Osmanabadi goat breed information

The Osmanabadi goat breed is known for its early maturity, prolificacy, and good dressing percentage.

The breed is a native of Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, India, and reared mainly for its meat and very rarely for its milk.

The breed is well suited to arid and semi-arid regions. Good meat production, higher kidding percentage of twins and triplets, and early maturing are Osmanabadi goats known for.

For all types of rearing systems, the breed is well suited. The most ideal being the semi-intensive system (grazing and closed enclosure) where higher production has been observed compared to extensive (grazing system) and intensive systems (zero-grazing system).

Osmanabadi goat breed characteristics

Both male and female Osmanabadi goats are medium-sized with a long body and legs.
They are mostly black in color with small straight/curved horns (about 13 cm) turned backward, upward and downwards.
Their drooping ears which are about 20 cm in size may be either black or with white spots. The white coloration may also be found on the neck and forehead.
Based on the horns and body color, they are categorized into five types:

• Black body with horns

• Black body with white ears and horns

• Black body and polled

• Black body, white ears and polled

• Brown and white patches from face to the lower side of the body.

Osmanabadi goat breed information

• Age at first kidding (Avg. Months) 12-14

• The gestation period (Days) 145-152

• Twinning (%) 70-80

• Triplets (%) 20-30

• Parturition Interval (Months) 7.1

• Birth weight of kids (kg) 1.8-2.5

• Milk yield per lactation (kg) 150-160

• Milk fat (%) 8.34

• Litter size at birth 1.6

• Dressing (%) 50-60

Osmanabadi breeding tract

The Osmanabadi goat’s breeding tract extends to Latur, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Parbhani, and other neighboring districts of Maharashtra. They are also found in the north-eastern districts of Karnataka state.
High kidding percentage, disease resistance, quick growth, and suitability to all types of rearing systems are what make the Osmanabadi breed of goat ideal for rearing by smallholder farmers.