**6.8 Gestation period**

*Landraces - Traditional Variety and Natural Breed*

square means for height at withers, heart girth, body length, ear length, horn length, and body weight for 12 months of age were 62.45 ± 0.87 cm, 60.03 ± 1.07 cm, 50.01 ± 1.08 cm, 15.58 ± 0.44 cm, 3.30 ± 0.67 cm and 19.56 ± 0.92 kg, respectively, in Osmanabadi goats, [7]. The effect of block was significant source of variation for chest girth, body length, ear length and body weight except horn length and height at wither. The effect of sex was significant source of variation for chest girth, body length and ear length. Raskar *et al.* [8] observed that the least square means for height at withers, heart girth, body length, ear length, horn length and body weight for 24 months of age were 71.00 ± 0.87 cm, 70.48 ± 0.91 cm, 58.34 ± 0.93 cm, 17.18 ± 0.37 cm, 6.51 ± 0.56 cm and 29.50 ± 0.64 kg, respectively, in Osmanabadi goats. The effect of block was significant source of variation for height at withers, chest girth body length and body weight except horn length and ear length. The effect of sex was significant source of variation for chest girth, body length and height at withers. The least square means for height at withers, heart girth, body length, ear length, horn length and body weight for 36 months of age and above were 73.12 ± 0.61 cm, 74.55 ± 0.67 cm, 62.10 ± 0.67 cm, 17.24 ± 0.24 cm, 7.48 ± 0.52 cm and 32.77 ± 0.60 kg, respectively, in Osmanabadi goats, [7]. The effect of sex was significant source of variation for all traits except ear length. Block had significant source of variation for all the traits except chest girth, horn length and ear length, whereas colour type had non-significant effect on all the traits in adult age group of Osmanabadi goats. Ravimurugan *et al*. [22] reported higher body weight, height at withers, body length, chest girth and horn length in Pallai Adu male goat than the female. The mean body height, length, girth and weight of Osmanabadi goats indicated that they belong to medium sized goat category. The Osmanabadi goat is medium sized meat breed thriving well in tropical wet and dry

The average age at first kidding and kidding interval is 523 and 214 days respectively. Goats of this breed have very efficient reproduction and in well managed flocks [23], with 30% twining and 2% triplets. The daily milk yield ranged from 700 gm to 1500 gm under well managed village flocks with lactation length of 130-150 day. Raskar *et al.* [24] and Sahare *et al.* [8] found that in Osmanabadi goat maintained under farm condition, kidding percentage and twinning ability was

The mean age at puberty was recorded as 349.8 ± 6.9 days and ranged between 180 and 510 days. Kamble *et al.* [25] reported similar findings 335.3 ± 13.0 days while Lawer *et al.* [26] reported 219.34 ± 0.72 days pubertal age in Osmanabadi

The weight at puberty in Osmanabadi goats occurred when the does attained an average body weight of 17.45 ± 0.23 kg, [27]. Smith [28] stated that, Angora goats should weigh 32-41 kg before being bred and recommended that breeding should be delayed until the animal has attained 60% or more of its adult body weight. It was also evident from the study that the age at puberty ranged between 6 and 17 months and it is highly probable that Osmanabadi goats attaining puberty at an

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goats.

climate.

**6.5 Performance**

**6.6 Age at puberty**

**6.7 Weight at puberty**

55.87% and 10.52% respectively.

The average gestation period in Osmanabadi goats was determined as 152.24 ± 0.24 days and it ranged from 137 to 158 days. The average duration of gestation in goats is generally reported as 147-155 days [4]. The gestation period was recorded as 150.08 days by Pathodiya *et al.* [4] and as 146.23 ± 0.49 days by Swami *et al.* [29] in Sirohi goats. In Ganjam goats gestation length was 148.26 ± 0.31 days, in Bengal type goats of Orissa it was 146.27 ± 0.37 days and in Ghumsur goats of Orissa it was 145.03 ± 0.48 days (Rao and Patro [30]). Mandakmale *et al.* [31] observed the gestation period to be 149.96 ± 0.82 days for Osmanabadi goats under field conditions and Bhusan and Rai [32] found it to be 151.33 ± 1.48 days in Jakhrana.
