Goat#Husbandry

The Modern English word goat comes from Old English gāt "goat, she-goat", which in turn derives from Proto-Germanic *gaitaz (cf. Dutch/Frisian/Icelandic/Norwegian geit, German Geiß, and Gothic gaits), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰaidos meaning "young goat" (cf. Latin haedus "kid").{{cite dictionary |last=Watkins |first=Calvert |display-authors=etal |title=The American Heritage Dictionary |year=1975 |editor=William Morris}} To refer to the male goat, Old English used bucca (cf. Dutch/Frisian bok, modern English buck) until ousted by hegote, hegoote ('he-goat') in the late 12th century.{{Cite journal |last=Ullman |first=B. L. |date=1943 |title=Bucca, Bucca |journal=Classical Philology |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=94–102 |doi=10.1086/362696 |jstor=264294}} Nanny goat (adult female) originated in the 18th century, and billy goat (adult male) in the 19th century.{{Cite web |date=July 2023 |title=nanny-goat |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/nanny-goat_n?tl=true |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=Oxford English Dictionary |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324070608/https://www.oed.com/dictionary/nanny-goat_n?tl=true |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=March 2024 |title=billy-goat |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/billy-goat_n |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=Oxford English Dictionary}} Female goats, like other various animals, are also called does.{{cite journal|last1=Abd Eldaim|first1=Mabrouk A.|last2=Gaafar|first2=Khalid M.|last3=Darwish|first3=Ragab A.|last4=Mahboub|first4=Hamad D.|last5=Helal|first5=Mohamed|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921448815002606|date=August 2015|title=Prepartum vitamin A supplementation enhances goat doe health status and kid viability and performance|journal=Small Ruminant Research|volume=129|pages=6–10|doi=10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.06.007}}

Castrated males are called wethers. While the words hircine and caprine both refer to anything having a goat-like quality, hircine is used most often to emphasize the distinct smell of domestic goats.{{Cite web |title=hircine |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/hircine |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.etymonline.com}}{{Cite web |title=Definition of 'caprine' |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caprine |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |archive-date=November 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122195403/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caprine |url-status=live }}

File:Black Bengal Goat 2020.jpg]]

Juvenile goats are called kids, a term derived from Old Norse kið, with the same meaning. It has been a slang term for human children since the 1590s, and established as an informal term since the 1840s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/kid|title=Etymology of "kid" by etymonline|website=etymonline}}

{{further|Domestication of the goat}}

File:Atlit-Yam – Horn Cores of goat (cropped).JPG, between 6900 and 6300 BC]]

Goats are among the earliest animals to have been domesticated by humans.{{cite web |title=Breeds of Livestock; Goats: (Capra hircus) |date=January 19, 2021 |url=http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/|publisher=Oklahoma State University Board of Regents |access-date=March 27, 2002 |archive-date=September 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925153835/http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/ |url-status=live}} A genetic analysis{{cite journal |date=November 18, 2008 |title=The goat domestication process inferred from large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis of wild and domestic individuals |journal=PNAS |volume=105 |issue=46 |pages=17659–17664 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0804782105 |pmid=19004765 |last1=Naderi |first1=Saeid |last2=Rezaei |first2=Hamid-Reza |last3=Pompanon |first3=François |last4=Blum |first4=Michael G. B. |last5=Negrini |first5=Riccardo |last6=Naghash |first6=Hamid-Reza |last7=Balkiz |first7=Özge |last8=Mashkour |first8=Marjan |last9=Gaggiotti |first9=Oscar E. |last10=Ajmone-Marsan |first10=Paolo |last11=Kence |first11=Aykut |last12=Vigne |first12=Jean-Denis |last13=Taberlet |first13=Pierre |display-authors=5 |pmc=2584717 |bibcode=2008PNAS..10517659N |doi-access=free}} confirms the archaeological evidence that the wild bezoar ibex, found today in the Zagros Mountains, but formerly widespread in Anatolia, is the likely original ancestor of all or most domestic goats today.

