Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh - 517502. E-mail address: sreedhar_svvu@yahoo.co.in.
Mortality pattern of kids was studied among 500 kids maintained by farmers under field conditions. Highest mortality (23.45%) was observed in the kids of 0–3 months of age group and thereafter showed declining trend with the advancement of age. The mortality decreased with the increase in birth weight of kids. Maximum mortality was observed during winter season (19.19%) compared to rainy (13.19%) and summer (9.17%) seasons. Effect of litter size on kid mortality was significant being lowest in single and highest in triplets. Sex of the kid had also significant effect on kid mortality. Among the diseases, the major causes of mortality were pneumonia, enteritis and goat pox, which together accounted for more than 50% of the death.
Birth weight, Diseases, Goats, Kids, Litter size, Mortality, Season
