Goat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Goat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of

goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Domestic goat
Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the family Bovidae Temporal range: .01–0Ma
and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the ↓

goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over 300 distinct Pre OS D C P T J K Pg N

breeds of goat.[1] Goats are one of the oldest domesticated Neolithic - Recent
species, and have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins
over much of the world.[2] In 2011, there were more than 924
million live goats around the globe, according to the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization.[3]

Female goats are referred to as "does" or "nannies", intact males

as "bucks", "billies", or "rams" and their offspring are "kids".
Castrated males are "wethers". Goat meat from younger animals
is called "kid" or cabrito (Spanish), and from older animals is
simply known as "goat" or sometimes called chevon (French), or
in some areas "mutton" (which more often refers to adult sheep
meat).

a pygmy goat

Conservation status
1 Etymology Domesticated
2 History Scientific classification
3 Anatomy and health Kingdom: Animalia
3.1 Reproduction Phylum: Chordata
3.2 Diet
Class: Mammalia
3.3 Behavior
Order: Artiodactyla
3.4 Diseases
Family: Bovidae
3.5 Life expectancy
4 Agriculture Subfamily: Caprinae
4.1 Worldwide goat population statistics Genus: Capra
4.2 Husbandry Species: C. aegagrus
4.3 Meat Subspecies: C. a. hircus
4.4 Milk, butter and cheese
Trinomial name
4.4.1 Nutrition
Capra aegagrus hircus
4.5 Fiber
(Linnaeus, 1758)
4.6 Land clearing
Synonyms
4.7 Use for medical training
5 Breeds Capra hircus

6 Showing

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7 Religion, mythology and folklore

8 Feral goats
9 See also
10 References
11 External links

The Modern English word goat comes from Old English gāt "she-goat, goat in general", which in turn derives
from Proto-Germanic *gaitaz (cf. Dutch/Icelandic geit, German Geiß, and Gothic gaits), ultimately from
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰaidos meaning "young goat" (cf. Latin haedus "kid"),[4] itself perhaps from a root
meaning "jump" (assuming that Old Church Slavonic zajęcǐ "hare", Sanskrit jihīte "he moves" are related).
To refer to the male, Old English used bucca (giving modern buck) until ousted by hegote, hegoote in the late
12th century. Nanny goat (females) originated in the 18th century and billy goat (for males) in the 19th.

Goats are among the earliest animals domesticated by humans.[5] The

most recent genetic analysis[6] confirms the archaeological evidence
that the wild Bezoar ibex of the Zagros Mountains are the likely
origin of almost all domestic goats today.[5]

Neolithic farmers began to herd wild goats for easy access to milk and
meat, primarily, as well as for their dung, which was used as fuel, and
their bones, hair, and sinew for clothing, building, and tools.[1] The
earliest remnants of domesticated goats dating 10,000 years before
present are found in Ganj Dareh in Iran. Goat remains have been Horn cores from the Neolithic village
found at archaeological sites in Jericho, Choga Mami[7] Djeitun and of Atlit Yam
Çayönü, dating the domestication of goats in Western Asia at between
8000 and 9000 years ago.[5]

Studies of DNA evidence suggests 10,000 years BP as the domestication date.[6]

Historically, goat hide has been used for water and wine bottles in both traveling and transporting wine for
sale. It has also been used to produce parchment.

Goats are considered small livestock animals, compared to bigger animals such as cattle, camels and horses,
but larger than microlivestock such as poultry, rabbits, cavies, and bees. Each recognized breed of goats has
specific weight ranges, which vary from over 140 kg (300 lb) for bucks of larger breeds such as the Boer, to
20 to 27 kg (45 to 60 lb) for smaller goat does.[8] Within each breed, different strains or bloodlines may have
different recognized sizes. At the bottom of the size range are miniature breeds such as the African Pigmy,
which stand 41 to 58 cm (16 to 23 in) at the shoulder as adults.[9]

Most goats naturally have two horns, of various shapes and sizes depending on the breed. Goats have horns
unless they are "polled" (meaning, genetically hornless) or the horns have been removed, typically soon after
birth.[10] There have been incidents of polycerate goats (having as many as eight horns), although this is a

