Whether for milk and produce or meat or an animal husbandry business, goats are among the most popular choice for several people across the globe. But do you know, there are several types of goats present in the world? These goats come in various species and breeds and are most popular in Southern Asia and Europe.
Today, let us learn all about the different kinds and species of goats globally, which we did not know.
Goats and Characteristics:
The scientific name of domestic goats is Capra aegagrus hircus. The goats belong to the family of Bovidae, which also includes other domestic animals in farming, such as buffaloes and cattle. They are often confused with sheep, as these goats are related to the same subfamily of caprinae. However, unlike sheep, goats are hollow horned and are lighter build. Over 300 breeds of goats worldwide are identified to date and are most popularly domesticated for fur, meat, and milk produce.
Most domestic goats are native to Asia, and history points to the early origin around Persian. These are also popular in Britain, Europe, and North America for milk and producing cheese. Some breeds specifically are also raised for leather purposes.
Popular and Famous Goat Breeds & Types in the World:
Let us now go ahead and explore more about these different varieties and types of goats breeds present globally. These include both wild goats and domestic goats.
1. Alpine:
The Alpines are among the most popular goats present and are native to the French Alps. Hence the other popular name for them is French Alpine goats. They are the most famous milking breed goats that even produce up to two gallons per day. Their milking abilities are so famous that they are much put in use to make cheese, butter, and creams. Although these goats are used to live in chiller climates, they are pretty adaptive too.
Given that they deliver rich milk, they need to have an excellent nutritional diet monitored closely. These goats weigh around 135 pounds to 160 pounds and are in small to medium size. These are among the most famous goat types and breeds in the world.
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2. La Mancha:
The La Mancha goats are native to America and are bred mainly around Oregon. However, many also believe their roots historically traced to Spain country too. The La Manchas has an unusual appearance given very tiny ears, and most refer to them as even being earless. They are famous for having perfect milking goats with high protein content. These goats are sturdy, cooperative, and gentle.
3. Nubian:
The Nubian goats come with long and very floppy convex-looking ears. They are native to Northern American regions and are large, sturdy goats that are used both for meat and milk. Most often, Nubians are best for meat, with very high protein and fat content. These thrive in a hotter climate and have a very long breeding season. They weigh anywhere between 140-160 pounds on average.
4. Saanen:
The Saanen goats come in white to light cream color with dark patches and are most famous in types of dairy goats. These types of goats are second in the highest milk production goats varieties in the world, after the Alpines. They have white hair, short in size, and are easy maintenance with sturdiness and gentle character.
5. Boer:
Boer goats are famous as among the easiest in maintenance and care. They are economic goats that are generally bred for business to make some money. They are native to South Africa and are among the ones that are best for meat. These types of goats weigh over 180-200 pounds and look short and yet a bit bulky in appearance.
6. Spanish Goats:
As the name suggests, the Spanish goats are native and originally bred in Spain. However, they entered the US and Mexico countries popularly for their meat production. They are also famously called brush goats and are large in size weighing between 100-200 pounds. They are good foragers, hardy, resistant, and very easy to maintain and breed.
7. Kiko:
The Kiko goats are popular natives of New Zealand. They are famous for their effortless and good growth and both dairy and meat production. They are pretty simple to take care of and often are mainly put to breed other goats easily. Their meat is excellent too, famous for good fat and proteins at once.
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8. Tennessee Fainting:
Tennessee goats are among the indigenous goats, unlike the crossbreeds. They are native to the United States. The name Tennessee fainting came after the behavior and character to tense or stiff up when they are excited or startled. When these goats stiffen up, they can freeze in that particular place and space for around ten to fifteen seconds. This happens because of their genetic condition, myotonia congenita. Therefore, the Tennessee fainting goats are suitable for meat consumption.
9. Pygmy:
The Pygmy types of goats are big to medium-sized ones that are perfect for milking abilities. They are native to the United Kingdom and are crossbreed goats. These kinds do not grow taller than 20-22 inches and are a popular choice in and around Europe.
10. Nigerian Dwarf:
As the name suggests, these are miniature dwarf-sized types of small goats. Unlike their appearance, these indeed are great for their abilities to produce good milk quantity. The Nigerian dwarf types of goats look like small Alpines, and their height can grow maximum up to around 22 inches. These goats are descendants of West African dwarfs and are present in both US and Africa. Besides milking, they are also famous for shows. They are friendly ones and come in white and black color with blue eyes. They are also among popular ones in all types of goats for pets.
11. Angora:
Unlike the other milk and meat-producing ones, the Angora goats are perfect for making and bringing out fiber. The angora is perfect for mohair, used to prepare scarves, garments, and sweaters. They are highly beneficial for chiller and colder climates. These types of goats are primarily present around the Asian continent, especially famous in Kashmir, India.
12. Cashmere:
This is another different famous types of mountain goats for producing wool. The cashmere goats are world-famous for their delicate and soft wool produced in heavy quantities with high qualities. They are used to prepare winter undercoats with the help of coarse outer hair present on them. The Cashmere goats are present around Kashmir, Ladakh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Tibet, and Nepal. They are primarily white or black/brown goats.
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Interesting Facts About Goats:
Now that we have learned a great deal about famous types of goats, their varieties and kinds, let us also find some fun and interesting facts about them.
- Across the world, goat meat is the most consumed meat by humans.
- Goats are easy to tame. They can learn basics from humans easily, and they can recognize their names quickly.
- They are famous for being in the herd. These herd animals cannot stay alone or without companions. They can appear very sad and depressed if so.
- Baby goats can walk almost immediately after born.
- They are very picky eaters. So, if you give them anything lying around on the floor to eat, they most probably won’t like it.
These several types of goats globally popular are famous for their milking abilities, producing meat or wool and fiber. We hope you learned something new today with us. Let us know your thoughts and what do you think. We love to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:
1. What do goats eat?
The best and ideal food for goats is Hay. The Hay grass or legumes are primarily suitable for feeding several kinds of goats.
2. How long do goats generally live?
The lifespan of different goats varieties differs amongst them. But, most probably, their average lifespan is about 12 to 18 years.
3. Which breeds among goats live the longest?
The Boer goats generally outlive the other types; they can live up to 20 years, too, if a healthy life is present.
4. Which goat breeds are famous for their meats?
Globally speaking, the Boer and Spanish goats are the most famous ones in their varieties of meat.
5. Which goats are the best ones for making milk-based products?
The Saanen goats generally produce a good quantity of milk and are ideal for preparing cheese, butter, and related products.
Disclaimer:
This is exclusively a guide about types of goats for informative purposes only. The opinions and overview in this article are provided from various sources across the web. The author does not guarantee or promise any accuracy of facts provided in this article.
