Growth performance and adaptability of Sirohi goats in arid and semi-arid regions of India

Introduction

Sirohi goat is one of the most important dual-purpose breed in India, specifically native to the Sirohi district of Rajasthan but widely distributed across the country It has good growth performance and moderate milk production. It possesses many desirable characteristics such as disease resistance, early maturity, good adaptability to stall feeding as well as extensive grazing conditions and better survivability under harsh climatic conditions. The breed, quite important for meat and milk, is a medium to large-sized breed and is highly suited for rearing under arid and semi-arid conditions due to its compact body, strong legs and remarkable adaptability to dry and hot climates. In addition to being a good meat producer, it is also moderately prolific and serves as a dual-purpose animal under low input production systems in Rajasthan and Gujarat. India ranks second in the world in terms of goat population with 148.88 million goats as per the 20 th Livestock Census (DAHD, 2019) [15] , recording an increase of 10.14% over the previous census of 2012. As per Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025 (BAHS, 2025) [7] , goat meat contributes 15.06% of the total meat production of the country and India is recognized as the largest exporter of sheep and goat meat in the world. Goat farming is less capital intensive and is thus suitable for a large number of rural and landless populations. Goats with their multi-facet utility for meat, milk, skin and manure contribute about 9% of livestock GDP and support the livelihoods of approximately 20 million small and marginal farmers in the country (Chakrabarti et al., 2014; DAHD, 2019) [11,15] . Goat is particularly important in the arid and semi-arid regions of India, where crop production is always at risk due to erratic rainfall and drought conditions (Silanikove, 2000) Rajasthan, situated in the north-western arid and semi-arid zone of India, holds the highest goat population in the country at 20.84 million, which accounts for 16.03% of India's total goat population as per the 20 th Livestock Census (DAHD, 2019) [15] . The state produced 3.10 million tonnes of goat milk and 95.23 thousand tonnes of goat meat during 2022-23, making it the leading state in goat production in the country (UPJOZ, 2024) [52] . With the increasing threat of climate change intensifying heat stress and water scarcity in arid zones, locally adapted indigenous breeds like Sirohi goat assume greater significance for sustainable livestock production (Bhateshwar et al., 2023) [9] .

Distribution / natural habitat / population

Sirohi goat takes its name from the Sirohi district of southern Rajasthan, which is its primary area of origin and distribution (Acharya, 1982) [1] . The home tract of this breed includes the districts of Sirohi, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Tonk, Udaipur, Jaipur and Chittorgarh in Rajasthan and extends southward into the Palanpur district of Gujarat. It is also found in other parts of India due to its wide popularity and adaptability to adverse agro-climatic conditions. The breed accounts approximately 60% of Rajasthan's total goat population, underscoring its dominant role in the state's livestock economy (Animal Husbandry Dept. Rajasthan, 2019) [6] . The breed is registered as an indigenous breed of India by the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources Karnal, Haryana (NBAGR, 2024) [33] . The natural habitat of this breed is arid to semi-arid (Acharya, 1982) [1] . The average temperature in the home tract ranges from 2.3°C in winter to 42.3°C in summer and the annual rainfall of this region is approximately 660 mm (Waiz et al., 2018) [54] . Systematic data on growth, reproductive and lactation traits of Sirohi goats have been generated since 2004 under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Sirohi Goat at the Livestock Research Station (LRS), Vallabhnagar, Udaipur, located at 582 m above mean sea level at 24°35′N latitude and 73°43′E longitude (Gautam et al., 2019) [19] . The approximate population of Sirohi goat in its home tract is significant and breed dominates the goat population of Rajasthan state (DAHD, 2019) [15] .

