Test Your Knowledge of Goats

The Domesticated Mammal (Capra hircus)

• Goats are a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock, and were domesticated from the wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe.

• There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat, used for milk, meat, fur, and skins across much of the world.

• Female goats are referred to as does or nannies, intact males are called bucks or billies, and juvenile goats of both sexes are called kids.

• In 2011, there were more than 924 million goats living in the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

• The goat is one of the oldest domesticated species of animal, with archaeological evidence indicating domestication occurred in Iran 10,000 years ago.

• Goats have been used for their milk, which is often turned into goat cheese.

• Goats have horizontal, slit-shaped pupils and no tear ducts.

• Both male and female goats may have beards, and many types of goat may have wattles, one dangling from each side of the neck.

• Goats are browsing animals, preferring to eat the tips of woody shrubs and trees, as well as the occasional broad-leaved plant.

• Goats are naturally curious, agile, and well known for their ability to climb and balance in precarious places, making them the only ruminant to regularly climb trees.

• Goats are intelligent and have been found to be as intelligent as dogs by some studies. They are also naturally communicative with humans, and will look to a human for assistance when faced with a challenge that had previously been mastered.

• Domesticated animals have the capacity for complex communication with humans, and research into human-goat interaction could offer overall improvement in the animals' welfare.Facts About Goats

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

• Goats are subject to a number of diseases, including respiratory diseases, foot rot, internal parasites, pregnancy toxicosis, and feed toxicity.

• Goats can transmit a number of zoonotic diseases to people, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, Q fever, and rabies.

• The life expectancy of goats is between 15 and 18 years, but this can be reduced by various factors.

• Goats are used for milk, meat, fiber, manure, and driving and packing purposes.

• The intestine of goats is used to make "catgut" for internal human surgical sutures and strings for musical instruments.

• India, Bangladesh, and Sudan are the top producers of goat milk, and India slaughters 41% of 124.4 million goats each year.

• Husbandry practices for goats vary by region and culture, and distinct breeds are kept for dairy and meat production.

• Goat meat can be prepared in a variety of ways and is considered similar in taste to spring lamb meat.

• Goat milk is commonly processed into cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, cajeta, and other products.

• The Angora breed of goats produces long, curling, lustrous locks of mohair, while the cashmere goat produces a commercial quantity of cashmere wool.

• Goats have been used by humans to clear unwanted vegetation for centuries, and this practice has become popular in North America for invasive species removal.

• Some countries' militaries use goats to train combat medics due to their anatomy and physiology being similar to that of humans.Facts and Myths About Goats

• Goats can form close bonds with their human guardians due to their herd mentality.

• Goats require a wide range of food, including hay, chaffhaye, grain feed or pelleted grain mix, and loose minerals.

• Goat breeds fall into overlapping categories such as dairy, fiber, meat, skins, and as companion animals.

• 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.

• The American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) scorecard for an adult doe includes a point system of a hundred total with major categories.

• The goat is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

• The goat has had a lingering connection with Satanism and pagan religions, even into modern times.

• Goats are mentioned many times in the Bible, and a goat is considered a "clean" animal by Jewish dietary laws.

• In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus said that like a shepherd he will separate the nations placing on his right hand the sheep.

• Feral goats readily revert to the wild if given the opportunity, and have established themselves in many areas.

• The Gävle Goat is a giant version of the Yule Goat, erected every year in the Swedish city of Gävle.

• According to Norse mythology, the god of thunder, Thor, has a chariot that is pulled by the goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr.