THE WORLD OF GOATS GOATS OF THE WORLD

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1 THE WORLD OF GOATS GOATS OF THE WORLD By Robert L. Johnson In December, 1982, the Smithsonian magazine gave a well written tribute, in the form of an article by Robert Wernick, to an animal that may well be Man s oldest friend, yet one that is much maligned, even despised, in some areas of the world today, including many parts of this country. The goat an attractive, affectionate and very useful small ruminant has rendered uncomplaining service to mankind for many thousands of years in Mr. Wernick s words. Dairy goats have passed a peak in popularity in America, and indications are that this decade long spate of enthusiasm is starting to wane. Angora goats, which produce mohair, remain big business, particularly in the Edwards Plateau area of Texas. However, the range and intensity of opinions and feelings about goats remains a source of astonishment. In America, goats can be roughly divided into four camps: (1) the Angora (and now including Cashmere) goats, whose owners view them as a business proposition and as producing units; (2) the dairy goats, whose owners are busily engaged at present in creating another class of pedigreed, registered, show animal, with milk production a more secondary factor a circumstance due in part to many states restrictions on the promotion and sale of raw milk; (3) the miniature (African Pygmy and Nigerian Dwarf) goats, which make very intelligent, responsive and affectionate pets, and (4) the great unsung world of the scrub, brush common, or woods goats (the nomenclature depending on the locale) the folk who keep goats of no particular ancestral distinction to clear land, as meat animals, and/or because they just like having them around. Curiously, though all these groups are dealing with breed variants of the same animal, there is for the most part very little communication between the groups; in some cases, actual antagonism. Couple this with the generally poor PR that has been the lot of the American goat from the founding of this country, and it is little wonder that the goat is often depicted as a tin can eating, destructive animal fit only for the veriest backwaters of civilization. It was not always so; indeed, goats supply milk and meat to a larger percentage of the world s population than do all other farm animals combined. Man s involvement with goats over countless millenia has, as with other types of livestock, resulted in the evolution of a great variety of goat breeds worldwide. Just as many breeds of other livestock are in danger of becoming extinct, so it is with goats, many breeds of which have lost their original habitats and/or spheres of usefulness in the face of encroaching 20th century technology and burgeoning populations. Many breeds today are falling victim to upgrading schemes; local goats in many third world countries are being crossbred to improved dairy breeds exported from England, Switzerland, France, Canada, Australia, and the U.S.A. The risk of losing many native breeds is very real, and yet even the basic taxonomy of the goat family is, to date, an issue widely debated. Goats and sheep are classified in the Family Bovidae, Subfamily Caprinae, Tribe Caprini; the Genus Capra is reserved for true goats. In his valuable work

2 Lords of the Pinnacles: Wild Goats of the World, Raul Valdez recognizes the following species of wild goats: Capra aegagrus the Beozar goat or pasang Capra ibex the Ibexes, with 4 subspecies Capra caucasica the west Caucasian tur Capra cylindricornis the east Caucasian tur Capra falconeri the markhors, with 4 subspecies Capra pyrenaica the Spanish wild goats, with 3 subspecies In his extremely useful and readable work Mountain Monarchs: Wild Sheep and Goats of the Himalaya, George Shaller, basically agreeing with Valdez species list, notes the custom of classifying the domestic goat as Capra hircus, and discusses its still unproven origins. Capra aegagrus is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic goat, though there remains the possibility that C. falconeri, cylindricornis and/or caucasica may have been included. Seven species are easy enough to commit to memory; but when we consider breeds worldwide, the task of making sense out of the nomenclature becomes herculean, and the number and variety is quite astonishing. A lengthy book would hardly do the subject justice, and this is a bit beyond the scope of the animal magazines. However, as a point of departure for those interested in pursuing the subject, I append the following list of goat breeds. This is offered only as a check list of breed names, with very brief commentary. Close scrutiny may reveal that some of these names may overlap. Since the list has been taken from a number of sources, including the first work devoted solely to goats, La Chevre by M. Joseph Crepin (Paris, 1903) breeds may be included that have already been lost. Additions and/or additional information would be welcomed. In this country the following goat breeds are extant: (1) The mohair goats represented by the Angora and Cashmere goats., and novelty crosses including the Pygora, and Nigora, (2) The dairy goats Alpines, LaManchas, Nubians, Oberhasli, Saanens, Sables, British Toggenburgs and Toggenburgs. (3) The novelty goats the African Pygmy, Nigerian Dwarf, and the Fainting goat or Tennessee Wooden leg. Crosses to create new breeds exist, such as the Kinder goat, and the Dwarf Alpine. Also, Ibexes, Ibex crosses, Tur, and Markhors are to be found in zoos and on game farms. (4) The meat and brush goats the native woods goat, the recently imported Boer goat, and the Spanish goat. In addition, a number of other crosses have been tried, even a patented breed, the NuAlpine. Most such crosses are the work of single or a few breeders, and they have not been given separate breed names. Such is the case abroad also; though a number of goat breeds owe their origins to deliberate and long continued crossing. Here is our check list of goat breeds of the world, as described in the literature to date: Abkhasian North east Turkey Abyssinian Nubian type; reddish brown Agrigento Sicily