Physical Characteristics

Sirohi goat is a medium to large-sized breed having a compact body and strong legs (Acharya, 1982) [1] . The body is covered with fairly dense hair, which is short and coarse (NBAGR, 2020) [32] . The coat colour is predominantly brown and brown with light to dark brown patches (spotted brown) (Tomar et al., 2001) [50] . Both brown and spotted brown types are generally available in three shades of dark, medium and light (Acharya, 1982) [1] . Very few animals are completely white and the body coat is generally shiny in nature, but some animals also possess a hairy coat (Waiz et al., 2018) [54] . A phenotypic characterization study conducted at farm (Chittorgarh) and field (Deogarh) conditions during 2007 to 2019 reported that the predominant coat colour was dark brown with patches (40.31%) followed by dark brown (35.20%), brown with patches (19.17%), brown (4.06%), white patches (0.72%) and complete white (0.52%), while predominant muzzle colour was dark brown (33.96%) (Shashikant and Choudhary, 2022) [43] . The typical phenotypic appearance of Sirohi doe and buck is presented in Figures 1 and2, respectively. The face of Sirohi goat is generally straight or sometimes slightly raised (Acharya, 1982) [1] . Ears are generally flat and leaf-like, medium-sized and drooping type (NBAGR, 2020) [32] . They are described as pendulous, drooping downwards, leaf-like in shape with slight curvature towards the back (Waiz et al., 2018) [54] . Both sexes have horns which are curved upward and backwards with a pointed tip (Tomar et al., 2001) [50] . Among the total animals studied, 3.43% animals had a beard and 14.34% animals had wattles. The average horn length and ear length from 3 months to adult age were 2.37±0.30 cm to 9.02±0.22 cm and 13.93±0.52 cm to 17.74±0.18 cm, respectively (Shashikant and Choudhary, 2022) [43] . Waiz et al. (2018) [54] recorded body measurements of adult Sirohi goats above 2 years of age and reported mean values of chest girth, body length, height at wither, paunch girth, horn length, ear length and tail length as 73.3, 63.1, 71.3, 76.2, 9.6, 15.7 and 13.7 cm respectively. The breed shows notable sexual dimorphism in body weight with adult bucks averaging around 50 kg and does averaging 23 kg, while height at withers was approximately 85 cm in bucks and 68 cm in does (NBAGR, 2020) [32] . The body length, body height and heart girth in adult males measured 80, 85 and 80 cm while corresponding values in adult females were 60, 68 and 62 cm respectively (ILRI-AGTR, 2010) [22] . In general, male Sirohi goats recorded significantly higher body measurements compared to females at all ages, a finding consistently reported across Indian goat breeds under similar agro-climatic conditions (Waiz et al., 2018) [54] . Sharma (2008) [60] analyzed morphometric traits of Sirohi goat kids and reported positive and high genetic and phenotypic correlations between 3 and 6 months morphometric traits, indicating that early selection at [54] . Heritability estimates for morphometric traits were of medium to high magnitude ranging from 0.528±0.163 to 0.709±0.144 for body height, 0.408±0.159 to 0.605±0.192 for body length and 0.503±0.197 to 0.695±0.161 for body girth, indicating strong additive genetic control over these traits and considerable scope for improvement through within-breed selection (Dudhe et al., 2015) [17] .

Husbandry Practices

Sirohi goats in their home tract are generally maintained under an extensive grazing system on community rangeland under low input and output production systems (Acharya, 1982) [1] . Goats are allowed to graze freely during daytime and during night confined to sheds and sorghum straw, tree leaves, straw of different pulses and grasses are fed to goats under farm conditions (Waiz et al., 2018) [54] . The flock size varies from place to place and ranges from 10 to 200 goats and most of the flocks are stationary under an extensive grazing system (ILRI-AGTR, 2010) [22] . Large-sized flocks migrate seasonally to nearby areas in search of forage and water (ILRI-AGTR, 2010) [22] . Sirohi district in Rajasthan is well known for its goat husbandry practices, where challenges such as land degradation, water scarcity and dwindling fodder resources threaten the sustainability of goat farming in the region (Akhlesh Kumar et al., 2025) [4] . The grazing and browsing area in arid and semi-arid zones of Rajasthan is mainly dominated by Khejri (Prosopis cineraria), Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), Cenchrus grass, Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Kheri (Acacia senegal) (Singh et al., 2004) [45] . Farmers generally rear Sirohi goats on browsing, extensive grazing, stubble of cultivated crops and tree leaves, including khejri (Prosopis cineraria), which is the dominant tree species of the arid zone of Rajasthan and a major source of browse for goats during dry seasons (Singh et al., 2023) [46] . Under village conditions, both males and females are grazed together and natural mating is generally practiced without any controlled breeding programme (Acharya, 1982) [1] . Kids are separated from their mothers at approximately 3 months of age and provided concentrate mixture (Gowane et al., 2020; Dudhe et al., 2015) [21,17] . Generally, no specialized shelters are provided to goats in villages and goats are housed in small enclosures with thatched or open roofs (Acharya, 1982) [1] . In the winter season, sufficient protection from cold is ensured by taking adequate measures such as using dry grass or bhusa as bedding material (Meel et al., 2010) [28] . Under organized farm at LRS Vallabhnagar, animals are reared under semi-intensive feeding management with grazing supplemented with concentrate mixture of approximately 200-250 g/day/animal along with green fodder and dry roughage (Dudhe et al., 2015; Yadav et al., 2017) [17,57] .

