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| Capra aegagrus hircus |
Female goats are referred to as does, intact males as bucks. Castrated males are wethers, offspring are kids.
Goats have been domesticated for roughly 10,000 years: they are kept for the production of milk and hair. They are also harvested for their meat. Domestic goats are generally kept in herds that wander on hills or other grazing areas, often tended by goatherds who are frequently children or adolescents, similar to the more widely known shepherd.
Goats are reputed to be willing to eat almost anything. Contrary to this reputation they are quite fastidious in their habits, preferring to browse on the tips of woody shrubs and trees, as well as the occasional broad leaved plant. Due to this they are less susceptible than other livestock to parasites when allowed to feed in a natural setting. They will seldom eat soiled food or water unless facing starvation. They certainly do not consume garbage, tin cans, or clothing. Their reputation for doing so is most likely due to their intensely inquisitive and intelligent nature: they will explore anything new or unfamiliar in their surroundings. Lacking hands and fingers, they do so primarily with their prehensile upper lip and tongue.
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2 Goat Breeds 3 See also 4 External links |
Gestation length is 120 days. Twins are the usual result, with single and triplet births also commom. Less frequent are litters of quadruplet, quintuplet, and even sextuplet kids. Birthing, known as kidding, generally occurs uneventfully with few complications.
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 1,500 and 4,000 lbs of milk per 305 day lactation. Meat, fiber, and pet breeds are not usually milked and simply produce enough for the kids until weaning.