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genetic rarity thought to be inherited. The horns are most typically

removed in commercial dairy goat herds, to reduce the injuries to
humans and other goats. Unlike cattle, goats have not been
successfully bred to be reliably polled, as the genes determining sex
and those determining horns are closely linked. Breeding together two
genetically polled goats results in a high number of intersex
individuals among the offspring, which are typically sterile.[10] Their
horns are made of living bone surrounded by keratin and other
proteins, and are used for defense, dominance, and territoriality.[11]

Goats are ruminants. They have a four-chambered stomach consisting

of the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. As with
other mammal ruminants, they are even-toed ungulates. The females
have an udder consisting of two teats, in contrast to cattle, which
have four teats.[12] An exception to this is the Boer goat, which
sometimes may have up to eight teats.[13][14][15]

Goats have horizontal, slit-shaped pupils. Because goats' irises are

A white Irish goat with horns usually pale, their contrasting pupils are much more noticeable than in
animals such as cattle, deer, most horses and many sheep, whose
similarly horizontal pupils blend into a dark iris and sclera. This
adaptation allows goats to see at least 320 degrees around their heads
with no blind spot in front of them.

Both male and female goats

have beards, and many types of
goat (most commonly dairy
goats, dairy-cross Boers, and
pygmy goats) may have wattles,
one dangling from each side of
the neck.[16] Goat tails versus sheep tails
Eye with horizontal pupil
Some breeds of sheep and goats
look similar, but they can usually be told apart because goat tails are
short and usually point up, whereas sheep tails hang down and are usually longer and bigger – though some
(like those of Northern European short-tailed sheep) are short, and longer ones are often docked.

Reproduction

Goats reach puberty between three and 15 months of age, depending

on breed and nutritional status. Many breeders prefer to postpone
breeding until the doe has reached 70% of the adult weight. However,
this separation is rarely possible in extensively managed, open-range
herds.[17]

In temperate climates and among the Swiss breeds, the breeding

season commences as the day length shortens, and ends in early
spring or before. In equatorial regions, goats are able to breed at any
A two-month-old goat kid in a field of
time of the year. Successful breeding in these regions depends more
capeweed
on available forage than on day length. 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.

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Bucks (intact males) of Swiss and northern breeds come into rut in
the fall as with the does' heat cycles. Bucks of equatorial breeds may
show seasonal reduced fertility, but as with the does, are capable of
breeding at all times. Rut is characterized by a decrease in appetite
and obsessive interest in the does. A buck in rut will display flehmen
lip curling and will urinate on his forelegs and face. 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. Some does will not
mate with a buck which has been descented.[18]

In addition to natural, traditional mating, artificial insemination has A female goat and two kids
gained popularity among goat breeders, as it allows easy access to a
wide variety of bloodlines.

Gestation length is approximately 150 days. Twins are the usual result, with single and triplet births also
common. Less frequent are litters of quadruplet, quintuplet, and even sextuplet kids. Birthing, known as
kidding, generally occurs uneventfully. Just before kidding, the doe will have a sunken area around the tail
and hip, as well as heavy breathing. She may have a worried look, become restless and display great affection
for her keeper. The mother often eats the placenta, which gives her much-needed nutrients, helps stanch her
bleeding, and parallels the behavior of wild herbivores, such as deer, to reduce the lure of the birth scent for
predators.[19][20]

Freshening (coming into milk production) occurs at kidding. Milk production varies with the breed, age,
quality, and diet of the doe; dairy goats generally produce between 680 and 1,810 kg (1,500 and 4,000 lb) of
milk per 305-day lactation. On average, a good quality dairy doe will give at least 3 kg (6 lb) of milk per day
while she is in milk. A first-time milker may produce less, or as much as 7 kg (16 lb), or more of milk in
exceptional cases. After the lactation, the doe will "dry off", typically after she has been bred. Occasionally,
goats that have not been bred and are continuously milked will continue lactation beyond the typical 305
days.[21] Meat, fiber, and pet breeds are not usually milked and simply produce enough for the kids until
weaning.