Neolithic farmers began to herd wild goats primarily for easy access to milk and meat, as well as to their dung, which was used as fuel; and their bones, hair, and sinew were used for clothing, building, and tools.Hirst, K. Kris. [http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/goats.htm "The History of the Domestication of Goats".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080707045748/http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/goats.htm |date=July 7, 2008 }} About.com. Accessed August 18, 2008. The earliest remnants of domesticated goats dating 10,000 years Before Present are found in Ganj Dareh in Iran.{{Cite journal |title=The Initial Domestication of Goats (Capra hircus) in the Zagros Mountains 10,000 Years Ago |journal=Science |bibcode=2000Sci...287.2254Z |last1=Zeder |first1=Melinda A. |last2=Hesse |first2=Brian |year=2000|volume=287 |issue=5461 |pages=2254–2257 |doi=10.1126/science.287.5461.2254 |pmid=10731145}}{{cite web |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-06-year-old-dna-pens-tales-earliest.html |title=10,000-year-old DNA pens the first tales of the earliest domesticated goats |author=Trinity College Dublin |website=Phys.org |date=June 7, 2021 |access-date=June 8, 2021 |archive-date=March 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330025509/https://phys.org/news/2021-06-year-old-dna-pens-tales-earliest.html |url-status=live }} Goat remains have been found at archaeological sites in Jericho, Choga Mami,{{cite book |last=Maisels |first=C.K. |title=The Near East: Archaeology in the Cradle of Civilization |publisher=Routledge |year=1999 |page=124 |isbn=978-0-415-18607-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1WOPkmChaFsC&dq=choga+mami+goat&pg=PA124 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924104103/https://books.google.com/books?id=1WOPkmChaFsC&dq=choga+mami+goat&pg=PA124 |archive-date=September 24, 2023}} Djeitun, and Çayönü, dating the domestication of goats in Western Asia at between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago. DNA evidence suggests that goats were domesticated around 10,000 years ago. Historically, goat hide has been used for water and wine bottles in both traveling and transporting wine for sale, and to produce parchment.{{Cite journal |last1=Schröder |first1=Oskar |last2=Wagner |first2=Mayke |last3=Wutke |first3=Saskia |last4=Zhang |first4=Yong |last5=Ma |first5=Yingxia |last6=Xu |first6=Dongliang |last7=Goslar |first7=Tomasz |last8=Neef |first8=Reinder |last9=Tarasov |first9=Pavel E. |last10=Ludwig |first10=Arne |display-authors=5 |date=October 2016 |title=Ancient DNA identification of domestic animals used for leather objects in Central Asia during the Bronze Age |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0959683616641741 |journal=The Holocene |volume=26 |issue=10 |pages=1722–1729 |doi=10.1177/0959683616641741 |bibcode=2016Holoc..26.1722S |access-date=March 26, 2024 |archive-date=March 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326113713/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0959683616641741 |url-status=live }}

Each breed of goat has specific weight ranges, which vary from more than {{cvt|140|kg}} for bucks of larger breeds such as the Boer, to {{cvt|20|to|27|kg}} for smaller does.{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=R.E. |last2=Field |first2=T.G. |chapter=Growth and Development |title=Scientific Farm Animal Production: An Introduction to Animal Science |edition=6th |publisher=Prentice-Hall |year=1999 |location=Upper Saddle River |pages=321–324}} Within each breed, different strains or bloodlines may have different recognized sizes. At the bottom of the size range are miniature breeds such as the African Pygmy, which stand {{cvt|41|to|58|cm}} at the shoulder as adults.{{cite book |last1=Belanger |first1=J. |last2=Bredesen |first2=S.T. |chapter=Basic Information about Goats |title=Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats |edition=2nd |publisher=Storey Publishing |year=2010 |location=North Adams |isbn=978-1612129327 |page=14}}

