Table 4.
Main Characteristics of the production systems identified in Greece and of the representative farms used in the analysis.
| Characteristics | Farming Systems [2] | Representative Farms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extensive | Semi-Intensive | Intensive | Extensive | Semi-Intensive | Intensive | |
| Farm size | No significant diversification (extensive usually larger) | 350 productive goats | 300 | 300 | ||
| Breeds | Hardy local breeds, | Improved local breeds | Highly productive breeds foreign breeds or local improved breeds | Local breeds | Improved local breeds | Highly productive local improved breeds |
| Use of pastures-shrublands | About 80% of feeding requirements, supplementary feeding during winter | 50% of the feeding requirements | 0% of the feeding requirements | 75% of the feeding requirements | 30% of the feeding requirements | 0% of the feeding requirements |
| Use of concentrates | About 15% of nutritional requirements | Higher than extensive, lower than intensive | Mainly used to satisfy livestock feeding requirements | 20% of the feeding requirements | 60% of the feeding requirements | 62% of the feeding requirements |
| Annual milk yield (kg/goat) | Estimated for Makedonitiki breed by Kitsopanides [2] at 134 | Estimated for Skopelou breed by Kitsopanides [2] at 292 | Estimated for Saanen and Alpine breeds by Kitsopanides [2] at 580–625 | 115 | 300 | 520 |
| Level of mechanization (level of usage of equipments (e.g., for preparation of feed, milking machines etc.) | Low | Moderate (usually no milking machine) | Very high | Low (no milking machine) | Moderate (no milking machine) | Very high |
| Invested capital/goat | Low-low productivity livestock | Moderate | Very high | Low | Moderate | Very high |
| Prolificacy index (number of kids per goat per birth) | Estimated for Makedonitiki breed by Kitsopanides [2] at 1.14 | Estimated for Skopelou breed by Kitsopanides [2] at 1.37 | Estimated for Saanen and Alpine breeds by Kitsopanides [2] at 1.72–1.74 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.80 |
| Percent of milk income to total farm income | Estimated for Makedonitiki breed by Kitsopanides [2] at 57% | Estimated for Skopelou breed by Kitsopanides [2] at 74% | Estimated for Saanen and Alpine breeds by Kitsopanides [2] at 80% | 60% | 75% | 86% |