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CHAPTER 1
A GOAT IS JUST A GOAT — RIGHT?
People are goats, they just don't know it.
— Ches McCartney, the Goat Man
When I decided to raise goats, there were just a few recognized dairy breeds. The LaManchas, with their funny little ears, were easy for me to rule out — they looked too goofy. The Swiss breeds were nice, just not what I wanted. Since I wanted a dairy goat, I didn't consider the tiny Pygmy or the silky-coated Angora. The heavily muscled Boer goat hadn't reached this country yet, the Nigerian Dwarf goat wasn't really considered a milker, and the stiff-legged Tennessee Fainting goat wasn't even on my radar. The Nubian, with her long ears and variety of colors, drew my eye. Just like that, my choice of goat breed was decided, and a journey I'd never anticipated began!
I'm far from alone in my fascination with goats. Geographically, goats are the most widespread livestock species. Because of their adaptability, goat herds can be found anywhere from the cold mountains of Siberia to the deserts of Africa to the moist regions of the tropics.
Scientists think that the wild bezoar (Capra aegagrus), an ancestor to the goat that still thrives in Europe and Asia, was the first domesticated herbivore. In the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East, archaeological studies have found evidence that goats were bred in early human settlements. Goat remains excavated from a cave show signs of a healed broken leg that could only have been treated by humans. Those remains were carbon-dated to between twelve and fifteen thousand years ago.
Other studies suggest that Asia was another center of caprine development. Through DNA analysis, researchers have found a completely different strain of Asian goats, along with unique strains of pigs, cows, and sheep. Wild goats in Pakistan may have been the ancestors of Cashmere goats. Many traits of the Cashmere are different from the rest of the goat breeds.
Despite these multiple origins, animal geneticists have concluded that the world goat population has less genetic variation than the world cattle population. Goat DNA shows only about a 10 percent variation between animals on different continents. Cattle DNA varies by 50 percent or more. This lack of variation seems to indicate that goats migrated with their keepers across continents.
Migratory people likely took along the most versatile animals. Goats provided milk, meat, fiber, and hides while also carrying some of the load on their backs or pulling carts of gear. Their adaptability and their calm, friendly nature make goats easy to transport. In colonial times, they traveled on the Mayflower and other ships to provide food. These goats stayed with colonists or were sold as trade goods. Some were released on islands to run wild to provide supplies for sailors on future voyages — not a great idea. In the absence of natural predators, the nonnative goats soon overran their island homes. The ecological damage from released goats was devastating. These browsers efficiently stripped vegetation. In the Galapagos Islands, goats were a leading cause in the demise of the famous giant tortoises.
Interest in goats expanded rapidly through the 2000s, partially due to the growth of ethnic groups in the United States, as well as incentives in the southeastern states for tobacco farmers to switch to other sources of income. Since I first wrote this book, the number of goats inventoried by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has dropped by one million animals. The January 1, 2018, inventory by the USDA totaled almost 2.62 million head. This number included 2.16 million breeding goats. I can't be certain if the dropping census numbers are also due to actual decreases in the number of goats or if they reflect decreased reporting and fewer commercial farming enterprises.
Opposite: Goat horn has traditionally been used for musical instruments, such as the Jewish shofar. Shutterstock
The numbers include 380,000 dairy goats, 142,000 Angora goats, and 2.1 million meat goats. Dairy goats represent 15 percent of all goats in the United States. Meat animals account for 80 percent of goats, while Angora goats number the remaining 5 percent. It is rare to find an Angora herd of any size outside of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In fact, before 2005, the USDA only surveyed three states. The survey method and status of goats as minor species in the agricultural community most likely vastly underestimates the true number of goats.
In reality, it is impossible to guess how many goats live in the United States. The agriculture census is not a survey of pets or hobby farm animals. With increasing numbers of ethnic communities, the demand for traditional foods from their native lands continues to grow. Others are simply interested in food from sustainable sources. Miniature goat breeds are popular pets. Only a cursory search on the internet brings up a dizzying number of goat sites, videos, and photos. It would seem that interest in my caprine friends has not waned since they became human companions at the dawn of civilization.
