Backyard farming of Black Bengal goats at Upazilla Sadar in Rangpur, Bangladesh

Abstract

The Black Bengal goat is a yard-useful small ruminant that is a meat-type, early maturing, year-round breed of livestock in Bangladesh. The study was carried out to examine the productivity of Black Bengal goats and the livelihood produced by backyard goat. This study was done at five distinct villages, including Doctor para, Master para, Oviram, Gowalu, and Fokir para under Upazilla sadar in Rangpur district, Bangladesh, from May to June 2023. Data were gathered using a pre-structured questionnaire that asked questions on the type of breeding, breed, age, sex, and age at which the animals reached sexual maturity. The female goat pregnant twice a year. In proper care and management, they can produce more than two kids each time. The average body weight of male and female were 19.45 kg and 16.27 kg respectively. According to this study, the average age of puberty is 199.6 days. The range of lactation period was between 1.5 to 3.5 months. The average milk yield of Black Bengal goats was 40.5 kg per lactation per doe in which the average milk yield per day per doe was 0.6 kg. A few numbers of farmers (30%) used vaccination and practiced de-worming (80%) their goats. The semi-intensive technique was used to raise all of the goats, and 70% of them spend the night at the cow's residence. The farmers supply good bedding materials during the winter season. For 20 kg of body weight of a goat, farmers feeds 1-2 kg of green grass and 200–250 g of concentrate feed per day. It was found that the annual cost of raising a goat in our area averages Tk. 720. The main income source is the offspring, with an average annual return of Tk. 6220 (range: Tk. 5000-7000). After costs, the net annual income per goat is Tk. 5500, underscoring their financial significance. They also used deep tube wells to supply water. 70% of the farmers exclusively gave goats wheat bran as concentrate feed. Most farms maintained the housing, feeding, and breeding, but the healthcare was subpar. Disease outbreaks are both frequent and dangerous in goat rearing. As a result, it is crucial to make the right preparations to prevent certain goat diseases. Therefore, Black Bengal goat farming should play a significant role in lowering unemployment and poverty.