Disease resistance
However, ease of management is also important.That is why we are starting from 75%
crosses, not purebreds. The selective breeding will steadily improve the milk production,
to the point where it will become feasible to seed new breeding groups using good
quality KCG males. This will mean that as time goes on there will be an increasing
amount of local blood incorporated into the KCG breeding stock. Disease resistance
will therefore slowly improve even without explicit selection for it.
Milk production
Milk production is our main focus with this breed. For that reason, we are mainly
starting from 75% crosses to ensure that right from the beginning there is adequate
milk production to make the breed commercially viable.
Getting started
There are probably no local goats that would qualify for the lowest KCG Grade considered
(Grade 4). It would be possible to start with 50% crosses, but the following are
more feasible:
- Second generation crosses of purebred dairy goats mated to local goats (i.e. 75%).
- Third generation crosses of 75% dairy goats or KCG with local goats (i.e. 66% crosses).
- The offspring from 50% crosses mated to either 75% males or KCG males (i.e 62% crosses).
- Second generation crosses of High-level Kabulya Commercial Goat (Grade 7 or above)
with local goats. (Not currently available, but will be in the future.)
The Grades
Our breeding programme makes it possible for anyone to get started, but also provides
a framework for breed improvement. The grading pattern for the KCG is an extension
of the one for the Kabulya Smallholders’ Goat (KSG). In order to qualify as a particular
grade, the goat must either have both parents of at least that grade or the milk
must be measured at least 4 months after the goat delivered and must reach the following
thresholds:
- For Grade 4: 1000 ml per day
- For Grade 5: 1250 ml per day
- For Grade 6: 1500 ml per day
- For Grade 7: 1750 ml per day
- For Grade 8: 2000 ml per day
- … and so on up to …
- For Grade 20: 5000 ml per day
The rules do not specify any limit to the grade achievable, and international experience
suggests that Grade 40 would be possible (i.e. 10 litres per day) However our current
target of Grade 20 represents the maximum that has been observed for the best purebred
dairy goats in Uganda.
Kabulya Commercial Goat
Our breeding target
Our Vision
The Kabulya commercial goat (KCG) is targeted at people who want maximum milk production
for selling - and who are prepared to put effort and capital into animals capable
of producing it
Appearance
The current breeders of 75% crosses prefer their goats to resemble the European breeds
that they have been derived from - Toggenburg or Saanen. We are therefore incorporating
appearance into the good breeding standards for the Kabulya Commercial Goat. However,
at this stage it is not part of the breed rules.
The description above gives a basic framework. The detailed rules are a bit more
complicated, but still feasible for a well organised breeders’ group.
You are free to apply the Kabulya breeding system for yourself. But you may also
choose to partner with us, to benefit from technical advice, verification of your
breeding stock and help with marketing your surplus offspring.