Male lactation is also known to occur in goats.[22]

Diet

Goats are reputed to be willing to eat almost anything, including tin cans and cardboard boxes. While goats
will not actually eat inedible material, they are browsing animals, not grazers like cattle and sheep, and
(coupled with their highly curious nature) will chew on and taste just about anything remotely resembling
plant matter to decide whether it is good to eat, including cardboard, clothing and paper (such as labels from
tin cans).[23] The unusual smells of leftover food in discarded cans or boxes may further stimulate their
curiosity.

Aside from sampling many things, goats are quite particular in what they actually consume, preferring to
browse on the tips of woody shrubs and trees, as well as the occasional broad-leaved plant. However, it can
fairly be said that their plant diet is extremely varied, and includes some species which are otherwise
toxic.[24] They will seldom consume soiled food or contaminated water unless facing starvation. This is one
reason goat-rearing is most often free ranging, since stall-fed goat-rearing involves extensive upkeep and is
seldom commercially viable.

Goats prefer to browse on vines, such as kudzu, on shrubbery and on weeds, more like deer than sheep,
preferring them to grasses. Nightshade is poisonous; wilted fruit tree leaves can also kill goats. Silage
(fermented corn stalks) and haylage (fermented grass hay) can be used if consumed immediately after
opening – goats are particularly sensitive to Listeria bacteria that can grow in fermented feeds. Alfalfa, a
high-protein plant, is widely fed as hay; fescue is the least palatable and least nutritious hay. Mold in a goat's

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feed can make it sick and possibly kill it.

The digestive physiology of a very young kid (like the young of other
ruminants) is essentially the same as that of a monogastric animal.
Milk digestion begins in the abomasum, the milk having bypassed the
rumen via closure of the reticuloesophageal groove during suckling.
At birth, the rumen is undeveloped, but as the kid begins to consume
solid feed, the rumen soon increases in size and in its capacity to
absorb nutrients.
A domestic goat feeding in a field of
The adult size of a particular goat is a product of its breed (genetic capeweed, a weed which is toxic to
potential) and its diet while growing (nutritional potential). As with all most stock animals
livestock, increased protein diets (10 to 14%) and sufficient calories
during the prepuberty period yield higher growth rates and larger eventual size than lower protein rates and
limited calories.[25] Large-framed goats, with a greater skeletal size, reach mature weight at a later age (36 to
42 months) than small-framed goats (18 to 24 months) if both are fed to their full potential. Large-framed
goats need more calories than small-framed goats for maintenance of daily functions.[26]

Behavior

Goats are extremely curious and intelligent. They are also very
coordinated and widely known for their ability to climb and hold their
balance in the most precarious places. This makes them the only
ruminant able to climb trees, although the tree generally has to be on
somewhat of an angle. Due to their agility and inquisitiveness, they
are notorious for escaping their pens by testing fences and enclosures,
either intentionally or simply because they are handy to climb on. If
any of the fencing can be spread, pushed over or down, or otherwise
be overcome, the goats will almost inevitably escape. Due to their
high intelligence, once a goat has discovered a weakness in the fence, Goats establish a dominance hierarchy
it will exploit it repeatedly, and other goats will observe and quickly
in flocks, sometimes through head
learn the same method.
butting.
Goats have an intensely inquisitive and intelligent nature; they will
explore anything new or unfamiliar in their surroundings. They do so primarily with their prehensile upper lip
and tongue. This is why they investigate items such as buttons, camera cases or clothing (and many other
things besides) by nibbling at them, occasionally even eating them.

When handled as a group, goats tend to display less clumping behavior than sheep, and when grazing
undisturbed, tend to spread across the field or range, rather than feed side-by-side as do sheep. When nursing
young, goats will leave their kids separated ("lying out") rather than clumped as do sheep. They will generally
turn and face an intruder and bucks are more likely to charge or butt at humans than are rams.[27]

Diseases

While goats are generally considered hardy animals and in many situations receive little medical care, they
are subject to a number of diseases. Among the conditions affecting goats are respiratory diseases including
pneumonia, foot rot, internal parasites, pregnancy toxosis and feed toxicity. Feed toxicity can vary based on
breed and location. Certain foreign fruits and vegetables can be toxic to different breeds of goats.

