Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145 Uttaranchal.
Chaugarkha goats are small in size and reared for meat purpose. The coat colour of this breed is observed as black, fawn and white. The average herd size of Chaugarkha goats ranged from 5 to 30 goats. The ear length, face length, height at withers, body length, tail length, heart girth, post girth and horn length of Chaugarkha goats at full mouth age were 13.73±0.10 cm, 14.56±0.10 cm, 53.97±0.35 cm, 54.71±0.48 cm, 11.34±0.10 cm, 60.76±0.47 cm, 66.82±0.60 cm, and 6.80±0.22 cm, respectively in females and 13.55±0.17 cm, 14.53±0.24 cm, 54.60±0.68 cm, 54.67±0.87 cm, 11.88±0.28 cm, 59.57±0.87 cm, 63.33±0.86 cm and 8.97±0.44 cm, respectively in males. The body weight of Chaugarkha goats at full mouth age was 18.18 kg and 17.61 kg in males and females, respectively. They kid once a year with one or two kids. Meat of this breed is course and devoid of fat. Breed is widely used for sacrificial purpose. The udder is small with wellset small pointed teats. The she goats do not yield any appreciable quantity of milk except for nourishing the kids. Chaugarkha goats rearing in Central Himalayan ecosystem is an unorganized, semi-feral system of husbandry, well adapted to the semi temperate biometerological conditions. The goats are housed during the night with the animals. Farmers kept breeding bucks when available, in the herd at all time and exercised no controlled mating.
Central Himalayan, Chaugarkha, Goat, Semi-temperate
