What Is The History Of Malabari Goat Breed?

Malabari goats are one among the recognized breeds of goats in India and are widely distributed in the Malabar region of Kerala and also reared in different places of Tamil Nadu. They inhabit the Calicut, Kannur, Waynad, and Malappuram districts of Kerala, India. Malabari goats are sometimes called Tellicherry goats.

Raghavan of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences under the KAU who had done extensive research on Malabari goats said that the Malabari goats were evolved centuries ago by continuous selection and had proved to be most suitable to Kerala conditions. This breed is considered as a unique genotype exhibiting higher multiple birth percentages and higher milk yields.

They are bred mostly for meat, but also produce milk. Although they are similar to the Beetal goat, Malabari goats weigh less, have shorter ears and legs, and have larger testicles. There was an effort to crossbreed the Malabari goats with Boer goats, but this practice is controversial.

What Are The Characteristics Of Malabari Goat Breed?

They are medium to small size animals. The average height at wither and body length measured 68 and 70 cm respectively. Coat color varies widely from completely white to completely black. About 40% of the goats have long hair; 20% of animals (male and females) have beards. Both sexes have small, slightly twisted horns, directed upward and backward sometimes curved downward touching the skin. The ears are directed outwards and downwards reaching up to the nose. The tips of the ear in some animals were curved and in some animals almost folded. The tail is small and thin. The udder is small and round, with medium-sized teats.

The growth rate, milk yield, prolificacy, and reproductive (kidding) efficiency of Tellicherry goats are high. The average age at first kidding has been reported as 365 days whereas inter kidding interval is 258 days. The breed is having a good prolificacy i.e. 50% twinning, 25% triplets, and 5% quadruplets.

The Malabari breed of goat is famous for its low-fat meat. Tellicherry’s skin is popular in the tanning(leather) industry. The milk yield ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 liters a day with an average of 90 kg in a lactation period of 178 days. The milk of the Tellicherry goat is very tasty and healthy. Milk will be thicker than other goats.

Malabari goats have high resistance to diseases and it is well adapted to the hot and humid conditions of Kerala state. The humidity ranges from 75 to 80%.

What Is The Weight Of Malabari Goat?

The newborn kid of Malabari goat weighs around 2.5 kg on an average. They have a high feed conversion ratio, which means gains weight very fast in less span of time. In just 12 months, the goat can gain around 25 kg (under normal diet). Females weigh an average of 30 kg while males weigh 41 kg.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.researchgate.net
https://www.thehindu.com
https://learnnaturalfarming.com