Factors Affecting Kid Mortality in Black Bengal Goats at Kanaighat Upazilla, Bangladesh

Abstract

Aims: Goats contribute significantly to the rural economy by providing nutritional and food security as well as self-employment possibilities to small and marginal farmers. A study was conducted to determine the mortality rate of Black Bengal kids and to identify the influencing factors of kid mortality in Kanaighat Upazilla, Sylhet. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted from May 2022 to October 2022 at farmers-level goats at Kanaighat Upazilla, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Methodology: A detailed study was carried out on all the 13 kids died out of 53 live kids born from 36 dams during the study period of six months. The traits considered in the analysis were birth weights of kids (classified as < 1.5 kg, 1.5- 2.5kg, > 2.5 kg), Milk yield of Dam (classified as <200 ml, 200-350 ml, >350 ml), Litter size (single, twin and triplet), Sex and Parity. Results: The results indicated that the kid’s mortality was highest and lowest having milk yield of does found to be lower than 200 ml and 200-350 ml per day. On the contrary, it was also evident that the mortality of kids decreased from 44.0% to 4.76% with the increased birth weight from less than 1.5 kg groups to 1.5-2.5 kg groups respectively. Kids born as singly had the lowest mortality rate of 9.09%, followed by twins with 31.82% and triplets with 44.0% mortality. The study indicated that females had higher mortality than males kid. Male kids died at a rate of 14.26%, while female kids died at a rate of 36.0%. The first parity had the highest mortality rate (45.0%), followed by the third (20.0%), second (10.0%), and fourth (7.69%). Conclusion: Greater emphasis should be put on improving kid birth weight, the milk-producing ability of does, and parity, which will reduce kid mortality to a greater extent and ultimately increase total productivity in Black Bengal goats.