The use of goats and their products is limited mostly by public perception. Some societies prize goats; others view goat products with suspicion. Goats make excellent companions and beasts of burden but are better known for the products they provide. These products vary as widely as the animals themselves. Obvious commodities include cheese, milk, hair, and meat. But goat hide, a byproduct of the meat-goat industry, has many uses. Goatskin parchment was once used for writing in Europe. Wine and water were carried in containers made from goat hide. Glue has been made using hide as well as hoof and horn shavings. A soft, fine goatskin called morocco is imported from Africa today and used by modern bookbinders because it is strong and durable. Musical instruments, especially drums, are made from goat hide. Goat leather also makes fine boots and clothing. The phrase "kid gloves" still brings to mind the finest of soft leather. In fact, my favorite gardening gloves are made from goatskin! Modern "catgut" used as a medical suture is often made from goat intestines. Elite car manufacturers use Boer goat leather due to its beauty and durability. Even the horns of goats have numerous uses.
The modern flutophone probably originated from the gemshorn (German for "goat horn"), a medieval instrument played like a flute and made from goat horn. The shofar, a ceremonial horn used in Jewish tradition, is sometimes made of goat horn. Goat horn has been used to make eating utensils and drinking containers. Goat horn, as well as bone, is still used today for jewelry, buttons, and crafts.
GOAT ASSOCIATIONS AND SOCIETIES
The first two editions of this book contained addendum pages listing various clubs and registrations for goats. With the growth of the internet and ubiquitous access to computers, I have removed this section in favor of recommending new goat owners do their research online.
A few people get into goats by chance. They see some cute goats and just buy them at auction or from an animal swap without any planning. More often, there is a certain amount of research that starts with the question, "What kind of goat should I get?" Various goat groups and registry associations can answer that question and many others. These organizations are wonderful resources for goat owners to learn about the breeds, get to know other goat enthusiasts, and participate in sponsored shows or events. Some groups are simply clubs of enthusiasts or local branches of national registries. Often, your choice will be made easily by finding out which group is most active in your area.
I got my first information about goats by joining the Minnesota Dairy Goat Association. This local group is affiliated with the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) and sponsors shows, youth trainings, and educational activities for dairy goat owners in my state. You can find your own local clubs by an internet search or by contacting the national organization about what clubs are operating in your area.
The American Milch Goat Record Association began registering dairy goats in 1904 and published the first herd book in 1914. (Milch derives from an Old English word meaning "giving milk.") Now known as the American Dairy Goat Association, this venerable organization has almost 15,000 members.
The ADGA recognizes seven full-sized and one miniature breed as dairy goats in their registry. Efforts are underway to add the Golden Guernsey goat to this list under the name Guernsey goat. As American breeders work with the genetics of a few imported embryos and semen from the British Isles, this rare breed may find new life in a new land.
The American Goat Society (AGS) is about one-tenth the size of the ADGA. AGS was founded in 1935 as a registry organization for only purebred goats. Today the AGS registers purebreds from the eight dairy breeds accepted by ADGA as well as a purebred Pygmy goat herd book.
In ADGA, when two different breeds of registered "Purebred" goats mate, their offspring are eligible to be recorded as Grade or Experimental. Purebreds that have serious enough defects to disqualify them from being registered in their breed must also be recorded as Experimental. For example, Sable Saanens were listed as Experimental before being recognized as a separate breed from traditional white Saanens.