Most goats naturally have two horns, their shape and size depending on the breed.[http://www.americangoatsociety.com/education/polled_genetics.php American Goat Society:Polled Genetics] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901182702/https://americangoatsociety.com/education/polled_genetics.php |date=September 1, 2018 }}, americangoatsociety.com. There have been incidents of polycerate goats (having as many as eight horns), although this is a genetic rarity. Unlike cattle, goats have not been successfully bred to be reliably polled, as the genes determining sex and those determining horns are closely linked. Breeding together two genetically polled goats results in a high number of intersex individuals among the offspring, which are typically sterile. Their horns are made of living bone surrounded by keratin and other proteins, and are used for defense, dominance, territoriality,{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Mary C. |author2=David M. Sherman |title=Goat Medicine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RJS9NEpYnd8C |date=November 16, 2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-94952-7 |access-date=October 5, 2018 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321193031/https://books.google.com/books?id=RJS9NEpYnd8C |url-status=live}} and thermoregulation.{{cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Charles R. |date=1966 |title=The Vascularity and Possible Thermoregulatory Function of the Horns in Goats |journal=Physiological Zoology |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=127–139 |doi=10.1086/physzool.39.2.30152426 |s2cid=88164340}} Both male and female goats may have beards, and many types of goat (most commonly dairy goats, dairy-cross Boers, and pygmy goats) may have wattles, one dangling from each side of the neck.[http://www.tripleigoats.com/faq.htm Frequently Asked Questions – Triple I Goats] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225022244/https://www.tripleigoats.com/faq.htm |date=February 25, 2021 }}, Tripleigoats.com Goats have horizontal, slit-shaped pupils, allowing them to see well by both night and day, and giving them a wide field of vision on either side to detect predators, while avoiding being dazzled by sunlight from above.{{cite news |last1=Feltman |first1=Rachel |title=Here's why goats have those freaky eyes |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/08/10/heres-why-goats-have-those-freaky-eyes/ |access-date=25 October 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 10, 2015}} Goats have no tear ducts.{{cite web |title=Animals with no Tear Ducts |url=https://animals.mom.com/animals-tear-ducts-9716.html |website=Pets on Mom.com |access-date=October 17, 2021 |archive-date=October 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017234338/https://animals.mom.com/animals-tear-ducts-9716.html |url-status=live }}

Goats are ruminants. They have a four-chambered stomach consisting of the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. As with other mammal ruminants, they are even-toed ungulates. The females have an udder consisting of two teats, in contrast to cattle, which have four teats.Taylor, R.E., Scientific Farm Animal Production: An Introduction to Animal Science, 6th ed, Upper Saddle River (Prentice Hall) 1998 An exception to this is the Boer goat, which sometimes may have up to eight teats.{{cite web |url=http://www.boergoatshome.com/genetic-goat-flaws.php |title=What is a Genetic Flaw in a Boer Goat? |access-date=November 12, 2014 |website=Boer Goats Home |last=Bowman |first=Gail |archive-date=November 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112211106/http://www.boergoatshome.com/genetic-goat-flaws.php |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://roosterridgeboergoats.com/articles/choosing-your-4h-boer-goat-doe-guide-4hers |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141112193133/http://roosterridgeboergoats.com/articles/choosing-your-4h-boer-goat-doe-guide-4hers |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 12, 2014 |title=Choosing Your Boer Goat- How Do I Know What to Look For? |access-date=November 12, 2014 |website=Rooster Ridge Boer Goats }} Goats are diploid with two sets of 30 chromosomes.{{Cite journal |last1=Iannuzzi |first1=Leopoldo |last2=Meo |first2=Giulia Pia |last3=Perucatti |first3=Angela |date=2004-05-28 |title=An Improved Characterization of Goat Chromosomes by Means of G- and R-band Comparison |journal=Hereditas |volume=120 |issue=3 |pages=245–251 |doi=10.1111/j.1601-5223.1994.00245.x |pmid=7928388 |doi-access=free }}

