Jamnapari (or Jamunapari) is a breed of goat originating from the Indian subcontinent. Since 1953 they have been exported to Indonesia (popular as Etawa goat, and its mixture with a local goat called “PE”, peranakan Etawa or Etawa mix) where they have been a great success. It is bred for both milk and meat. The name is derived from the Yamuna river.
This breed is one of the ancestors of the American Nubian.
In India, there were an estimated 580 000 of the breed in the 1972 census, although less than 5000 were thought to be purebred.
There is a large variation in colour but the typical Jamnapari is white with patches of tan on the neck and head. Their heads tend to have a highly convex nose, which gives them a parrot-like appearance. They have long flat drooping ears, which are around 25 cm long. Both sexes have horns. The udder has round, conical teats and is well developed. They also have unusually long legs.
The Jamnapari male can weigh up to 120 kg, while females can reach around 90 kg.
The average lactation yield per day has been found to be slightly less than two kilograms. Jamnapari meat is said to be low in cholesterol.
During the winter they spend more than 90% of their time grazing, although this falls to around 55% in the hot Indian summer. The breed browses on bushes, tree leaves and the top of grasses rather than typical ground grazing. Their mean heart rate was found to be 127 ± 3.46 in a study.
Rates of conception are high, nearly 90%. Triplets and quadruplets are common. The average age of the first conception is 18 months.