ADGA permits the registration of goats designated by breed name with the addition of "American." A Purebred dairy goat comes from a Purebred sire and Purebred dam of the same breed, conforming to breed standards. An American goat is the offspring of a sire and dam of the same breed going back a minimum three generations for does and four for bucks. ADGA maintains separate herd — official lists of registered animals — for Purebred and American goats. The LaMancha and Sable breeds have an open herd book, meaning that goats can "breed up" into the Purebred registry. Nigerian Dwarf goats have only a Purebred herd book with no Grade program. Currently, crosses of Nigerian Dwarf goats with full-sized dairy breeds are not recognized or registered by the dairy goat association, although there are registries and clubs for these "minis." AGS is considering the possibility of adding American herd books into their registry.
The International Dairy Goat Registry (IDGR) was created in 1980 to provide low-cost registration and record-keeping service for owners of all breeds of goats and sheep. With herd books for Purebreds, Americans, Grades, and Experimentals in every breed, IDGR tries to support every goat and sheep breed. By October 2014 they changed their name to the International Dairy Goat Registry-International Fiber Breed Registry to better reflect their mission. Most recently, they became the International Goat, Sheep, Camelid Registry. From the looks of things, they register all manner of dairy goats, including "mini" versions of every recognized dairy breed crossed with Nigerian Dwarf goats. Theoretically, they will also register meat goats, but none are currently listed on their website.
In early 2000, the ADGA and the American Meat Goat Association (AMGA) began a joint effort to create an all-inclusive national goat organization. This group is trying to represent the multiple goat-related industries, and by 2009, the American Goat Federation was formed. This group provides support and education for the dairy-meat, and fiber-goat industries. It does not offer animal registrations.
TYPES AND BREEDS OF GOATS
Despite the genetic similarities among the goat population as a whole, experts have identified more than three hundred distinct caprine breeds. A breed is defined as a group of animals that has certain traits in common, such as similar color, conformation, function, or size. Animals within a breed pass these traits to their offspring. Landrace breeds are those that evolved in the wild through natural selection and are ideally suited to their specific environment, while modern domestic breeds are created through controlled matings. These modern breeds of goats are often separated into their respective breeds by main purpose — easily researched by following information put out by the societies and associations formed to promote them.
DAIRY GOATS
Dairy goats are distinguished by ear type, color pattern, and size. The Swiss breeds (Alpine, Oberhasli, Saanen, Sable, and Toggenburg) have upright ears. These breeds are distinguished from one another by color.
Alpine
The ancestors of all purebred Alpines in the United States today arrived in 1922, when twenty-one animals were imported from France. Alpine goats are sometimes called French Alpines. The so-called Swiss breeds of dairy goat are thought by some to be color variants of the Alpine breed of goats — thus giving us Saanens, Sables, Toggenburgs, and Oberhasli to grow into separate breeds.
Eleven percent of the goats registered or transferred by ADGA in 2017 were Alpines. Prior to the addition of the Nigerian goat, Alpines were the second most popular dairy goat in the United States. The Alpine has medium to short hair and upright ears. The breed standard requires a straight face; a Roman nose (convex muzzle) is faulted. Toggenburg coloring (brown body and white markings) or all-white coloring is discriminated against. Mature does should stand 30 inches tall at the withers and weigh 135 pounds. Mature bucks should stand 32 inches tall at the withers and weigh 160 pounds.
Alpines are strong milkers and can often be found in commercial goat dairies. In 2017, the average milk production for Alpine does in a 305-day lactation was 2,611 pounds milk with 85 pounds fat and 75 pounds protein or about 304 gallons of milk. This stands to reason, since they are often reported to milk "a gallon a day." A gallon of milk weighs 8.6 pounds.
LaMancha
The name LaMancha originated from an unreadable description of some short-eared goats sent for exhibition to the 1904 Paris World's Fair. While the name was illegible, the words La Mancha, Cordoba, Spain were readable. This breed was probably originally known as Murciana.
Arriving in California with Spanish missionaries, these short-eared, dual-purpose milk-and-meat goats spread through the American West. In the 1920s, Phoebe Wilhelm crossed about 125 descendants of the mission goats with Toggenburg bucks. Later, Alpines, Nubians, and some Saanen bucks were bred to the short-eared does. Eula Fay Frey of Oregon worked hard to get LaManchas accepted for registry. In 1958, ADGA registered the first LaMancha — Fay's Ernie, L-1. About two hundred animals, sixty of which belonged to Frey's herd, started the registered herd book. The small ears are a distinctive breed characteristic and a dominant trait. Short ears carry even when crossed with another breed.