File:Goat skeleton (cropped).jpg|Skeleton

File:Closeup of goat eye.jpg |Eye with horizontal pupil

Sheep and goats are closely related: both are in the subfamily Caprinae. However, they are separate species, so hybrids rarely occur and are always infertile. A hybrid of a ewe and a buck is called a sheep-goat hybrid. Visual differences between sheep and goats include the beard of goats and the divided upper lip of sheep. Sheep tails hang down, even when short or docked, while the short tails of goats are held upwards. Sheep breeds are often naturally polled (either in both sexes or just in the female), while naturally polled goats are rare (though many are polled artificially). Males of the two species differ in that buck goats acquire a unique and strong odor during the rut, whereas rams do not.{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Paul |title=Do ewe know your sheep from your goats? We're not kidding about species differences! |url=https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/behavioural-differences-sheep-goats |website=Improve Veterinary Practice |access-date=29 October 2024 |date=21 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129192617/https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/behavioural-differences-sheep-goats |archive-date=29 November 2023 |url-status=live}}

Goats are naturally curious. They are agile and able to climb and balance in precarious places. This makes them the only ruminant to regularly climb trees. These behaviours have made them notorious for escaping their pens by testing fences and enclosures. If any of the fencing can be overcome, goats almost inevitably escape. Goats are as intelligent as dogs by some studies.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/goats-are-just-as-smart-and-loving-as-dogs-say-scientists |title=Goats Are as Smart And Loving as Dogs, According to Science |last=MacDonald |first=Fiona |website=ScienceAlert |date=June 30, 2018 |access-date=September 8, 2019|archive-date=March 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315072302/https://www.sciencealert.com/goats-are-just-as-smart-and-loving-as-dogs-say-scientists |url-status=live}}

When handled as a group, goats display less herding behavior than sheep. When grazing undisturbed, they spread across the field or range, rather than feed side by side as do sheep. When nursing young, goats leave their kids separated ("lying out") rather than clumped, as do sheep. They generally turn and face an intruder, and bucks are more likely to charge or butt at humans than are rams.{{cite book |last=Fowler |first=M.E. |title=Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals |edition=3rd |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |year=2008 |page=144}} A 2016 study reports that goats try to communicate with people like domesticated animals such as dogs and horses. They look to a human for assistance when faced with a newly-modified challenge.{{cite web |last=Deamer |first=Kacey |title=Man's New Best Friend Is a Goat? |publisher=Live Science |date=July 15, 2016 |url=http://www.livescience.com/55411-goats-communicate-with-humans-like-dogs.html |access-date=July 21, 2016 |archive-date=July 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724034445/http://www.livescience.com/55411-goats-communicate-with-humans-like-dogs.html |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Nawroth |first1=Christian |last2=Brett |first2=Jemma |last3=McElligott |first3=Alan |title=Goats display audience-dependent human-directed gazing behaviour in a problem-solving task |journal=Biology Letters |volume=12 |issue=7 |pages=20160283 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2016.0283 |pmid=27381884 |pmc=4971169 |date=July 5, 2016}}

File:Goats in an argan tree Morocco.jpg|Goats grazing in an argan tree, Morocco

File:Goats butting heads in Germany.jpg|Goats establishing a dominance hierarchy through head butting

File:Miyako-jima - Japan - goats 2020 03 25.webm|Herd browsing together in Japan

File:Goats blocking road. Ladakh.jpg|Moving a herd on a road in Ladakh

{{redirect|Goat sex|the shock site|goatse.cx}}

Goats reach puberty between three and 15 months of age, depending on breed and nutritional status. Many breeders prefer to postpone breeding until the doe has reached 70% of the adult weight, but this separation is rarely possible in extensively managed, open-range herds.Payne, William J.A., An Introduction to Animal Husbandry in the Tropics, 5th ed, Oxford (Blackwell Science) 1999

Bucks (uncastrated males) of Swiss and northern breeds come into rut in the fall as with the does' heat cycles. Bucks of equatorial breeds may show seasonal reduced fertility, but as with the does, are capable of breeding at all times. Rut is characterized by a decrease in appetite and obsessive interest in the does. A buck in rut displays flehmen lip curling and urinates on his forelegs and face.{{cite journal|doi=10.2527/jas1984.582500x |title=A Review of the Social Behavior of Feral and Wild Sheep and Goats |date=1984 |last1=Shackleton |first1=D. M. |last2=Shank |first2=C. C. |journal=Journal of Animal Science |volume=58 |issue=2 |pages=500–509 }} Sebaceous scent glands at the base of the horns add to the male goat's odor, which is important to make him attractive to the female. Some does will not mate with a buck which has had its scent glands removed.