3 Akyat Jaffa, Ceylon; of Burmese origin Albanian two varieties; a large mountain type, gray or brown, and a smaller plains variety with corkscrew horns Anatolian Black Turkey Anglo Nubian British; from a blend of the old English goat with the Zaraibi, Chitral and Jamna Pari; the ori gin of the Nubian goat of America Angora Originated in Asia; now worldwide in distribution; produces mohair Appenzell Switzerland; a white Toggenburg, long coated Asmari Afghanistan. Bicolored; white face and body, black neck and shoulder; produces Cashmere Assam Hill India; usually white, long haired Auvergne France Azerbaijan Armenia; also called Caucasian, Dagestan, Karachev and Mingrelian Baguirmi An intermediate type between the West African Dwarf (Pygmy) and the West African Long Legged Bahu Congo Baladi Egypt; small, lop eared, usually black Balkan Yugoslavia, Greece, Albania; long haired dairy and meat breed. Three varieties include the Valch, and the Capore (with corkscrew horns) Baluchi India; usually black Banat White Romania; dairy breed Barbari Pakistan; small, short haired, variable colors; a dairy breed Bari India; usually white; dual purpose (meat and milk) Beetal India; similar to Jamna Pari. Red or tan, usually spotted Belgian White Dairy breed produced with Saanen crosses Benadir Africa; red or black spotted, short coated. Three local varieties: Bimal, Garre and Tuni Berari India; black, dual purpose breed Berber Africa Berry Touraine France; possibly a variant of the French Alpine Bhuj Brazil; dairy breed Bhungri Bombay, India; meat breed Bikaneri India; black or pied breed used for meat, milk and hair Black Bengal India. There is a variety known as the Brown Bengal; small goats bred for meat and leather. Blanca Andaluza Spain; white dairy and meat breed Blanca Celtiberica Spain; white dual purpose breed Boer South Africa Bornu White a Nigerian breed British Alpine England British Saanen England; from the Swiss Saanen and the native British goat British Toggenburg England; from the Swiss Toggenburg and the native British goat Bulgarian White a dairy breed Campine Belgium

4 Camosciata delle Alpi Italy; dairy breed Canaria Spain; multi colored dual purpose breed Caninde Brazil Capore A variety of Albanian with corkscrew horns Carpathian Southeast Europe. Various colors Chamoisee Switzerland; also called Schwarzenburg Guggisberg or Guggisberger Changra Nepal; the true Cashmere goat originally from Tibet Chapper Pakistan; usually black, meat breed Charkissar Russia; a mohair breed, gray, brown or black Charnequeira Portugal; a red brown meat breed. Two varieties: Raiana and Algarvia Cashmere China and Mongolia; usually white Chigu India; similar to but smaller than the Gaddi; a hair, milk & meat goat Chitral India Chungwei China and Mongolia; a breed producing pashmina (Cashmere.) Also valuable for the kid pelts Corsican France; long haired dairy breed, found in all colors Crimean Russia Criollo Spain Curaca Brazil Cutchi West India; a black dairy breed Daira Din Panah Pakistan; long black hair. Used for milk, meat, skins and hair Damani Pakistan; a black milk and meat breed Damara Africa; also called Aerero; lop eared short coated breed, usually white, occasionally red and white or brown and white Damascus Syria; a gray, red or brown dairy breed, long coated. Also called Shami Deccani India; usually black; dairy breed Dole Norway; a blue pied or brown dairy breed Don Russia Fawn German Improved Germany; several variants exist, inc. Franconian, Black Forest, Harz, Thuringian French Alpine France, U.S.A. Color variants are individually named, i.e. Sundgau French Saanen France; dairy breed Gaddi India and Pakistan; long black hair; milk and hair producer Galla Kenya; a white meat breed Ganjam India; a black dual purpose breed Garganica Italy; dairy breed with long hair of a dark chestnut color Girgentana Italy; dairy breed with corkscrew horns, long hair, usually white with brown spots Golden Guernsey Isle of Guernsey; a golden coated small dairy breed similar to the Toggenburg Granada Spain; black dairy breed Grisons Striped Swiss dairy breed Gruyere Switzerland; a short coated reddish brown dairy breed, now extinct? Gujarati Brazil; long black hair, long lop ears; meat, milk and hair breed