Goats can become infected with various viral and bacterial diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease, caprine
arthritis encephalitis, caseous lymphadenitis, pinkeye, mastitis, and pseudorabies. They can transmit a
number of zoonotic diseases to people, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, Q-fever, and rabies.[28]

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Life expectancy

Life expectancy for goats is between fifteen and eighteen years.[29]

An instance of a goat reaching the age of 24 has been reported.[30]

Several factors can reduce this average expectancy; problems during

kidding can lower a doe's expected life span to ten or eleven, and
stresses of going into rut can lower a buck's expected life span to
eight to ten years.[30]

Goats are well known for being hard to

A goat is useful to humans
contain with fencing.
when it is living and when it is
dead, first as a renewable
provider of milk, manure, and fiber, and then as meat and hide.[31]
Some charities provide goats to impoverished people in poor
countries, because goats are easier and cheaper to manage than cattle,
and have multiple uses. In addition, goats are used for driving and
packing purposes.

The intestine of goats is used to make "catgut", which is still in use as

Goat husbandry is common through
a material for internal human surgical sutures and strings for musical
the Norte Chico region in Chile.
instruments. The horn of the goat, which signifies plenty and
Intensive goat husbrandry in drylands
wellbeing (the cornucopia), is also used to make spoons.[32]
may produce severe erosion and
desertification. Image from upper
Worldwide goat population statistics Limarí River

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the top

producers of goat milk in 2008 were India (4 million metric tons),
Bangladesh (2.16 million metric tons) and the Sudan (1.47 million
metric tons).[33]

The Boer goat – in this case a buck – is

a widely-kept meat breed.

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World Goat Production: Selected Regions and Countries, 2008

Country/Region Total Animals (millions) Goat Milk (MT) Goat Meat (million MT)
World ----- 15.2 4.8
Africa 294.5 3.2 1.1
Nigeria 53.8 N/A 0.26
Sudan 43.1 1.47 0.19
Asia 511.3 8.89 3.4
Afghanistan 6.38 0.11 0.04
Pakistan 60.00 N/A N/A
India 125.7 4.0 0.48
Bangladesh 56.4 2.16 0.21
China 149.37 0.26 1.83
Saudi Arabia 2.2 0.076 0.024
Americas 37.3 0.54 0.15
Mexico 8.8 0.16 0.04
USA 3.1 N/A 0.022
Europe 17.86 2.59 0.012
UK 0.09 N/A N/A
France 1.2 0.58 0.007
Oceania 3.42 0.0004 0.018

Husbandry

Husbandry, or animal care and use, varies by region and culture. The particular housing used for goats
depends not only on the intended use of the goat, but also on the region of the world where they are raised.
Historically, domestic goats were generally kept in herds that wandered on hills or other grazing areas, often
tended by goatherds who were frequently children or adolescents, similar to the more widely known
shepherd. These methods of herding are still used today.

In some parts of the world, especially Europe and North America, distinct breeds of goats are kept for dairy
(milk) and for meat production. Excess male kids of dairy breeds are typically slaughtered for meat. 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. Castration at a young age prevents the development of typical buck odor.

Dairy goats are generally pastured in summer and may be stabled during the winter. As dairy does are milked
daily, they are generally kept close to the milking shed. Their grazing is typically supplemented with hay and
concentrates. Stabled goats may be kept in stalls similar to horses, or in larger group pens. In the US system,
does are generally rebred annually. In some European commercial dairy systems, the does are bred only
twice, and are milked continuously for several years after the second kidding.

Meat goats are more frequently pastured year-round, and may be kept many miles from barns. Angora and
other fiber breeds are also kept on pasture or range. Range-kept and pastured goats may be supplemented
with hay or concentrates, most frequently during the winter or dry seasons.

