Socioeconomic importance of the semi-feral goat population for smallholders on the island of Socotra

Abstract

This research paper examined the socioeconomic importance of goat farming on the island of Socotra, which to thebest of the authors’ knowledge. The study comprised 154 participants from various terrains. The data was collected usinga well-structured questionnaire and statistically analysed through the Bayesian approach and Kruskal--Wallis test tooffer robust insights into the subject matter. Data on the importance of goat meaning, herd composition, reproduction,milk production, supplementary feeding and watering, goat slaughter and non-slaughter mortality was collected.This study identified that goats are mainly kept for livelihood purposes (60%), while their social significance is notable aswell, with 18% of respondents citing this as a reason for raising the animals. In terms of herd composition, each family keeps an average of 107goats, of which 59% are does, 32% are infants under six months, and 9% are bucks. Reproduction patternsindicate that the goats breed twice a year, primarily in May and October. As for milk production, goats on Socotra produce an average of 368 ml/day on an annual basis, and the highest production is observed in the mountains. The study also found that the goats are primarily slaughtered for social reasons (55%). According to respondents, the main cause of mortality in goats was disease (40%). The results of this study have far-reaching implications for understanding the management of goat farming on the island and conserving the island’s biodiversity.