Gestation length is approximately 150 days. Twins are the usual result, with single and triplet births also common. Less frequent are litters of quadruplet, quintuplet, and even sextuplet kids. Birthing, known as kidding, generally occurs uneventfully. Just before kidding, the doe will have a sunken area around the tail and hip, as well as heavy breathing. She may have a worried look, become restless and display great affection for her keeper. The mother often eats the placenta, which gives her much-needed nutrients, helps stanch her bleeding, and parallels the behavior of wild herbivores, such as deer, to reduce the lure of the birth scent for predators.{{cite video |people=Feichtenberger, Klaus, Jill Clarke, Elyse Eisenberg, and Otmar Penker (Writers and Directors) |date=2008 |title=Prince of the Alps |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/prince-of-the-alps/introduction/523/ |medium=Television Production |publisher=ORF/Nature |access-date=May 5, 2009 |time=Shortly after birth |quote='The mother eats the placenta to prevent predators from getting the scent.' |archive-date=March 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310112416/https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/prince-of-the-alps-introduction/523/ |url-status=live }}{{cite book |title=The Deer of North America |last=Roe III |first=Leonard Lee |year=2004 |publisher=Globe Pequot |isbn=978-1-59228-465-8 |page=224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3BfvgAACAAJ&pg=PA244 |quote=Almost all wild animals and most domestic ones eat the afterbirth as soon as they can. The primary reason, I think, is to get rid of it so that it will not attract predators. . .Canine scavengers throughout the world are attracted to herd animals when they give birth, for the placental sacs provide an easily scavenged feast.}}

Freshening (coming into milk production) usually occurs at kidding, although milk production is also relatively common in unbred doelings of dairy breeds.{{cite book |author1=Mary C. Smith |author2=David M. Sherman |title=Goat Medicine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RJS9NEpYnd8C|date=November 16, 2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-94952-7 |quote=Udder development and even milk production are relatively common in unbred doelings of dairy breeds |access-date=October 5, 2018 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321193031/https://books.google.com/books?id=RJS9NEpYnd8C|url-status=live}} Milk production varies with the breed, age, quality, and diet of the doe; dairy goats generally produce between {{convert|1,500|and|4,000|lb|kg|abbr=on|order=flip}} of milk per 305-day lactation. On average, a good quality dairy doe will give at least {{convert|6|lb|kg|0|abbr=on|order=flip}} of milk per day while she is in milk. A first-time milker may produce less, or as much as {{convert|16|lb|kg|0|abbr=on|order=flip}}, or more of milk in exceptional cases. After the lactation, the doe will "dry off", typically after she has been bred. Occasionally, goats that have not been bred and are continuously milked will continue lactation beyond the typical 305 days.{{cite web |url=http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/84/84-6/Tim_King.html |title=Dairy Goat Journal. – raising goats – goat business |website=Dairygoatjournal.com |access-date=May 5, 2009 |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502135839/http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/84/84-6/Tim_King.html |url-status=live}} Male lactation sometimes occurs in goats.{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Davendra |first2=S. |last2=Saha |author3=Chaturvedi, O.H. |author4=Kumar, Sushil |author5=Mann, J.S. |author6=Mittal, J.P. |author7=Singh, V.K. |title=Lactation in Males |journal=ISSGPU – Indian Society for Sheep and Goat Production and Utilization Newsletter |issue=2 |url=http://www.issgpu.org/newsletter-2.htm#3 |access-date=December 31, 2009 |archive-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924214014/http://www.issgpu.org/newsletter-2.htm#3 |url-status=live }}

File:Goat kid in char of Sirajganj, Bangladesh 05.jpg|Female suckling two kids

File:Domestic goat kid in capeweed.jpg|A two-month-old kid in a field of capeweed

