Investigation of current structure of goat breeding in Çavdır district of burdur province

The study was conducted to examine the current structure of goat breeding in the villages affiliated to the center of Çavdır district of Burdur province and to reveal its current situation. The data of the study were obtained through face-to-face surveys conducted with breeders from 48 goat farms located in the villages affiliated to Çavdır district. The survey form covers topics such as demographic information of the farm, information on shelter and landscaping, maintenance-feeding methods in the farm, milking methods in the farm and farm management. The research revealed that the average number of family members among the breeders participating in the survey was 4.04, and the average length of time in the business was 20.90 years. It was observed that 85.42% of the breeders were primary school graduates, and 93.75% of the family members were responsible for daily chores. In the farms examined within the scope of the research, it was determined that 79.17% of the farms were semi-nomadic, and the type of shelter was semi-open (87.50%). It was determined that 97.92% of the farms did not use bedding, and tarpaulin was mostly used as roof material (87.50%). It was determined that breeders in the farms examined fed their animals during the winter months, and that the daily feed per goat was 301.89 g and per kid was 198.38 g. It was observed that all of the goat kids in the farms examined within the scope of the study received their own milk, began receiving roughage and concentrated feed in the 5th week after birth, and began drinking water in the 2nd week. The study found that milking, udder cleaning, and shearing were not performed in 60.42% of the farms, 81.25%, and 64.58% of the farms. All of the farms examined were found to receive information support from the unions. The most significant problems identified in the surveys conducted at the farms examined as part of the research were, in order, problems with wild animals (47.92%), pasture (37.50%), and water (31.25%) The study concluded that, despite receiving informational support from relevant institutions, goat farming practices in the Çavdır district of Burdur province, where the study was conducted, are still characterized by primitive methods, inadequate utilization of goat products, and challenges in finding solutions to breeders' problems. Finding solutions to breeders' problems and increasing informational support will encourage breeders to prioritize their operations, and as a result, goat farming is expected to become even more important in the future.