AGB 211: Livestock and Poultry Breeding (2+1)

BEETAL

Distribution

Throughout the States of Punjab and Haryana. True-bred animals are however found in the districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab. The total goat population in the Beetal distribution area, according to the 1972 livestock census, was 0.159 m, of which 0.014 m adult males and 0.084 m adult females. The goat population of Punjab has shown a marked decline. Surveys carried out by the Division of Dairy Cattle Genetics of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) showed that both the number of flocks and the number of goats per flock have decreased, primarily owing to an increase in irrigated cultivated areas and the shortage of natural vegetation available for browsing. Beetal is a good dairy breed, second to Jamnapari in size but is superior to it in that it is more prolific and more easily adaptable to different agro-ecological conditions and to stall-feeding. Jamnapari is more sensitive

Breed characteristics

	Adult males	Adult females
Body weight	59.07	34.97
Body length	85.	70.42
Height at withers	91.60	77.13
Chest girth	86.0	73.7

Conformation

Large animals. Variab1e coat color, predominantly black or brown with white spots of differing sizes. In a survey conducted by NDRI in the home tract of the breed, 92.6% animals were b1ack and 7.4% brown. The coat is short and 1ustrous. The face 1ine is convex, with typical Roman nose but not as prominent as in Jamnapari. Ears are long and f1at, curled and drooping ear length: 24.8 t 0.65 cm (18) Both sexes have thick, medium-sized horns, carried horizontally with a slight twist directed backward and upward; horn length: 11.95 t 0.76 cm. Tail is small and thin. The udder is 1arge and well developed, with large conical teats. The average flock contains 21.06 + 1.92 individuals, of which 1.5 adult males, 11.7 adult females and 7.8 young.

Reproduction

	Days
Age at first kidding	761
Kidding interval	368
Service period	160
Kidding percentage	176
Litter size: (%)
Singles	40.66
Twins	52.6
Triplets	6.52
Quadruplets	0.22

Breeding

Pure breeding. Breeding males are generally selected on the basis of their dam's milk yield. The services of a buck of a neighboring owner are commonly utilized when a flock does not possess a buck.

Performance

Milk
Lactation yield	177.38
Lactation length	187.0
Meat(Kg)
At birth	2.80
At weaning	9.26
6 months	12.18
9 months	15.42
12 months	21.83