5 Hejazi Israel; long black hair Himalayan mohair Improved North Russian Russia; a Saanen/North Russian cross Iraqi Iraq; lop eared breed Irish Israeli Saanen Italian Alpine Jablu India Jamna Pari India; dairy and meat breed with long pendulous ears; also called Etawah Kaghani India; hair, milk and Cashmere; multi colored Kajli Pakistan; a large variable colored meat and hair breed Kambing Katjang Indonesia; black Kamori India; a large, red, gray, brown or black triple purpose breed Kashmir Asia; the source of Cashmere, which see Kazimierz S.E. Poland; a black dairy breed Kel Asia; the common goat of the region, producing milk and meat. Black, gray Khurasani Pakistan; a black goat producing pashmina Kigezi Israel Killis Turkey; cross of the Damascus with the Anatolian Black; dairy breed Kirgiz Russia; triple purpose breed, with several local variants Korean Black Korean White Kurdi Persia; similar to the Angora Kyasuwa Nigeria LaMancha America; earless dairy breed; in Mexico and Spain, short eared Lapland Dwarf Norway; a dairy breed, usually white, yellow or pied Lehri India; also spelled Leri; a triple purpose breed with long ears; a short eared variant is known as the Labi Libyan Libya; long hair, brown, black, gray and white; lop ears Madagascar Nubian type, with a short coat and lop eared; a variant is smaller and has long hair Ma or Mah China; a brown dairy and meat breed Malabar India; black, brown, or white dairy breed Malaguena Spain; a red dairy goat, also known as Malaga Maltese Malta; small dairy breed, usually red or brown but other colors also Mamber Middle East; an all purpose breed with long pendulous ears. Also called Mambrine, or Syrian Mountain. Black, long haired. Manipuri India Marota Brazil; short haired yellowish white leather producing breed Marungu Congo; a dairy and meat breed Marwari India; black dairy breed Massif Central An old name for a French goat of mixed origins Ma T ou China; white meat and milk breed

6 Mehsana India; black dairy and mohair breed Meridional Brazil; white meat goat Mingrelian Russia; dairy breed Mishri Egypt; long coated polled dairy breed Moncayo Spain; a light colored meat breed Morghose Iran and Iraq; a pashmina producing breed Moxoto Brazil; light brown or fawn, bred for skins and meat Mubende Africa Murcian Spain; dairy breed, with two major variants; black, and bay or mahogany; also known as Murciana Granadina Mzabite Algeria; a Nubian type dairy breed, red colored Negev Israel; dairy breed Netherlands White also known as Dutch White Polled and Improved Dutch Nguni Africa; various colors Nigerian Dwarf An intermediate sized variant of the West African Dwarf Nilotic Sudan Northern Hill Nepal; long black coated; used for milk production and as pack animals North Russian Russia; a usually white dairy goat Norwegian Dairy breed; several varieties exist including the Nordland, Rogaland, Telemark (white) and Vestland Nubian In Africa, a polled dairy breed with short coat, Roman nose and long legs; in America, the name of the British bred Anglo Nubian, and the most popular American dairy goat (in 1993) Oberhasli In America, a bay and sometimes black breed; in France, the Alpine Orenburg black Osmamabad India; a usually black meat and dairy breed Pafuri Mozambique; lop eared Pahari India Pateri Patnai India Patna same as the Patnai? Used for the production of leather. Corkscrew horns Pinzgau Austria; dairy breed Poitevin France; dark brown to black dairy breed Polish Improved Fawn same origin as the Fawn German Improved Pyrenean France and Spain; a dark dairy breed Raini Iran & Iraq; a dairy and fleece breed, with long white, black or yellow hair Red Bosnian Yugoslavia; dairy breed Red Sokoto Nigeria; bright mahogany red, short coat. Used for meat, also the skins are the major source of Morocco leather. Also called Maradi. Retinta Extremena Spain; a red or bay dual purpose breed Rock Alpine U.S.A. originally a French Alpine variant, now extinct Rogaland Norway; a dairy breed Rove France; a short haired spiral horn breed, usually black or mahogany