In India, Nepal, and much of Asia, goats are kept largely for milk production, both in commercial and
household settings. The goats in this area may be kept closely housed or may be allowed to range for fodder.

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The Salem Black goat is herded to pasture in

fields and along roads during the day, but is kept
penned at night for safe-keeping.[34]

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. Multiple types of
goat-raising are found in Ethiopia, where four
main types have been identified: pastured in
annual crop systems, in perennial crop systems,
with cattle, and in arid areas, under pastoral
(nomadic) herding systems. In all four systems,
however, goats were typically kept in extensive For smallholder farmers in many countries, such as this
systems, with few purchased inputs. [35] woman from Burkina Faso, goats are important livestock.
Household goats are traditionally kept in Nigeria.
While many goats are allowed to wander the homestead or village, others are kept penned and fed in what is
called a 'cut-and-carry' system. This type of husbandry is also used in parts of Latin America. Cut-and-carry,
which refers to the practice of cutting down grasses, corn or cane for feed rather than allowing the animal
access to the field, is particularly suited for types of feed, such as corn or cane, that are easily destroyed by
trampling.[36]

Pet goats may be found in many parts of the world when a family keeps one or more animals for emotional
reasons rather than as production animals. It is becoming more common for goats to be kept exclusively as
pets in North America and Europe.

Meat

The taste of goat kid meat is similar to that of spring lamb meat;[37] in fact, in the English-speaking islands of
the Caribbean, and in some parts of Asia, particularly Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, the word “mutton” is
used to describe both goat and lamb meat. However, some compare the taste of goat meat to veal or venison,
depending on the age and condition of the goat. Its flavor is said to be primarily linked to the presence of
4-methyloctanoic and 4-methylnonanoic acid.[38] 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 if cooked without additional moisture. One of the
most popular goats grown for meat is the South African Boer, introduced into the United States in the early
1990s. The New Zealand Kiko is also considered a meat breed, as is the myotonic or "fainting goat", a breed
originating in Tennessee.

Milk, butter and cheese

Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply.[39] Some goats are bred specifically for milk.
If the strong-smelling buck is not separated from the does, his scent will affect the milk.

Goat milk naturally has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream remains suspended in the
milk, instead of rising to the top, as in raw cow milk; therefore, it does not need to be homogenized. Indeed,
if the milk is to be used to make cheese, homogenization is not recommended, as this changes the structure of
the milk, affecting the culture's ability to coagulate the milk and the final quality and yield of cheese.[40]

Dairy goats in their prime (generally around the third or fourth lactation cycle) average—2.7 to 3.6 kg (6 to
8 lb)—of milk production daily—roughly 2.8 to 3.8 l (3 to 4 U.S. qt)—during a ten-month lactation,
producing more just after freshening and gradually dropping in production toward the end of their lactation.
The milk generally averages 3.5% butterfat.[41]

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Goat milk is commonly processed into cheese, butter, ice cream,

yogurt, cajeta and other products. Goat cheese is known as fromage
de chèvre ("goat cheese") in France. Some varieties include
Rocamadour and Montrachet.[42] Goat butter is white because goats
produce milk with the yellow beta-carotene converted to a colorless
form of vitamin A.

Nutrition

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages feeding infants A goat being machine milked on an
milk derived from goats. An April 2010 case report[43] summarizes organic farm
their recommendation and presents "a comprehensive review of the
consequences associated with this dangerous practice", also stating,
"Many infants are exclusively fed unmodified goat's milk as a result of cultural beliefs as well as exposure to
false online information. Anecdotal reports have described a host of morbidities associated with that practice,
including severe electrolyte abnormalities, metabolic acidosis, megaloblastic anemia, allergic reactions
including life-threatening anaphylactic shock, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and infections." Untreated caprine
brucellosis results in a 2% case fatality rate. According to the USDA, doe milk is not recommended for
human infants because it contains "inadequate quantities of iron, folate, vitamins C and D, thiamine, niacin,
vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid to meet an infant’s nutritional needs" and may cause harm to an infant's
kidneys and could cause metabolic damage.[44]

