Physiology, Reproduction & Shelter Management Division

• Benefits of predominantly black/dark coat color commonly found in desert goats through energy economy have been worked out.
• The breed variation in sustaining water deprivation and effect on field application has been worked out.
• Physiologically Sirohi goats are best suited to combat the thermal stress in semi-arid climate.
• The package of best management practices under both intensive and semi-intensive system has been developed

• Good quality embryos were successfully collected through non -surgical technique.
• Technologies have been perfected for collection and transfer of embryos for quick multiplication of superior goat germplasm.
• The conception rate in recipient does through surgical transfer varied from 20 to 40%.
• Thirty seven kids were born out of intra-cervical embryo transfer technique.
• Laparoscopic technique could be applied for oocyte recovery and application of collagenase enzyme proved to be beneficial in oocyte recovery.
• Caprine embryos could be successfully frozen at 4-12°C by vitrification technique.
• An eight cell in-vitro fertilized (IVF) embryo was transferred to a local goat and a healthy kid  “Krishna” was born of a surrogate mother for the first time in the Country.

• Use of antioxidants and combination of cryoprotectant in the dilutor on freezability of goat semen was studied. A modified freezing protocol  has been developed for ex-situ conservation of buck semen. Optimum number of live spermatozoa required per inseminating dose has been worked out.
• Post-thaw motility was found better in straws having lower sperm concentration of 50-100 m spermatozoa as compared to higher concentration of 150-200 m spermatozoa. Fertility rate with frozen semen using deep cervical technique ranged from 25-48 %.

• Housing Requirements-Housing requirements for different categories of goats have been determined and shelter management techniques standardized.
• Feeding and Watering Devices - Sets of 11 Feeding and Watering devices suitable for Goat and Sheep Farms have been developed and/or modified. This technology has been adopted by several Commercial Goat Farmers in different parts of the country.