Osmanabadi Goat Breed Status Paper

Chanda Nimbkar
PI, Osmanabadi Field Unit, ICAR-AICRP Goat Improvement
Introduction
Osmanabadi is one of the most numerous breeds among the recognized goat breeds in
Maharashtra State and in India. However, many people who rear these tall, prolific black
coloured goats have no idea of the name ‘Osmanabadi’. They call them ‘deshi’. The earliest
reference to the Osmanabadi is said to be in the book by Kaura (1952) who said that it was
also known as the Deccani goat. These goats were supposed to have originated from a
mixture of the goats of the plains.
Distribution
Acharya (1972), mentions only Latur, Tuljapur and Udgir taluks of Osmanabad district of
Maharashtra under ‘distribution’ of Osmanabadi goats. The survey of Osmanabadi goats
under the Network Project (Koratkar, 1999), however, considered Ahmednagar, Osmanabad
and Solapur districts of Maharashtra (an area of about 14.2 lakh ha.) as the breeding or home
tract of Osmanabadi goat. Osmanabadi goats are practically found in many more districts of
Central and Western Maharashtra. Koratkar (1995) and Kumar (2007) have stated that the
Osmanabadi breed has spread to other States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh.
Population and trends over time
According to the Breed Survey done under the 19th Livestock Census (DADF, 2013), there
are 23 indigenous goat breeds recognised by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic
Resources (NBAGR). Out of 135.04 million indigenous goats in the country, only 27%
belong to these recognised pure breeds, 12% have more than 50% phenotypic similarity to
recognised breeds and are called ‘graded’ while the majority or about 61% of the goats in the
country are non-descript or so-called ‘deshi’. Osmanabadi goat breed population is 2.27%
of the total number of goats in the country. 24.4% of the total adult female goats in
Maharashtra are Osmanabadi (DADF, 2013). Osmanabadi is one of the 16 breeds in the
country with more than 60% purebred animals, indicating the preference of the rearers for
animals having typical breed characteristics. In 2012, the number of pure Osmanabadi
goats (including all ages and sexes) in the country was estimated to be nearly 25 lakh
with another 5.8 lakh graded Osmanabadi or Osmanabadi-type animals (DADF, 2013).
Only three breeds have larger populations than the Osmanabadi; these are the Black Bengal,
Marwari and Barbari. Jamnapari and Sirohi populations are similar to Osmanabadi but
purebred Osmanabadi goats are larger in number than purebred goats of each of these two
breeds.
Table 1: Numbers (in lakhs) of pure Osmanabadi goats in different States (DADF, 2007
and 2013)
Total pure Osmanabadi goats
State / Country 2007* 2012
Total goats Males Females Total goats
Maharashtra 12.8 4.4 15.4 19.8
Karnataka 2.1 0.5 2.0 2.5
Andhra Pradesh 0.6 0.5 2.0 2.5
India 15.5 5.4 19.4 24.8
*Sex and age wise numbers of different goat breeds are not available for 2007.
The total number of goats in India has declined slightly by about 4% from 140.5 million in
2007 to 135.04 million in 2012. The number of Osmanabadi goats in India, however, appears
to have increased by about 60% from 15.5 lakh to 24.8 lakh over these five years. Therefore
the breed does not appear to be at risk. However, there seems to be an alarming 25% decline
in the total number of goats in Maharashtra from 103.9 lakh in 2007 to 78.1 lakh in 2012. The
number of Osmanabadi goats in Maharashtra, however, increased almost 54% from 12.8 lakh
in 2007 to 19.8 lakh in 2012 (i.e. 10.8% per year on average).
Climate: In the breeding tract of the Osmanabadi breed, the highest temperature is recorded
in April and May and the lowest in December and January. The highest temperature is 45 0C
while the mean maximum temperature is about 390C. The lowest temperature recorded is
10.80C while the mean minimum temperature is about 150C. The lowest humidity of 39% was
recorded in March while the highest 74% was recorded in August. The rainfall is low and
erratic. The average annual rainfall is 500 mm but it can range from about 250 mm to 900
mm per year. The rain falls mainly between June and October. The highest average rainfall
was recorded in September, indicating that this area receives heavier rain from the north-east
or return monsoon. The area experiences severe droughts at least twice in every five years.
The drought of 1972 was so far considered to be the worst drought but the current drought of
2015-16 is even worse.
Breed characteristics:
Colour: The common coat colour of Osmanabadi goats is black. The following are also
common colour variants of Osmanabadi goats.
1)Black with white spots on ears (‘morkani’),
2)Black with white patches on the body such as under the stomach or on the tail or on the
forehead
There is a strain called ‘Neknuri’ among Osmanabadi goats, which is found in taluka of
district. Neknuri Osmanabadi have long, drooping ears and are faster growing and bigger in
size than the ordinary Osmanabadi goats.
