Goats

Overview

•Goat (Capra Hircus) is the domesticated species of the wild goat (C. aegagrus) - Over 10,000 years ago

•Over 300 breeds of Goat

•Goats have been used for milk, meat, fur, and skins

•TAXONOMY

-Female goats are referred to as does or nannies; The females have an udder consisting of two teats

-Intact males are called bucks or billies; castrated males are called wethers

- juvenile goats of both sexes are called kids.

•Their horns are made of living bone surrounded by keratin and other proteins, and are used for defense, dominance, and territoriality

•Goats are Ruminants - large hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions: They have one stomach with four compartments; the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum with the RUMEN being the largest compartment. The reticulum is the smallest compartment. The omasum's main function is to absorb water and nutrients from the digestible feed. The abomasum is like the human stomach; this is why it is known as the "true stomach".

•REPRODUCTION

-Goats reach puberty between three and 15 months of age depending on the breed and health

-Does of any breed or region come into estrus(heat) every 21 days for two to 48 hours. A doe in heat typically flags (vigorously wags) her tail often, stays near the buck if one is present, becomes more vocal, and may also show a decrease in appetite and milk production for the duration of the heat.

-Bucks go into RUT or mating season in the fall as with the does heat cycle - Rut is characterized by a decrease in appetite and obsessive interest in the does. A buck will display flehmen lip curling and will urinate on its forelegs. Sebaceous scent glands at the base of the horns add to the male goat's odor, which is important to make him attractive to the female.

-Gestation length is approximately 150 days. Twin’s are the usual result

•Goats are BROWSING animals - feeds on leaves, soft shoots,or fruits of high-growing, generally woody plants ; eating mainly non grasses as opposed to grazers.

•Goats are intelligent, capable of complex communication, and able to form bonds

•Life expectancy for goats is between 15-18 years; Problems during kidding can lower a doe's expected life span to 10 or 11, and stresses of going into rut can lower a buck's expected life span to eight to 10 years

•A goatherd or goatherder is a person who heards goats a vocational activity

•In Africa and the Mideast, goats are typically run in flocks with sheep. This maximizes the production per acre, as goats and sheep prefer different food plants.

Uses

1.)Catgut - Catgut (also known as gut) is a type of cord that is prepared from the natural fiber found in the walls of animal intestines like Goat ; catgut is used for strings in many musical instruments or harp, violins, lutes, etc.

2.)Milk

•Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply

•Goat milk naturally has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream remains suspended in the milk, instead of rising to the top. - No need to be homogenized

• Goat milk is generally processed into cheese, butter, ice cream, and yogurts.

3.)Manure

•Goat droppings can be used in nearly any type of garden, including that of flowering plants, herbs, vegetables, and fruit trees.

•Goat manure can be composted and used as mulch; in addition the pelletized droppings allow more airflow into compost piles, which speeds up composting time

•❗️ their manure doesn’t typically attract insects or burn plants as does manure from cows or horses. Goat manure is virtually odorless and is beneficial for the soil

•This manure contains nutrients that plants need for optimal growth. When the goats have bed in stalls, urine collects in goat droppings and the manure retains more nitrogen, increasing its fertilizing potency.❗️This increase in nitrogen usually requires composting prior to use to mellow the burn potential to plants

•Can add your goat manure fertilizer to the garden in the fall and allow it to soak into the ground over winter

4.)Meat

•It can be prepared in a variety of ways, including stewing, baking, grilling, barbecuing, canning and frying; it can be minced, curried, or made into sausage. Due to its low fat content, the meat can toughen at high temperatures.

•South African Boer most popular breed for meat production

•❗️Both does and bucks of meat breeds may be slaughtered for meat, as well as older animals of any breed. The meat of older bucks (more than one year old) is generally considered not desirable for meat for human consumption

5.)Fiber

•The Angora breed of goats produces long, curling, lustrous locks of mohair( a soft wool that comes from the hair of the Angora goat characterized by its distinct luster and sheen)

•The thinner fibers from young goats are used more for clothing, like sweaters, while the thicker, coarser fibers are used for carpets, upholstery, drapery fabric, and outerwear.

•The desirable fiber for the textile industry is the soft is the softer insulating hairs near the skin known as cashmere - one of the most expensive natural fibers commercially produced

6.) Grazing

•Conservative grazing is the use of Domesticated grazing livestock to maintain and increase the biodiversity of natural grasslands, heathlands, wood pastors, wetlands and many other habitats

7.) Hide

•Tanned leather from goatskin is considered extremely durable and is commonly used to make rugs (for example in Indonesia) and carpet binding. It is often used for gloves, boots, and other products that require a soft hide.

Breed/Varieties