I didn't consider LaManchas for my first goats because of their appearance. This common initial reaction to the pixie-eared goat is quickly overcome by personal experience. The gentle, curious personality of the LaMancha wins people's hearts. In fact, in 2017, LaManchas made up 10 percent of ADGA registrations.
The LaMancha is no slouch in the dairy. In 2017, average production for a three-and-a-half-year-old LaMancha dairy goat on official Dairy Herd Improvement Association(DHIA) test was 2,245 pounds of milk, 84 pounds of fat, and 70 pounds of protein.
Nigerian Dwarf
Zoos initially brought miniature goats to the United States to feed large cats. The gentle nature of minis led to their popularity as pets. Nigerian Dwarfs and the Pygmy breed share the same genetic base, but over time breeder selection split them into two distinct breeds. The Nigerian Dwarf wasn't as common as the Pygmy. At one time, Nigerians were considered a "rare breed." The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) had Nigerians classified as "Recovering" on their Conservation Priority List.
The head, limbs, and body of a Nigerian goat are proportionate, a condition known as pituitary dwarfism. In 1981, the AGS was the first registry to recognize the Nigerian as a dairy goat. The IDGR started recording the Nigerians in 1982. The breed was accepted into the ADGA registry in 2005. Before these dates, Nigerian goats were considered solely a pet breed. Since ADGA recognition, the breed has flourished. Not only are Nigerians no longer listed as a conservation concern, the Nigerian Dwarf in 2017 was the most popular goat registered by ADGA by a long margin. The breed made up 35 percent of the registrations handled by ADGA with the next runner up, the Nubian, accounting for 26 percent.
The Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association registers Nigerian Dwarf goat does, bucks, and wethers. Their breed standard calls for slightly smaller goats than ADGA. NDGA also has a Milk Record Program. Unlike the ADGA DHIA, NDGA specifically requires does on test be no taller than 21 inches at the withers. Club shows include wethers, which are not shown or registered by the American Dairy Goat Association.
Kathleen Clapps of Texas was the first breeder to enter Nigerian Dwarf goats into an official milk test. Her goat earned Advanced Registry Star Milker status with 427 pounds of milk, 25 pounds of fat, and 20 pounds of protein. This level of production, not out of the ordinary for a traditional dairy goat, showed that Nigerians could successfully meet the standards set by the larger breeds. By 2017, the average 3-year-old Nigerian Dwarf doe on official milk test produced 778 pounds of milk, 48 pounds of fat and 34 pounds of protein. One-third of a gallon of milk a day isn't bad at all for such a small animal!
Nigerian Dwarf goats enjoy people and can become attached to their owner. Of course, these traits may lead to a "talkative" goat that lets you know when she wants something! Because of their small size, Nigerians are a favorite with FFA, 4-H, and homestead families.
The original Nigerian-type goats from Africa were black, a recessive color. Crossbreeding established the breed and gave today's Nigerian Dwarf a variety of colors and patterns. Nigerian goats are one of the few breeds to have some individuals with blue eyes. The Nigerian breed standard set by the ADGA includes short, fine hair; a straight or dished face; and erect, alert, medium-length ears. According to ADGA standard, the does stand no more than 22.5 inches and the bucks no more than 23.5 inches at the withers. This differs from the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association, which requires smaller heights of 17–19 inches for does and 19–21 inches for bucks with an absolute maximum of 23 inches at the withers.
Nubian
The Nubian is a combination of English goats and goats from other parts of the world. English ships traveled to many parts of the world, carrying goats to provide fresh milk and meat. Goats from these ports were crossed with common English milking goats.
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Excerpted from "How to Raise Goats"
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