File:Grenadine Goat and Kids.jpg|A female and two kids

Goats are reputed to be willing to eat almost anything. They are browsing animals, not grazers like cattle and sheep, and (coupled with their highly curious nature) will chew on and taste anything resembling plant matter to decide whether it is good to eat, including cardboard, clothing and paper.{{cite web |url=http://www.tsgra.com/PDF-files/secogoats.pdf |title=Learning About Goats |publisher=Texas Department of Agriculture |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222062352/http://www.tsgra.com/PDF-files/secogoats.pdf |archive-date=December 22, 2009 }}

The digestive physiology of a very young kid (like the young of other ruminants) is essentially the same as that of a monogastric animal. Milk digestion begins in the abomasum, the milk having bypassed the rumen via closure of the reticuloesophageal groove during suckling. At birth, the rumen is undeveloped, but as the kid begins to consume solid feed, the rumen soon increases in size and in its capacity to absorb nutrients.{{cite web |url=https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/pubs/docs/U/UNP-0060/UNP-0060-archive.pdf |title=Digestive System of Goats |website=Ssl.acesag.auburn.edu |access-date=June 6, 2022 |archive-date=June 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602141259/https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/pubs/docs/U/UNP-0060/UNP-0060-archive.pdf |url-status=live}}

The adult size of a particular goat is a product of its breed (genetic potential) and its diet while growing (nutritional potential). As with all livestock, increased protein diets (10 to 14%) and sufficient calories during the prepuberty period yield higher growth rates and larger eventual size than lower protein rates and limited calories.Pugh, D.G. and Rankins, D. L. Jr, "Feeding and Nutrition" [https://books.google.com/books?id=s-Z311q6CIcC&q=%22Feeding+and+nutrition%22 Sheep and Goat Medicine, 2nd Ed.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925174249/https://books.google.com/books?id=s-Z311q6CIcC&q=%22Feeding+and+nutrition%22 |date=September 25, 2023 }} Elsevier (2012) Maryland Heights, pg 40–42. Large-framed goats, with a greater skeletal size, reach mature weight at a later age (36 to 42 months) than small-framed goats (18 to 24 months) if both are fed to their full potential. Large-framed goats need more calories than small-framed goats for maintenance of daily functions.Taylor, R.E. and Field, T.G., "Growth and Development" Scientific Farm Animal Production: An Introduction to Animal Science, 6th Ed. Prentice-Hall (1999) Upper Saddle River pg 324–325.

File:Goat tied (a).jpg|A goat tied to restrict its grazing area

File:Domestic goat feeding on capeweed.jpg|A goat feeding in a field of capeweed, toxic to most stock animals

{{Main|List of infectious sheep and goat diseases}}

While goats are hardy animals and often need little medical care, they are subject to a number of diseases. Among the conditions affecting goats are respiratory diseases including pneumonia, foot rot, internal parasites, pregnancy toxicosis, and feed toxicity. Goats can become infected with various viral and bacterial diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease, caprine arthritis encephalitis, caseous lymphadenitis, pinkeye, mastitis, and pseudorabies. They can transmit a number of zoonotic diseases to people, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, Q fever, and rabies.Smith, M.C. Goat Medicine, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1994 pg 7

Life expectancy for goats is between 15 and 18 years.{{cite book|title=Handbook of Biological Data|editor=William S. Spector|publisher=Saunders|year=1956}} An instance of a goat reaching the age of 24 has been reported.{{cite web|url=http://fiascofarm.com/goats/age.htm|title=Teeth, Life Expectancy & How to estimate a goat's age|date=March 16, 2009|access-date=May 30, 2009|publisher=fiascofarm.com|archive-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510140400/http://fiascofarm.com/goats/age.htm|url-status=live}} Several factors can reduce this average expectancy; problems during kidding can lower a doe's expected life span to 10 or 11, and stresses of going into rut can lower a buck's expected life span to eight to 10 years.