The Department of Health in the United Kingdom has repeatedly released statements stating on various
occasions that[45] "Goats' milk is not suitable for babies, and infant formulas and follow-on formulas based on
goats' milk protein have not been approved for use in Europe", and "infant milks based on goats' milk protein
are not suitable as a source of nutrition for infants."[46]

Also according to the Canadian Federal Health Department - Health Canada, most of the dangers or counter-
indication of feeding unmodified goat milk to infants, are similar to those incurring in the same practice with
cow's milk, namely in the allergic reactions.[47]

On the other hand, some farming groups promote the practice. For example, Small Farm Today in 2005
claimed beneficial use in invalid and convalescent diets, proposing that glycerol ethers, possibly important in
nutrition for nursing infants, are much higher in doe milk than in cow milk.[48] A 1970 book on animal
breeding claimed doe milk differs from cow or human milk by having higher digestibility, distinct alkalinity,
higher buffering capacity, and certain therapeutic values in human medicine and nutrition.[49] George
Mateljan suggested doe milk can replace ewe milk or cow milk in diets of those who are allergic to certain
mammals' milk.[50] However, like cow milk, doe milk has lactose (sugar), and may cause gastrointestinal
problems for individuals with lactose intolerance.[50] In fact, the level of lactose is similar to that of bovine
milk.[46]

Basic composition of various milks (mean

values per 100g)[51]
Constituent Doe (Goat) Cow Human
Fat (g) 3.8 3.6 4.0
Protein (g) 3.5 3.3 1.2
Lactose (g) 4.1 4.6 6.9
Ash (g) 0.8 0.7 0.2
Total solids (g) 12.2 12.3 12.3
Calories 70 69 68

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Milk composition analysis, per 100 grams[52]

Doe Ewe Water
Constituents unit Cow
(Goat) (Sheep) buffalo
Water g 87.8 88.9 83.0 81.1
Protein g 3.2 3.1 5.4 4.5
Fat g 3.9 3.5 6.0 8.0
Carbohydrate g 4.8 4.4 5.1 4.9
Energy kcal 66 60 95 110
Energy kJ 275 253 396 463
Sugars (lactose) g 4.8 4.4 5.1 4.9
Cholesterol mg 14 10 11 8
Calcium IU 120 100 170 195
Saturated fatty acids g 2.4 2.3 3.8 4.2
Monounsaturated fatty acids g 1.1 0.8 1.5 1.7
Polyunsaturated fatty acids g 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.2

These compositions vary by breed (especially in the Nigerian Dwarf breed), animal, and point in the lactation
period.

Fiber

The Angora breed of goats produces long, curling, lustrous locks of

mohair. The entire body of the goat is covered with mohair and there
are no guard hairs. The locks constantly grow to four inches or more
in length. Angora crossbreeds, such as the pygora and the nigora,
have been created to produce mohair and/or cashgora on a smaller,
easier-to-manage animal. The wool is shorn twice a year, with an
average yield of about 4.5 kg (10 lb).

Most goats have softer insulating hairs nearer the skin, and longer
guard hairs on the surface. The desirable fiber for the textile industry
An Angora goat
is the former, and it goes by several names (down, cashmere and
pashmina). The coarse guard hairs are of little value as they are too
coarse, difficult to spin and difficult to dye. The cashmere goat produces a commercial quantity of cashmere
wool, which is one of the most expensive natural fibers commercially produced; cashmere is very fine and
soft. The cashmere goat fiber is harvested once a year, yielding around 260 g (9 oz) of down.

In South Asia, cashmere is called "pashmina" (from Persian pashmina, "fine wool"). In the 18th and early
19th centuries, Kashmir (then called Cashmere by the British), had a thriving industry producing shawls from
goat-hair imported from Tibet and Tartary through Ladakh. The shawls were introduced into Western Europe
when the General in Chief of the French campaign in Egypt (1799–1802) sent one to Paris. Since these
shawls were produced in the upper Kashmir and Ladakh region, the wool came to be known as "cashmere".