7 Rovmit Russia; dairy breed Saanen Switzerland, Europe, U.S.A. white dairy breed; also called Gessenay Sahel West Africa; meat, milk and leather production Saidi Egypt St. Gallen Swiss mountain type, black with pale back stripe and feet; extinct Salt Range India; black and white or black, dairy breed Samar Syria Sandomierz S.E. Poland; a pied dairy breed Sarawak Indonesia; brown, black or white Sardinian gray, white,chestnut or black pied Schwarzhals see Valais Blackneck Serra da Estrela Portugal; a dairy breed, black, brown, gray or reddish Sharkawi Egypt Sind Desi Pakistan; a black meat and milk breed Sinhal Nepal; produces milk and hair; long white, cream or bicolor hair Sirli India; meat and mohair breed Sirohi India; white or brown dairy breed Somali East Africa; small, short haired, white breed used for meat and leather Somali Arab East Africa; small dairy breed South China Dwarf China; small black meat breed Spanish Mountain meat breed Sudanese Desert North Sudan; a short haired dairy breed with pendulous ears Sudanese Dwarf Southern Sudan; a non achondroplastic dwarf goat Surat India; a white lop eared dairy breed Surti Nepal; dairy breed Swedish Landrace dairy breed Swiss Alpine U.S.A.; a now extinct Alpine variant Syrian long haired, often black all purpose breed Tarai Nepal; small goat with semi pendulous ears Telemark see Norwegian White Telingana India Thori India; usually bay, dairy and meat breed Thuringian Germany; variant of Fawn German Improved; also known as German Tibetan Mohair Tibetan Dwarf a dairy breed Toggenburg Switzerland, Europe, U.S.A. Brown with white face stripes and feet Touraine Poitou Berry France; black or brown dairy breed Tuareg Turkmen Russia; all purpose breed Valais Blackneck Switzerland; front half black, back half white; dairy and meat breed Vatani Afghanistan; black, gray, white or brown; produces Cashmere. Also called Kabuli, Kandahari or Tajiki Verata Spain

8 Verzasca Switzerland; black dairy breed West African Dwarf Three variants have been identified; known in the USA as the Pygmy, Nigerian Dwarf and Toy; also known as Cameroon Dwarf and Fouta Djallon West African Long Legged Sudan, Sahel; similar to the Dwarf but larger, with longer horns, short coated, usually white, brown or black White Beared Bengal India; meat breed White German Improved dairy breed, polled Zalawadi India; black all purpose breed Zaraibi Egypt; polled dairy breed, now rare, possibly extinct If the list was extended to include local names, it would be much longer! It goes without saying that the same rationales that apply to the preservation of rare breeds of other types of livestock apply also to goats. Some of these breeds have been studied intensively in their native countries, and many possess qualities that certainly merit preservation. With the possibility of international shipment of frozen embryos in the near future, the importation and establishment of more breeds in this country could become a reality; and the splashy, showy Schwartzhals, the lovely Golden Gurensey and Murciana, the striking Girgentana, the docile, hardy Mambrine and Appenzeller, and many others, could grace American barns and pastures and who can now say contribute to the improvement of American goats. The writer has been collecting anything he could locate in print on goats, toward the building of, hopefully, the definitive library and bibliography on Man s oldest friend. He would welcome correspondence with anyone interested in goat literature, and/or who may know of sources of old goat periodicals, research papers, books, articles, etc. as well as anyone who may have additions, corrections, and/or supplemental information to the goat breeds check list. Write to Robert Johnson, Pine Cone Valley Farm [Note: Robert Johnson has since passed away, but we would be glad to hear from you]

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DAIRY GOATS & MEAT GOATS?

GOAT PRACTICE #1 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DAIRY GOATS & MEAT GOATS? DAIRY GOATS PRODUCE GOAT MILK FOR CHEESE, DRINKING MILK, BUTTER, ETC. MEAT GOATS PRODUCE MEATS TO CONSUME WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE