GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BLACK BENGAL GOAT AT GAIBANDHA DISTRICT IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Goat rearing in Bangladesh is increasingly becoming popular and has become an integral part of many farming systems in Bangladesh. It is estimated that more than 90% of goat population in Bangladesh comprised the Black Bengal goats (Capra hircus). The Black Bengal goat’s meat is tastier and faces huge domestic demands with no social, cultural and religious restrictions. The growth performance of Black Bengal kids was studied in different locations at Gaibandha district in Bangladesh. The highest coefficient of variation (CV) was for body weight at 3 month of age (28.13%) and the lowest CV% was for 9-month body weight (18.30%). Higher body weights of males compared to females at all the ages might be due to aggressive behavior of males during feeding and suckling and male sex hormone which has an anabolic effect. The heavier body weight of male than female kids may also be due to differences in their endocrine profile. Litter size, sex, parity & season affected body weights in different periods where single, male kids, third parity & winter season had significantly higher weights for all period’s respectively. Average daily gains had the same trend as body weights of kids in different periods and lowest in triplet, female kids, first parity & winter season respectively. The uterine space and available nutrient shared by more than one kid may be responsible for the reduced birth weight with increasing litter size. Birth weight increased with the progress of parity of dam. Mothering ability especially milk production, increases with parity. The lower body weights of rainy season born kids emphasized the need to provide supplementary feed and adequate management for these kids. From the results it is revealed that growth performance of Black Bengal kids varied in different regions, which might be caused by inappropriate management and poor feed accessibility round the year and stressful environmental conditions.