More than 90% females have horns. Polled bucks are also found occasionally.
Size: The weight of adult Osmanabadi bucks reared at the farm of Nimbkar Agricultural
Research Institute is 45 to 50 kg. These bucks, however, keep growing in size as they grow
older and 4-5 year old bucks may weight 54 to 56 kg. Adult bucks of the Neknuri strain of
Osmanabadi purchased from the field at a young age and reared at NARI weigh around 60
kg.
The adult weight of Osmanabadi females is 35±5 kg.
Measurements:
Table: Least squares means of body measurements (cm) of Osmanabadi kids at birth
and six months (No. of records at birth: 3000, at six months: 500)
Factor Measurement at
Sex Birth 6 months
LSM±S.E. LSM±S.E.
Males Body 26.8±0.1 51.0±0.7
Length
Body 31.1±0.2 59.3±0.7
Height
Heart Girth 31.1±0.2 56.7±0.8
Females Body 26.4±0.1 48.5±0.7
Length
Body 30.5±0.2 55.8±0.7
Height
Heart Girth 30.5±0.2 55.0±0.7
Flock structure:
There are few large flocks of more than 20 adult does. Less than 5% flocks have 11-20 does.
Around 20% of the flocks have 6-10 does while 30 to 35% flocks have either 2-5 does or
only one adult doe. The flocks larger than 10 does, keep a breeding buck in the flock. Almost
half the male kids and 25% of the female kids in the 3-6 months age group are sold. Out of
the remaining, more than 70% male kids and 40% female kids are sold in the 6-12 months
age group.
Reproduction:
The average litter size of Osmanabadi goats is found to be 1.7. There are around 40% single
births, 50% twins and 10% triplets and quadruplets. In exceptional cases, quintuplets have
also been found. The age at first mating is 353±8 days. Age at first kidding is 506±18 days.
The weight at first kidding is about 24 kg. The average kidding interval is about 297±35 days,
indicating 1.2 kiddings per doe per year.
Mortality:
Generally, there is comparatively high (20 to 25%) mortality among kids while about 10%
among adults. With regular vaccination, deworming and spraying against ecto-parasites as
well as improvements in nutrition and management, mortality can be brought down to about
5-6% in kids and less than 4% in adults.
Breed improvement efforts:
The State Government’s breeding policy advocates pure breeding for recognized breeds.
There are no systematic breeding programmes going on for the Osmanabadi breed.
Osmanabadi farms are maintained by the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Maharashtra Sheep and
Goat Development Corporation at several places, Mahatma Phule Agricultural University at
Rahuri and several private entrepreneurs. But the only organized effort going on for genetic
improvement is that under the ICAR-AICRP Goat Improvement at the Nimbkar Agricultural
Research Institute (NARI), Phaltan. Fast growing male kids of does giving high milk yield
(150-200 litres in 100 days) are selected and purchased. Outstanding Osmanabadi bucks are
also purchased from the well-known breeding tracts and these are brought to NARI’s farm
and their semen is frozen. About 9,575 straws (0.25 ml French mini straws) of frozen semen
of 30 Osmanabadi bucks have been produced so far in NARI’s Frozen Semen Laboratory.
During 2015-16, 1489 Osmanabadi buck straws were supplied to A.I. technicians and farmers
for breeding Osmanabadi goats. Conception rates of 50 to 55% have been reported by field
technicians. Five hundred Osmanabadi semen straws have been deposited at the semen bank
at the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana. Five thousand straws
have also been supplied to the Government of Maharashtra, Animal Husbandry Department.
Innovative ideas: There needs to be large-scale screening of Osmanabadi goats in all the
districts in the breeding tract to identify superior animals. Superior males need to be
purchased and brought to a central place and their semen is to be frozen. Frozen semen needs
to be distributed on a wider scale. Buck breeding farms also need to be established from
where goat keepers can avail of superior animals.
References
Acharya, R.M. (1982) Sheep and goat breeds of India. FAO, Rome.
Koratkar, D.P. 1999. Network project on survey of Osmanabadi goats. Final Report.
Department of Animal Science and Dairy Science, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth.
Rahuri, Maharashtra. p. 94.
Kumar, S. 2007. Commercial goat farming in India: An emerging agri-business opportunity.
Agricultural Economics Research Review. Vol. 20. (Conf. Issue). pp. 503-520.
DADF. 2007. 18th Livestock Census 2007. All India Report based on Quick Tabulation Plan
– Village level Totals. (Provisional). Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture,
Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, New Delhi.
DADF. 2013. Estimated livestock population breed wise based on breed survey. Government
of India. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Department of Animal Husbandry,
Dairying and Fisheries. (Animal Husbandry Statistics Division), New Delhi. p. 219.
Breed Photos

Osmanabadi doe with its four kids

Semen collection of Osmanabadi buck