Zalawadi Goat Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Zalawadi goat breed is a multi-purpose goat breed that originates from India. They are calm, pleasant goats that have a haughty air and look about them. Their unique characteristics of this breed are their dark rich black coat that has a cherry red quality to it with white patches on their ears and face and medium-sized corkscrew horns.

Zalawadi Goat Quick Profile Overview

Beautiful Zalawadi Goat breeds from the Saurashtra region of India
Country of Origin:	India
Other Names:	Tara Bakari
Breed Size:	Medium
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Main Purpose:	Milk, meat and fiber
Can be used for	Breeding, Fiber, Meat, Milk
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Temperament:	They are calm and even-tempered as well as being well behaved.
Good with Kids?	They are not really a goat breed that is used for pets or good to be around children
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Ideal Environment:	Arid regions with a low or erratic rainfall
Ideal Climate:	All climates
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/ Rarity: Common
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Goat?	They are mainly for the established goat farmers/goat herders of India
Goat Associations:	No known goat associations
Goat Clubs:	No known goat breeders’ clubs
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Long slender legs and body with long pendulous ears that are sometimes clipped to stop them from getting ripped open on bushes and thorn trees known to the area.
Color(s):	Black with white ears and a white speckled face Both the doe and buck have the same colorings and coat hues
Goat⇒	Doe	buck
Breed Weight:	33 kg’s	39 kg’s
Breed Height:	About 51 cm at withers	About 60 cm at withers
Hair:	Long and glossy	Long and glossy
Ears:	Long, pendulous and very soft. The ears are white with black markings on them.	Long, pendulous and very soft. The ears are white with black markings on them.
Horns:	Medium sized corkscrew horns that stand upright from the head	Medium sized corkscrew horns that stand upright from the head/td>
Matures at age:	5 to 15 months	3 to 15 months
Puberty Age:	4 to 10 months	4 to 9 months
Breeding Age:	18 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	1 Breeding cycle	Cover 20 to 30 does in 1 season

DOE BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION

The Zalawadii does have large well-developed udders that are long and conical shaped for easy milking.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 12 to 36 hours Ave. 21 days/18 to 24 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 148 to 155 day but most are 150 days
Kids:	1 to 4 but usually give birth to twins or triplets
Good Mothers?	They make good mothers that will nurture and wean their kids.
Lactation Period:	Usually around 250 to 284 days. Most common is 284 days
Milk Quality:	They a good butterfat and protein content in their milk
Milking Level:	Their udders make for ease of milking
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GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT THE ZALAWADI GOAT

A few facts and good to know information about the beautiful Zalawadi goats of India
Where to buy them:	They are not a breed common in the States and there is not much information on where to buy these goats.
Agility:	They are very quick and agile goats
Interact with other animals:	They prefer to socialize with their own species and are not fussy about the goat breed they socialize with.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The ears of the Zalawadi goats are very wide and droopy so much so that they are usually trimmed or split in order to prevent them from being ripped open by other goats’ horns or on thorny trees while they are browsing.

They are not normally used for leather production but as a meat goat, their skins may be used for various leather production purposes.

They have a good quality fiber production and the fiber is usually harvested once a year around the turn of the season from winter to spring.

They have good quality meat that is quite lean and nutritious with a delectable taste to it

HISTORY

The Zalawadi goat breed is believed to have originated in the former Zalawad region that is now known as Surendranagar district that is part of the Zalawad falling in Rajkot districts.

Traditionally the goats were reared by traditional shepherd community which were known as Rabaris and Bharwads. They were raised in semi-arid areas of the Sourashtra region of India where the rainfall is low and rather erratic.

The breed was also found in lower number in the Ahmadabad district and Jamnagar.

The Zalawadi goat breed represents a 27.8 percent of the total goat population in Surendranagar and is usually raised in small flocks of around 15 to 200 goats. These flocks are managed under extensive grazing management in these areas.