Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain Goats

Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain Goats

　　The development of the goat industry in Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain has progressed in tandem with that of southern Shaanxi. However, sheep farming long failed to gain attention, possibly due to constraints imposed by the spread of hunting—people preferred hunting wild boar, wild goats, hares, and the like, while neglecting the raising of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats. According to the 1922 *Guangyuan County Annals*: “...there are only goats (commonly known as fire goats) of one kind, raised by few. Among mountain and marsh dwellers, there are those who raise up to a hundred Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats, but it is not easy to maintain them....” As a result, the *Second Sichuan Provincial Encouragement of Industry Statistics* compiled by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Industry Promotion in the second year of the Xuantong era of the Qing Dynasty (1910 AD), under the household section, Table 26 on Livestock (a county-by-county statistical table of livestock in Sichuan Province), recorded: a total of 830 Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats. The number reached 15,000 in 1942 and 26,000 in 1944, which was inseparable from the Liangzhou people’s vigorous push to develop production in support of the War of Resistance against Japan. However, during the Liberation War period, likely because Guangyuan was under Kuomintang rule and war caused chaos with officials failing to serve the people, the production of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats once declined. By 1949, only 2,227 goats remained in Guangyuan County.

　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, due to the emphasis placed by the Communist Party of China and the government on developing animal husbandry, and in order to improve the breed of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats and enhance sheep farming efficiency, in the early 1950s, personnel were dispatched to Tianzhao Mountain Ranch to introduce breeds such as Sichuan Tong Sheep, Jintang Black Sheep, and the No. 0 Nubian and Saanen goats to crossbreed and improve the local native Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats. Initially raised at Tianzhao Mountain Ranch, and after establishing a Sandui branch, Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats were gradually relocated to Zengjia Mountain Ranch for raising. In the early 1970s, Sichuan Tong Sheep were introduced again to improve the low-yield sheep at the “two ranches.” In 1972, sheep were also brought in but continued to be raised at Tianzhao Mountain Ranch. However, due to their inability to adapt, they were naturally eliminated.

　　Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats are well adapted to the natural ecological environment of Liangzhou. Through introduction and improvement, a sizable hybrid population of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats was formed. To improve the quality of their hides and transform inferior goats, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, two expeditions were made to Wenchuan, Dayi, and other areas to introduce the Sichuan Tong Sheep—a high-quality dual-purpose local breed used for both meat and hide—as the sire breed, to crossbreed with Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats. Thanks to the successful improvement outcomes of the Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats, a breeding population was selected in the early 1970s. Coupled with a series of national policies encouraging the sheep industry, this significantly boosted the development of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goat production. In 1979, the regional herd reached 50,000 goats, marking the highest historical level.

　　After forming a new breed group of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats in the early 1980s, to accelerate the breeding process, enrich the genetic foundation of the new breed, and improve sheep farming productivity, from 1984 to 1988, Tübingen rams were introduced three times and Nubian rams twice, providing a basis for maintaining the breeding direction and production focus. Through the consecutive “Seventh Five-Year Plan” and “Eighth Five-Year Plan” periods, following the technical route of “strengthening selection, establishing bloodlines, improving quality, and expanding the population,” focused efforts were made to improve the meat performance of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats, achieving the standards and conditions of a new breed and further promoting its production. At the time of breed approval, evaluation, and certification in 1995, the regional herd of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats reached 80,000, setting another historic high in both quantity and quality.

　　Within this century, Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goat production achieved three historic highs—not only in increased numbers but also in improved herd quality and greater sheep farming benefits. The success of breeding and the cultivation of the new breed fundamentally shifted Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats from a quantity-focused model to a quality-oriented one. By the end of the 20th century, a wave of prosperity through goat farming was rising in Liangzhou District. According to incomplete 1996 statistics, over 120 households in the district earned over 5,000 yuan from Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats. In 2004, the herd of Liangzhou Tianzhao Mountain goats reached 350,000.