daily yield for a lactation period of about four months is 0-5 – 1.5 kg.

Jamunapari Goat (Jamunipari Goat)

Jamunapari Goats are native to Uttar Pradesh and are also found in some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. They are the largest and most elegant goat breed in India, known for their long legs. Their population is 25.55 lakh, making them the fifth most populous goat breed in the country.

Some of the characteristics of the Jamunapari goat are:

• They are often referred to as the 'Queen of Goat Breeds.'
• These breeds have beards and tufts of hair on their Roman-type nose.
• They have large ears which are drooping downwards.
• Their horns are flat and short and horizontally twisting backwards.
• Their coat colour is white with black markings on the neck and ears.
• Male and female Jamunapari goat's average weight is 45 kg and 38 kg, respectively.
• The average milk yield of these goats is between 2 kg and 2.5 kg per day.

Sirohi Goat

Sirohi goats are primarily found in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. They are also found in Gujarat. Their population is 19.52 lakhs, making it the country's sixth most populous goat breed.

Some of the key characteristics are:

• Sirohi goats are medium-sized animals with a compact and well-built body.
• They have short and coarse hair, and their coat colour is generally brown and white.
• They have small and pointed horns that are curved backwards and upward.
• The average body weight of male and female Sirohi goat is 50 kg and 21 kg, respectively.
• The average daily milk yield of the Sirohi goat is very low at 0.41 kg.

Kanni Adu Goat

One of the tallest goat breeds in the country are native to Ramanadhpuram and Thiruneveli districts of Tamil Nadu. They are reared for meat only. Their total count stands at 14.45 lakhs making them the seventh largest breed population wise in the country.

The characteristic features of the Kanni Addu goat breed are:

• They are the tallest goat breed in the state.
• The characteristic colour of the breed is black or white spots on black body background.
• The weight of the adult male breed is 35 – 40 kg and that of female breed is 25 – 30 kg.
• They can give birth to 2 – 3 kids at a time and grow well in the draught areas.

Beetal Goat

Beetal goats are primarily found in the Punjab region and some parts of Haryana and Delhi. With a population of 12.34 lakh, they are the eighth most populous goat breed in the country.

Some of their key characteristic features are:

• They are one of the largest goats but are usually smaller than Jamunpari goats.
• They are predominantly brown or black with white spots.
• Male goats have beards, but females do not possess them.
• The average body weight of an adult male goat is 59 kg, and that of the female goat is 35 kg.
• The average milk yield per day is more than 1 kg.

Malabari Goat

Also known as Telicherry, this goat breed is native to the Calicut, Malappuram and Cannanore districts of Kerala. They are dual-purpose breed reared for meat and milk. With a population of 11.04 lakhs, they are the ninth largest goat breed in terms of population.

Some of the characteristic features of the breed are:

• Medium in size, these breeds have no uniformity in colour and varies from complete black to white.
• 30% of these breeds are long haired and all males & few females are bearded.
• Their nose is flat & occasionally Roman, and ears are medium in size directed outward & downward.
• Their skin is highly useful in tanning industry and are reared mainly for meat.
• The average milk yield of Malabari breed is 100-190 kg per lactation period.

Gaddi Goat

Deriving its name from nomadic tribe Gaddi of Himachal Pradesh, these breeds are reared for their hair (pashmina) and meat. With a population of 7.38 lakhs they are 10^th most populous goat breed in the country.

Some of the characteristic features are:

• The breed is well built and medium sized with long hair.
• They are mostly while but also are brown, black, or tanned.
• Their ears are medium sized have drooping and horns are long spiralled upwards & backwards.
• The skin of Gaddi breed is very tough and is covered with coarse long hair of 18 – 25 cm.

In addition to the above list of the top 10 goat breeds, the other goat breeds found in the country are the Jhakrana goat of Rajasthan (highest average daily milk yield), the Surti goat and Kutchi goat of Gujarat, and the Ganjam goat of Odisha.