Production Characteristics Birth Weight

Birth weight of Sirohi goat kids has been reported by various workers under different management conditions. Misra et al. (1980) [30] reported birth weights of 2.96 and 1.51 kg in male and female kids, respectively under farm conditions. Sharma and Pathodiya (2007) [41] reported 2.16±0.05 kg under field conditions, while Gautam et al.

(2019) [19] reported 2.34±0.03 kg based on 6,772 growth records at AICRP, LRS Vallabhnagar. Waiz et al. (2018) [54] and Ahari and Waiz (2024) [2] reported 2.50±0.39 and 2.57±0.036 kg, respectively with male and single-born kids significantly heavier than females and twins in both studies. Sex, type of birth and season significantly influenced birth weight across all studies (Banerjee and Jana, 2010; Dudhe et al., 2015) [8,17] . In comparison, Marwari goats of the same arid agro-climatic zone of Rajasthan recorded birth weights of 2.24 kg (Kumar and Rohilla, 2003) [24] , 3.05±0.05 kg (Rai et al., 2004) [35] and 2.47±0.01 kg (Sharma et al., 2022) [40] under different management conditions. Both breeds showed broadly similar birth weight ranges under arid conditions. Sirohi birth weights were more consistent across diverse environments, including farm, field, semi-intensive and even hot-humid conditions outside its home tract, reflecting superior phenotypic stability and adaptability of the breed (Waiz et al., 2018; Gautam et al., 2019) [54,19] .

Pre-weaning Body Weight: Pre-weaning body weight at 3 months of age reflects the dam's milk production ability and the kid's early growth efficiency. Misra et al. (1980) [30] reported 3-month weights of 9.59 and 9.12 kg in male and female Sirohi kids, respectively under farm conditions. Sharma and Pathodiya (2007) [41] reported 10.84±0.23 kg under field conditions, while Waiz et al. (2018) [54] reported 11.21±0.36 kg under farm and field conditions in southern Rajasthan. Gautam et al., (2019) [19] reported the highest value of 12.44±0.19 kg based on 6,772 growth records at AICRP, LRS Vallabhnagar, with the variation across studies largely attributed to differences in dam's milk production, feeding levels and management system. In comparison, Marwari goats of the same arid zone recorded 3-month weights of 8.79 kg (Kumar and Rohilla, 2003) [24] , 11.35±0.17 kg (Rai et al., 2004) [35] and 8.03±0.03 kg (Sharma et al., 2022) [40] under different conditions. Sirohi goats ( [30] reported 6 and 12-month weights of 16.74 and 23.92 kg in males and 14.81 and 22.49 kg in females under organized farm. Sharma and Pathodiya (2007) [41] and Waiz et al.

(2018) [54] reported comparable values of 15.24±0. [55] further reported that selection at 6-9 months of body weight can reliably predict 12-month performance in Sirohi goats. In comparison, Marwari goats of the same arid zone recorded 6 and 12-month weights of 13.02 and 18.50 kg (Kumar and Rohilla, 2003) [24] , 14.94±0.21 and 23.19±0.18 kg (Rai et al., 2004) [35] under comparable conditions. Sirohi goats (15.24-16.31 [20] . The body weights of Sirohi goats at different ages, as reported by various workers under different management conditions, are summarised in Table 1. Effect of Non-Genetic Factors on Body Weight: Various non-genetic factors have been reported to significantly influence the body weights of Sirohi goats at different ages. Banerjee and Jana (2010) [8] reported that birth weight in Sirohi goats is significantly influenced by year, season, type of birth and dam's weight, with male kids recording higher birth weights than females across all types of birth -single, twins and triplets. Ahari and Waiz (2024) [2] reported an overall mean birth weight of 2.57±0.036 kg in Sirohi kids under semi-arid conditions, with male kids (2.67±0.051 kg) significantly heavier than females (2.46±0.041 kg), singleborn kids (2.66±0.051 kg) significantly heavier than twinborn kids (2.30±0.052 kg) and winter-born kids (2.60±0.052 kg) recording slightly higher birth weight than autumn-born kids (2.53±0.051 kg). Dudhe et al. (2015) [17] reported that the effects of sire, cluster, year of birth and sex was highly significant (p<0.01) on all three morphometric traits in Sirohi goats under AICRP field conditions. Gautam et al. (2019) [19] reported that cluster and period of birth had a significant effect on all body weight traits and summer-born kids recorded higher body weight and pre-and post-weaning gains than winter and rainy season-born kids. Male animals showed significantly higher body weights than females at all ages, which is a consistent finding across Indian goat breeds (Dudhe et al., 2015; Waiz et al., 2018) [17,54] .

Pre-weaning ADG reflects the dam's milk production ability and the kid's early growth efficiency. Tomar et al. (2004) [51] reported 87.52±3.16 g/day, Sharma and Pathodiya (2007) [41] reported approximately 95-100 g/day and Gautam et al. (2019) [19] reported the highest value of 113.66±2.15 g/day based on 6,772 growth records at AICRP, LRS Vallabhnagar, with summer-born kids recording higher gains than other seasons. In comparison, Marwari goats of the same arid zone recorded pre-weaning ADG of 82.05±0.74 g/day (Verma et al., 2020) [53] with a significant effect of season and sex on early gains (Rai et al., 2004) [35] . Sirohi goats (87.52-113.66 g/day) consistently recorded higher pre-weaning ADG than Marwari goats (82.05 g/day) under comparable arid conditions, confirming superior early growth efficiency largely driven by the higher milk production capacity of Sirohi dams (Gowane et al., 2011) [20] .

Post-weaning ADG reflects the breed's inherent growth potential independent of the dam's milk. Tomar et al. (2004) [51] reported 51.35±3.01 g/day and Gautam et al. (2019) [19] reported 46.17±0.94 g/day in Sirohi goats under farm and AICRP field conditions, respectively, with season having a highly significant (p<0.01) effect on ADG in all post-weaning stages (Waiz et al., 2024) [56] . In comparison, Marwari goats recorded post-weaning ADG of 49.18±0.76 g/day from 3 to 6 months (Verma et al., 2020) [53] with males recording 22% higher gains than females (Rai et al., 2004) [35] . Although post-weaning ADG of Sirohi (46.17-51.35 g/day) and Marwari (49.18 g/day) was broadly comparable, Sirohi demonstrated overall superior growth efficiency owing to its significantly higher pre-weaning ADG and consistent performance across diverse management conditions of arid Rajasthan (Tomar et al., 2004; Gautam et al., 2019) [51,19] . A comparative summary of growth performance between Sirohi and Marwari goats under the arid and semi-arid conditions of Rajasthan is presented in Table 2. [19,54] [19,54] [19,54] [19,54] 18.50-23. 19 Kumar & Rohilla, 2003;Rai et al., 2004 [24, 35] Pre-weaning ADG (g/day) 87. 52-113.66 Tomar et al., 2004; Gautam et al., 2019 [51,19] 82. 05 Verma et al., 2020 [53] Post-weaning ADG (g/day) 46.17-51. 35 Tomar et al., 2004; Gautam et al., 2019 [51,19] 49. 18 Verma et al., 2020 [53] Dressing percentage (%) [36,47] 47.3-48.16 Acharya, 1982 [1] ADG = Average Daily Gain; Sirohi data from AICRP field conditions, LRS Vallabhnagar, Udaipur; Marwari data from AICRP field conditions

Genetic Parameters for Growth Traits

Knowledge of genetic parameters is essential for designing effective selection and breeding programmes for genetic improvement of any livestock breed. Data collected over a period of 21 years (1988-2008) at CSWRI Avikanagar, Rajasthan, were used to estimate heritability for birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), 6-month weight (6WT), 9month weight (9WT) and 12-month weight (12WT). Heritability estimates for BWT, WWT, 6WT, 9WT, 12WT, ADG1, ADG2 and ADG3 were 0.39±0.05, 0.09±0.03, 0.06±0.02, 0.09±0.03, 0.11±0.03, 0.10±0.03, 0.04±0.02 and 0.01±0.01, respectively (Gowane et al., 2011) [20] . The moderate to high heritability for birth weight (0.39) indicates good scope for improvement through selection, while the low heritability estimates for post-weaning weights suggest greater influence of environmental factors on these traits and the need for improved management practices rather than selection alone. The growth curve parameters using the Brody function showed that the leastsquares mean for asymptotic weight (A), folding point (B) and maturity rate (K) were 26.18±3.11 kg, 0.88±0.00 and 0.16±0.00 days, respectively (Waiz et al., 2019) [55] , indicating that the breed reaches mature body weight at a relatively early age which is economically favourable for meat production in arid zone farming systems.

Effect of feeding on growth performance

Feeding and nutrition play a key role in realizing the full genetic potential of Sirohi goats for growth under arid and semi-arid conditions. Jat et al. (2020) [23] reported that weaned Sirohi kids fed 100-200 g concentrate per day recorded maximum total weight gain of 7.72 kg compared to 5.52 kg in the control group fed only 50 g concentrate per day, with a significant difference (P≤0.05) between treatments. Chaudhary et al. (2015) [12] reported that concentrate supplementation significantly improved growth performance, carcass traits and meat composition of Sirohi kids under field conditions in their native tract. Nagda et al., (2023) [31] reported that concentrate fed three times per day recorded higher final body weight (17.22±0.06 kg) and ADG (43.68 g/day) compared to once-daily feeding (16.18 kg; 32.30 g/day). Sharma et al. (2021) [39] reported that feeding green Azolla (Azolla pinnata) significantly improved growth performance in Sirohi male kids with better feed conversion efficiency compared to the control group. Chouhan et al. (2018) [14] reported that replacement of concentrate with Moringa oleifera leaves at 25% level had no adverse effects on growth performance, feed utilization and blood biochemical parameters in Sirohi kids, making it a cost-effective alternative feed material for arid zone farmers. A recent study by Alok Kumar et al. (2025) [5] from Madhav University, Sirohi, Rajasthan, reported that locally available fruit plant leaves, including tamarind, mango, guava and neem, possess valuable nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibre and serve as cost-effective supplementary fodder for goat farmers in Sirohi district, where access to quality fodder is limited.

Effect of management on growth performance

Management system, including housing and grazing conditions, significantly influences the growth performance of Sirohi goats in arid and semi-arid regions. Chopdar et al.

(2022) [13] reported that body weight gain under extensive, semi-intensive and intensive management systems was 2964 g, 3638 g and 4780 g, respectively with the intensive system recording significantly (p<0.01) higher growth than the extensive system. Rajkumar et al. (2010) [36] reported that Sirohi kids under intensive management attained 28.47 kg slaughter weight, which was 16.11% more than 24.52 kg under the semi-intensive system at 9 months of age. Sharma et al. (2024) [42] reported that a loose housing system positively influenced body length, height at withers and heart circumference in Sirohi kids compared to a conventional housing system at RAJUVAS, Udaipur. Waiz et al. (2018) [54] reported that cluster effects reflecting differences in grazing resource availability were highly significant on body weights at all ages in Sirohi goats under field conditions in southern Rajasthan. [48] . Phulia et al. (2010) [34] [10] reported that increase in afternoon RT, RR and PR over morning values was higher in black-coated followed by dark brown, light brown and white Sirohi goats in descending order, confirming that lighter coat colour confers greater heat tolerance in this breed. Sharma et al. (2024) [42] further reported that Sirohi kids under loose housing exhibited significantly lower RT and RR compared to conventional housing at RAJUVAS, Udaipur.

Adaptability

Climate Resilience

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) serve as important molecular biomarkers of climate resilience in livestock and HSP70 is considered the most common genetic biomarker of thermotolerance in goats (Tijjani et al., 2022) [49] . Dangi et al. (2016) [16] reported that Sirohi exhibited the highest mRNA expression levels of HSP70 gene compared to Jamunapari, Barbari and Jakhrana goats at CIRG Makhdoom, indicating better heat stress regulation in the breed. Sajjanar et al. (2013) [38] further reported significant variation (P<0.01) in HSP70 gene expression between seasons in heat-adapted Sirohi and Barbari and cold-adapted Gaddi and Chegu goats, with higher expression during summer. Kumar et al. (2018) [25] reported that while respiratory rate increased significantly (p<0.01) during summer in Sirohi, Barbari and Jhakrana, rectal temperature did not change significantly (p>0.05) across seasons in Sirohi goats alone, confirming superior thermoregulatory efficiency over other breeds. Kumar et al. (2014) [26] further confirmed that Sirohi and Barbari showed significantly (p<0.01) lower RT, RR and PR compared to cold-adapted Gaddi and Chegu across all seasons. In addition to thermal resilience, Sirohi goats consumed only 1.74±1.07 and 1.68±0.76 litres of water per day in arid and semi-arid zones respectively while maintaining milk production, with water conservation regulated by elevated levels of ADH, aldosterone and angiotensin II (Femi Francis et al., 2023; Silanikove, 2000) [18,44] .

Disease Resistance

Disease resistance and survivability are critical components of adaptability in low-input extensive production systems of arid and semi-arid regions. Sirohi goat has proved to be an excellent breed with respect to disease resistance, adaptability to dry and hot climate and production performance under poor quality range conditions (Meel et al., 2010; Shashikant and Choudhary, 2022) [28,43] . The cumulative pre-weaning mortality rate in Sirohi goats was reported as 5.69% in the first 3 months of age with adult mortality of only 2.56%, which is significantly lower than mortality rates reported in other Indian goat breeds under similar semi-arid field conditions (Gowane et al., 2024) [58] .

A study on gastrointestinal parasite infections in goats in semi-arid rural ecosystems of India showed that Sirohi recorded the lowest prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites (10.91%) compared to Barbari (39.97%) and Jamunapari (36.93%), with Jamunapari goats showing significantly higher intensity of Haemonchus contortus infection than Sirohi goats, confirming superior natural parasite resistance of the breed (Yadav et al., 2013) [59] .

Conservation status and breed improvement

The Sirohi goat faces serious threats of genetic dilution due to indiscriminate crossbreeding, early castration of elite males and shrinking grazing resources in its home tract. A serious challenge to goat breed dilution is the lack of highpotential and true-to-breed bucks and in Indian conditions, crossbreeding of local goats with exotic breeds is not suitable (Rout et al., 2024) [37] . Production-oriented propagation through crossbreeding and upgrading did not work in the long term and is eroding the existing genetic architecture of indigenous goat germplasm and steps have been initiated by Central and State Government agencies and NGOs through ICAR-NBAGR, ICAR-CIRG and ICAR-CSWRI for in-situ and ex-situ conservation (Mandal et al., 2014) [27] . Cryogenic storage of DNA of different goat breeds, including Sirohi has been undertaken at NBAGR, Karnal as an alternative approach for ex-situ conservation (Mandal et al., 2014) [27] . The AICRP leads conservation efforts on Goat Improvement initiated by ICAR in 1971 and the farm-based units of Jamunapari, Barbari and Sirohi are working as the best models for in-situ and ex-situ conservation with semen of different goat breeds preserved for conservation (AICRP-CIRG, 2022) [3] . The AICRP on Goat Improvement explores genetic variation through superior animal identification, pedigree and individual performance recording and selecting high genetic potential animals for breeding in their respective home tracts (AICRP-CIRG, 2022) [3] . The Sirohi AICRP unit at LRS Vallabhnagar has supplied 1279 improved animals to State Governments, NGOs and farmers for breed improvement, serving as a model for in-situ and ex-situ conservation (Dudhe et al., 2015) [17] .

Conclusion

The Sirohi goat is one of the most important dual-purpose indigenous goat breeds of India, well adapted to the arid and semi-arid agro-climatic conditions of Rajasthan and Gujarat, with good growth performance and consistent carcass quality under diverse management systems. The breed exhibits remarkable adaptability to harsh arid environments through efficient thermoregulation, HSP70 gene expression and superior water conservation ability, confirming its distinct advantage over other breeds of the same region. As the population of this breed is under threat from indiscriminate crossbreeding and shrinking grazing resources, there is an urgent need for systematic conservation and genetic improvement of this valuable indigenous breed.

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