GOAT BREEDING PRACTICES AT THE VILLAGES OF DINAJPUR DISTRICT IN BANGLADESH

Data like level of education of farmers, goat breed kept, herd size of goats, goat breeding system practiced, age ate first heat and litter size were collected from the villages of  Dinajpur district in Bangladesh, during June to July 2016 to explore  knowledge gap of farmers about goat breeding system. A total of 263 farmers were enumerated by direct interview method. Level of education of the goat farmers were classified as elementary (61.60%), secondary and higher secondary (30.80%) and higher level (7.60%).  Herd size of goats per households (5.64±0.16) but litter size of Black Bengal does were (2.67±0.06). Elementary level educated peoples were dominating the goat farming in the research area. Most of the farmers (91.60%) kept Black Bengal goat compeered to Jamunapari and Crossbred. Female populations were higher than male goats per households. Black Bengal does in the studied region were highly prolific. Majority of the farmers (40.20%) reported the age at first heat of their she goats were 6 months, many (19.40%) reported 8 months but some (12.50%) found 12 months of age of their she goats at first heat. Knowledge of farmers about buck genetic merit and buck and doe body weight ratio was poor. All farmers used natural mating system, many farmers (62.73%) did not care about breeding system but some of them (10.65%) allowed close mating system during inseminating their does and which might consequences the inbreeding depression in goat population of Dinajpur district in Bangladesh.