Land clearing

Goats have been used by humans to clear unwanted vegetation for centuries. They have been described as
"eating machines" and "biological control agents".[53][54] There has been a resurgence of this in North
America since 1990, when herds were used to clear dry brush from California hillsides thought to be
endangered by potential wildfires. This form of using goats to clear land is sometimes known as conservation

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grazing. Since then, numerous public and private agencies have hired private herds to perform similar
tasks.[53] This practice has become popular in the Pacific Northwest, where they are used to remove invasive
species not easily removed by humans, including (thorned) blackberry vines and poison oak.[53][55][56]

Use for medical training

As a goat's anatomy and physiology is not too dissimilar from that of human, some countries' militaries use
goats to train combat medics. In the United States, goats have become the main animal species used for this
purpose after Pentagon phased out using dogs for medical training in the 1980s.[57] While modern
mannequins used in medical training are quite efficient in simulating the behavior of a human body, trainees
feel that "the goat exercise provide[s] a sense of urgency that only real life trauma can provide".[58]

Goat breeds fall into overlapping, general categories. They are generally distributed in those used for dairy,
fiber, meat, skins, and as companion animals. Some breeds are also particularly noted as pack goats.

Goat breeders' clubs frequently hold shows, where goats are judged
on traits relating to conformation, udder quality, evidence of high
production, longevity, build and muscling (meat goats and pet goats)
and fiber production and the fiber itself (fiber goats). People who
show their goats usually keep registered stock and the offspring of
award-winning animals command a higher price. Registered goats, in
general, are usually higher-priced if for no other reason than that
records have been kept proving their ancestry and the production and
other data of their sires, dams, and other ancestors. A registered doe
is usually less of a gamble than buying a doe at random (as at an
auction or sale barn) because of these records and the reputation of
the breeder. Children's clubs such as 4-H also allow goats to be A Nigerian Dwarf milker in show clip.
shown. Children's shows often include a showmanship class, where This doe is angular and dairy with a
the cleanliness and presentation of both the animal and the exhibitor capacious and well supported
as well as the handler's ability and skill in handling the goat are mammary system.
scored. In a showmanship class, conformation is irrelevant since this
is not what is being judged.

Various "Dairy Goat Scorecards" (milking does) are systems used for judging shows in the US. The American
Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) scorecard for an adult doe includes a point system of a hundred total with
major categories that include general appearance, the dairy character of a doe (physical traits that aid and
increase milk production), body capacity, and specifically for the mammary system. Young stock and bucks
are judged by different scorecards which place more emphasis on the other three categories; general
appearance, body capacity, and dairy character.

The American Goat Society (AGS) has a similar, but not identical scorecard that is used in their shows. The
miniature dairy goats may be judged by either of the two scorecards. The "Angora Goat scorecard" used by
the Colored Angora Goat Breeder's Association (CAGBA), which covers the white and the colored goats,
includes evaluation of an animal's fleece color, density, uniformity, fineness, and general body confirmation.
Disqualifications include: a deformed mouth, broken down pasterns, deformed feet, crooked legs,
abnormalities of testicles, missing testicles, more than 3 inch split in scrotum, and close-set or distorted horns.

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According to Norse mythology, the god of thunder, Thor, has a chariot

that is pulled by the goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. At night when
he sets up camp, Thor eats the meat of the goats, but takes care that
all bones remain whole. Then he wraps the remains up, and in the
morning, the goats always come back to life to pull the chariot. When
a farmer's son who is invited to share the meal breaks one of the
goats' leg bones to suck the marrow, the animal's leg remains broken
in the morning, and the boy is forced to serve Thor as a servant to
compensate for the damage.

Possibly related, the Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and
Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Yule
Goat originally denoted the goat that was slaughtered around Yule,
but it may also indicate a goat figure made out of straw. It is also used
about the custom of going door-to-door singing carols and getting
food and drinks in return, often fruit, cakes and sweets. "Going Yule
Goat" is similar to the British custom wassailing, both with heathen
roots. The Gävle Goat is a giant version of the Yule Goat, erected
every year in the Swedish city of Gävle. An ancient Greek oenochoe depicting
wild goats
The Greek god Pan is said to have the upper body of a man and the
horns and lower body of a goat. Pan was a very lustful god, nearly all
of the myths involving him had to do with him chasing nymphs. He is also credited with creating the pan
flute.

