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Goats

    Goats Editor's Picks

    • How to Take Care of Goats

      Goats are blessed with many beautiful aspects, one being the simplicity of their care. Goats don’t require daily walks, and you don’t have to clean their litter box. The only thing they ask for is attention, food, water and a neat little shelter. If you have all this, combine it with a few simple steps, and you have what... more »

    • How to Keep Pygmy Goats

      They are very cute. They like having their snouts rubbed and scratched and are as affectionate as a cat (ie. When they want to be). Pygmy goats are comfortable around dogs, cats and horses. They have very cool distinctive pupils that are horizontal rectangles. "That's why some people have likened them to the devil," says Cheryl... more »

    • How to Relate to Goats

      Goats are hilarious, curious and simply some of the coolest animals on the planet. They also can be a pain in the butt (pun intended) unless you’re aware of their nature. You can relate to goats by keeping some simple tips in mind. more »

    • How to Dehorn Goats

      While some goats are born without horns, a distinction known as "polled," most are born with them, and are later dehorned by breeders. The dehorning procedure is done for several reasons, including creating a safer handling environment where even a friendly goat might accidentally gore his owners. Dehorning also prevents injuries... more »

    • How to Take Care of Pigmy Goats

      Pygmy goats are one of the few animals classified as livestock that can be great pets, too. Their small stature, gregarious nature and smart-as-a-whip intelligence means they're fun for everyone in the family. They're also practical pets, keeping overgrown lawns and weed patches in check. more »

    Goats Quick Guides

    • Pygmy Goats Basics

      Whether you are interested in Pygmy goats as pets or as farm livestock, these friendly little...

    • Aluminum Fence 101

      Aluminum fences are durable, light weight and rust resistant. Unlike wrought iron or...

    Goats Articles

    • About Goats

      Goats have been domesticated from the wild goats of Eastern Europe and Asia. Female goats are known as nannies, males are called bucks or billies... more »

    • How to Deworm Goats

      De-worming a goat is not as simple as other farm animals. There is no set schedule or de-wormer to give the goat. Goats are very susceptible to... more »

    • About Pygmy Goats

      Pygmy goats make good 4-H projects or pets, as long as you buy two, so that they can keep each other company. Pygmy goats, like full-sized dairy... more »

    • How to Care for Fainting Goats

      Fainting goats are also known as nervous goats, stiff-leg goats, Myotonic Goats, wooden-leg goats and Tennessee Scare Goats. Why? Because, when... more »

    • How to Raise Angora Goats

      Mohair is a highly-prized fiber all over the world and is the fleece of the Angora goat. Angora goats originated in Asia Minor and are now raised... more »

    Wikipedia

    Goat

    The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep: both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of goat."hadog">Hirst, K. Kris. About.com. Accessed August 18, 2008.

    Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species. Goats have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world.Coffey, Linda, Margo Hale, and Ann Wells; In the twentieth century they also gained in popularity as pets.McLeod, Lianne; at About.com.

    Female goats are referred to as does or nannies, intact males as bucks or billies; their offspring are kids. Castrated males are wethers. Goat meat from younger animals is called kid or cabrito, and from older animals is sometimes called chevon, or in some areas “mutton”.

    Etymology
    The Modern English word goat comes from the Old English gat which meant "she-goat", and this in turn derived from Proto-Germanic *gaitaz (cf. Old Norse and Dutch geit "goat", German Geiß "she-goat", and Gothic gaits "goat"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ghaidos meaning "young goat" but also "jump" (cf. Latin haedus "kid", Old Church Slavonic zajęcǐ "hare", Sanskrit jihīte "he jumps").Watkins, Calvert, et alii; The American Heritage Dictionary (1975, edited by William Morris). To refer to the male of the species, Old English used bucca (which survives as "buck") until a shift to he-goat (and she-goat) occurred in the late 12th century. "Nanny goat" originated in the 18th century and "billy goat" in the 19th.

    History
    The most recent genetic analysis confirms the archaeological evidence that the Anatolian Zagros are the likely origin of almost all domestic goats today. Neolithic farmers began to keep them for easy access to milk and meat, primarily, also for their dung, which was used as fuel and their bones read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat

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