Swarup Debroy,1 Uma Kant Verma2*, Ram Bachan3, Narendra Kumar4, Digvijay Singh5 and Shiv Kumar Tyagi2
1Assistant Professor, Veterianry Anatomy & Histology, CoVAS, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda.
2Assistant Professor, Animal Genetics & Breeding, CoVAS, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda.
3Assistant Professor, Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, CoVAS, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda.
4Assistant Professor, Livestock Production & Management, CoVAS, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda.
5Assistant Professor, Animal Nutrition, CoVAS, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda.
Goats play a vital role in Indian agriculture, serving as a significant source of livelihood for rural communities, particularly in regions characterized by small holder and marginal farming systems. Both descript and non-descript breeds contribute substantially to the national economy and act as a form of socio-economic insurance for resource-poor farmers, especially in tropical and semi-arid areas. The Bundelkhandi goat, named after the Bundelkhand region of central India, is well-adapted to the local agro-climatic conditions and is primarily reared by small and marginal farmers for milk and meat. This breed is favored due to its low-input maintenance requirements, multipurpose utility, short generation interval, and high reproductive efficiency. It is well known for their resilience and productivity, these goats exhibit strong potential for enhanced growth and milk yield under improved feeding and management practices.
Distribution of Bundelkhandi Goats:
The genetically distinct and phenotypically stable strain of the Bundelkhandi goat is primarily localized in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh and the Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh, indicating a geographically constrained nucleus population within its native tract.
Morphological Characteristics of Bundelkhandi Goats
The Bundelkhandi goat, an indigenous breed primarily reared in the semi-arid zones of central India, is phenotypically categorized within the large-sized group, having morphological similarities to established Indian breeds such as Beetal, Jakhrana, and Jamunapari. Coat color is predominantly jet black, accompanied by pigmentation of the eyelids, muzzle, horns, and hooves in varying shades of black and grey. Ear morphology is predominantly medium-sized, tubular, and pendulous, with a mean ear length of 22–25 cm. However, elongated, ribbon-like, highly pendulous ears—resembling the Jamunapari phenotype—are observed in a subset of the population, possibly reflecting introgression or shared ancestry. The limbs are long, straight, and robust, supporting the breed’s adaptation to rugged terrain and long-distance grazing. Head is narrow in shape with a well-defined Roman nose, and the head-to-body proportion remains balanced. Horn orientation is typically upward and laterally divergent. The tail is characteristically bushy, and some individuals display long, coarse hair along the thighs and flanks, particularly in the winter season, which may confer thermoregulatory benefits.
Beard presence is recorded in both sexes, though variably expressed, and adult males often exhibit a prominent dewlap. The breed demonstrates a notable ability to withstand wide thermal fluctuations, surviving comfortably under ambient temperature ranging from sub-zero in winter to >45℃ in peak summer, reflecting a high physiological adaptability and resilience under low input production system.
Productive and Reproductive Performance:
Bundelkhandi goats are primarily bred through natural mating, as artificial insemination (AI) is not practiced either on research farms or under field conditions. The typical buck-to-doe ratio maintained is approximately 1:10, with breeding males generally owned by large flock holders and often servicing goats across entire villages. Twinning is common in this breed, while the occurrence of triplets is rare. Farm records indicate average birth weights of 2.57 kg for male kids and 2.29 kg for females. The average age at first kidding ranges from 15 to 17 months, with an kidding interval of 215 to 240 days. Kids are allowed to suckle milk twice daily and are typically weaned at three months of age. The mean body weights at weaning are 12.2 kg for males and 10.8 kg for females. Bundelkhandi goats are valued for both meat and milk production. Under optimal nutritional and management conditions, peak daily milk yield can reach up to 2.8 liters, with lactation lengths extending up to 220 days.
Management of Bundelkhandi goats:
Goat rearing among medium-scale and progressive farmers in the Bundelkhand region is typically integrated with other agricultural enterprises, including cattle and buffalo husbandry and crop production. Flock sizes vary from a few animals to approximately 30 goats. These flocks are primarily composed of adult males and females, with a smaller proportion of growing kids. Farmers with smaller flocks often rely on contract grazing arrangements, while those managing larger flocks typically utilize their own grazing resources.
Bundelkhandi goats are predominantly managed under a semi-extensive system, relying largely on free-range grazing with minimal or no concentrate supplementation. Goats are taken to pasture in the morning and return after 7–8 hours of grazing. During the day, they forage on native grasses and tree loppings. Stall feeding is limited, with concentrates primarily offered to lactating or pregnant does. The goats diet mainly comprises straw residues from leguminous and cereal crops such as pigeon pea, chickpea, pea, sesame, sorghum, pearl millet and wheat. Fodder is also obtained from lopped branches of local tree species including Ficus benghalensis (bargad), Ficus religiosa (peepal), Acacia nilotica (babul), Azadirachta indica (neem), Madhuca longifolia (mahua) and Albizia lebbeck (siris) along with various shrubs and grasses.
Approximately 47% of goat keepers with medium to large flocks practice extensive grazing on common property resources. At night, goats are housed in temporary shelters—open structures in summer and enclosed spaces in winter. These shelters are typically constructed using wooden logs, bamboo, and thatched roofs, with limited or no permanent facilities for water and electricity. In some cases, a section of the farmer’s residence is repurposed for goat housing. For very small flocks (fewer than five animals), goats are usually kept within the owner’s home.
Health Status of Bundelkhandi goats:
The Bundelkhandi goat, exhibits robust adaptive traits and generally demonstrates good health under extensive and semi-intensive production systems. However, systematic documentation of its health status remains limited in the scientific literature. Existing reports and field observations suggest that the breed shows relative resistance to common parasitic and infectious diseases endemic to the region, a likely result of long-term natural selection under harsh environmental and nutritional conditions.Preliminary surveys indicate that Bundelkhandi goats exhibit low incidence rates of major caprine diseases such as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), and Enterotoxemia, although outbreaks have been sporadically reported. In terms of parasitic infections, gastrointestinal nematodes, particularly Haemonchus contortus, are prevalent during the monsoon season, especially in poorly managed flocks. Nonetheless, field data from the region show comparatively lower fecal egg counts (FECs) in Bundelkhandi goats compared to exotic or crossbred counterparts reared under similar conditions, implying a level of innate parasitic tolerance. Neonatal mortality rates are relatively low, typically ranging between 5–10%, with primary causes including hypothermia, diarrhea, and inadequate colostrum intake in poorly managed herds. Emerging challenges include climate stress, particularly heatwaves and fodder scarcity, which indirectly affect immune competence and increase vulnerability to disease. There is also growing concern regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to unregulated antibiotic use in some pockets of semi-commercial farming.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bundelkhandi goat represents a valuable indigenous genetic resource, uniquely adapted to the challenging agro-climatic conditions of central India. Its distinct morphological features, robust physiological resilience, and efficient productive and reproductive traits make it well-suited for low-input, smallholder-based production systems. The breed’s adaptability to extensive grazing, coupled with its capacity for moderate milk and meat yield, underscores its importance in supporting rural livelihoods in the Bundelkhand region. Despite the lack of formal breeding and health documentation systems, the Bundelkhandi goat demonstrates notable resistance to common diseases and parasites, a testament to its evolutionary adaptation. However, emerging threats such as climate variability, feed scarcity, and potential antimicrobial resistance call for systematic breed conservation efforts, targeted health monitoring, and improved management practices. Recognizing and preserving the Bundelkhandi goat is crucial not only for sustaining local biodiversity but also for enhancing the resilience and productivity of smallholder livestock systems in semi-arid India.