INDIAN BREED · DAIRY

Mehsana Goat

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Quick Facts

📍OriginGujarat

🐐Breed TypeDairy

⚖️Weight35–45 kg

📏Height70–80 cm

🥛Milk Production1.5–2.5 L/day

📅Life Span12–15 yrs

🌦️ClimateArid / Semi-arid

Breed Overview

The Mehsana is a productive dairy breed from the Mehsana and Banaskantha districts of northern Gujarat. Resembling a cross between the Jamunapari and Beetal, it is a large, mostly black goat bred for reliable milk yield in dry conditions.

With its long drooping ears, slightly Roman nose and calm temperament, the Mehsana is a mainstay of Gujarat's goat-dairy farms and adapts well to both grazing and semi-intensive milk production.

Key Characteristics

Predominantly black, sometimes with white on face or ears
Large frame with long, flat drooping ears
Slightly Roman nose and long legs
Calm temperament with steady milk yield

🐐Physical Characteristics

A large dairy breed, usually black, occasionally with white markings on the face and ears. It shows a slightly convex Roman nose, long pendulous ears and a tall, deep-bodied frame reminiscent of the Beetal and Jamunapari.

🥛Milk Production

A strong dairy performer at 1.5–2.5 litres/day over a lactation of about 180 days. The milk is well-suited to household use, ghee and other value-added dairy products.

🌦️Climate Suitability

Well-adapted to the arid and semi-arid zones of northern Gujarat. Tolerates dry heat well and performs reliably under grazing supplemented with stall feeding.

🌾Feeding Requirements

A sizeable breed needing about 4 kg green fodder plus 400–500 g concentrate per adult daily for peak milk. Responds strongly to good nutrition with higher yield.

Advantages & Disadvantages

✓ Advantages

✓Reliable dairy yield in dry conditions

✓Large frame gives good meat value too

✓Well-adapted to arid Gujarat

✓Calm, easy-to-handle temperament

✗ Disadvantages

✗Needs good feed to sustain milk yield

✗Mostly single or twin kids

✗Large frame needs adequate housing space

Tips for Beginners

Buy from certified breeders

Insist on documented lineage and a health card to guarantee purebred, disease-free stock.

Build raised, airy housing

A dry, well-ventilated shed with slatted flooring prevents hoof rot and respiratory disease.

Vaccinate on schedule

Follow the PPR, ET and FMD schedule from day one — prevention is far cheaper than treatment.

Balance the ration

Combine green fodder with a mineral-rich concentrate to sustain healthy growth and milk yield.

Start small, scale steadily

Begin with 5–10 does and one quality buck; expand only once you master routine management.

Frequently Asked Questions

A healthy Mehsana doe yields about 1.5–2.5 litres a day over a lactation of around 180 days, making it one of Gujarat's dependable dairy breeds.

It is a large, mostly black goat with long drooping ears, a slightly Roman nose and a tall frame — closely resembling a cross between the Beetal and Jamunapari breeds.

Yes — it is native to the arid and semi-arid districts of northern Gujarat and tolerates dry heat well, giving steady milk under grazing plus stall feeding.