The goat is one of the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the
Chinese calendar. Each animal is associated with certain personality traits; those born in a year of the goat
are predicted to be shy, introverted, creative, and perfectionist.

Several mythological hybrid creatures are believed to consist of parts of the

goat, including the Chimera. The Capricorn sign in the Western zodiac is
usually depicted as a goat with a fish's tail. Fauns and satyrs are mythological
creatures that are part goat and part human. The mineral bromine is named
from the Greek word "brόmos", which means "stench of he-goats".

Goats are mentioned many times in the Bible. A goat is considered a "clean"
animal by Jewish dietary laws and was slaughtered for an honored guest. It
was also acceptable for some kinds of sacrifices. Goat-hair curtains were used
in the tent that contained the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4). Its horns can be used
instead of sheep's horn to make a shofar.[59] On Yom Kippur, the festival of
the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen and lots were drawn for them.
One was sacrificed and the other allowed to escape into the wilderness,
symbolically carrying with it the sins of the community. From this comes the
Amalthée et la chèvre de word "scapegoat". A leader or king was sometimes compared to a male goat
Jupiter (Amalthea and leading the flock. In the New Testament, Jesus told a parable of the Sheep
Jupiter's goat); commissioned
and the Goats (Gospel of Matthew 25).
by the Queen of France in
Popular Christian folk tradition in Europe associated Satan with imagery of
1787 for the royal dairy at
goats. A common superstition in the Middle Ages was that goats whispered
Rambouillet lewd sentences in the ears of the saints. The origin of this belief was probably
the behavior of the buck in rut, the very epitome of lust. The common
medieval depiction of the Devil was that of a goat-like face with horns and small beard (a goatee). The Black

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Mass, a probably-mythological "Satanic mass", was said to involve a black goat, the form in which Satan
supposedly manifested himself for worship.

The goat has had a lingering connection with Satanism and pagan religions, even into modern times. The
inverted pentagram, a symbol used in Satanism, is said to be shaped like a goat's head. The "Baphomet of
Mendes" refers to a satanic goat-like figure from 19th-century occultism.

The common Russian surname Kozlov (Russian: Козло́в), means "goat". Goatee refers to a style of facial hair
incorporating hair on a man’s chin, so named because of some similarity to a goat's facial feature.

Goats readily revert to the wild (become feral) if given the

opportunity. The only domestic animal known to return to feral life as
swiftly is the cat.[5] Feral goats have established themselves in many
areas: they occur in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, the
Galapagos and in many other places. When feral goats reach large
populations in habitats which provide unlimited water supply and
which do not contain sufficient large predators or which are otherwise
vulnerable to goats' aggressive grazing habits, they may have serious
effects, such as removing native scrub, trees and other vegetation
which is required by a wide range of other creatures, not just other Feral goat in Aruba
grazing or browsing animals. Feral goats are common in Australia.[60]
However, in other circumstances where predator pressure is
maintained, they may be accommodated into some balance in the local food web.

Goat throwing

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/qt/goats.htm) About.com. Accessed August 18, 2008.
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/PMC2584717). PNAS 105 (46): 17659–17664. doi:10.1073/pnas.0804782105 (https://dx.doi.org
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Information, Vol. 45 (2), Oct. 2010, Page 43, http://www.lohmann-information.com/content/l_i_45_artikel17.pdf
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mutton and goat meat flavor. New Zealand j. Agr. Res. 18:261-266. Both cited in K. Intarapichet K., Sihaboot
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/goat.pdf), environment.gov.au

Goat breeds from the Department of Animal Science, Wikiquote has quotations
Oklahoma State University (http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds related to: Goats
/goats/)
Wikimedia Commons has
The American Dairy Goat Association (http://www.adga.org/) media related to Goats.
British Goat Society (http://www.allgoats.com/)
International Goat Association (http://www.iga-goatworld.com/)
North American Packgoats Association (http://www.napga.org/)

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