{{main|Goat farming}}

{{further|List of goat breeds}}

Husbandry, or animal care and use, varies by region and culture. The minimal requirements for goats include a grazing area or the bringing of fodder to penned animals, with enough hayracks for all of them to feed simultaneously; fresh water; salt licks; space for the animals to exercise; and disposal of soiled bedding.{{cite web |title=Keeping Goats |url=https://www.britishgoatsociety.com/services/keeping-goats/ |publisher=British Goat Society |access-date=25 October 2024 |archive-date=April 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419161850/https://www.britishgoatsociety.com/services/keeping-goats/ |url-status=live }}

In Africa and the Middle East, goats are typically run in flocks with sheep. This maximizes the production per acre, as goats and sheep prefer different food plants. Multiple types of goat-raising are found in Ethiopia, where four main types have been identified: pastured in annual crop systems, in perennial crop systems, with cattle, and in arid areas, under pastoral (nomadic) herding systems. In all four systems, however, goats were typically kept in extensive systems, with few purchased inputs.{{cite report |last1=Gizaw |first1=S. |last2=Tegegne |first2=A. |last3=Gebremedhin |first3=B. |last4=Hoekstra |first4=D. |year=2010 |title=Sheep and goat production and marketing systems in Ethiopia: Characteristics and strategies for improvement |work=IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian Farmers Project, Working Paper No. 23 |location=Nairobi, Kenya |url=http://hdl.handle.net/10568/2238 |publisher=International Livestock Research Institute |hdl=10568/2238 |access-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-date=January 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120231202/https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/2238 |url-status=live }}

In Nigeria and in parts of Latin America, some goats are allowed to wander the homestead or village, while others are kept penned and fed in a 'cut-and-carry' system. This involves cutting grasses, maize or cane for feed rather than allowing the animal access to the field. The system is well suited for crops like maize that are sensitive to trampling.{{cite conference |last=Sumberg |first=J.E. |title=Small ruminant feed production in a farming systems context |conference=Proceedings of the Workshop on Small Ruminant Production Systems in the Humid Zone of West Africa |year=1984 |editor=Sumberg, J.E.}}

File:Cabrasnortechico.JPG|Goat husbandry in Chile

File:Kleine Ziegen im Tiergehege.jpg|Small-scale goat husbandry in Germany

File:Goat-ged.1.jpg|A goatherd leading his goats on a rough hillside in Spain

File:Asseta Lompo with her goats.jpg|A smallholder with goats in Burkina Faso

File:10.36 Ziegenherde am Tell.jpg|Mixed herd of goats and sheep for efficient grazing, Syria

File:Goat worldwide distribution FAO 2015.png

The top producers of goat milk in 2022 were India (6.25 million metric tons), Bangladesh (0.91 million metric tons), and South Sudan (0.52 million metric tons).{{Cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/ |title=FAOSTAT |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization |access-date=October 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241010014008/https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL |archive-date=October 10, 2024}} {{asof|2015}}, India slaughters 41% of 124.4 million goats each year. The 0.6 million metric tonnes of goat meat make up 8% of India's annual meat production.{{cite journal |title=Effects of citric acid, cucumis powder and pressure cooking on quality attributes of goat meat curry |doi=10.1007/s13197-013-1023-x |pmid=25745255 |pmc=4348252 |year=2015 |last1=Narayan |first1=Raj |last2=Mendiratta |first2=S. K. |last3=Mane |first3=B. G. |journal=Journal of Food Science and Technology |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=1772–1777}} Approximately 440 million goats are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide, yielding 6.37 million metric tons of meat.{{Cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL |title=FAOSTAT |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization |access-date=October 25, 2019 |archive-date=October 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016103427/https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Feral goat}}

File:Feral Goats at St Tudno's Churchyard - geograph.org.uk - 2426882.jpgs in a churchyard near Llandudno, Wales]]

Goats readily revert to the wild (become feral) if given the opportunity. Feral goats have established themselves in many areas: they occur in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, the Galapagos and many other places. When feral goats reach large populations in habitats that provide unlimited water supply and do not contain sufficient large predators or are otherwise vulnerable to goats' aggressive grazing habits, they may have serious effects, such as removing native scrub and trees. Feral goats are extremely common in Australia, with an estimated 2.6 million in the mid-1990s.{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/goat/pubs/goat.pdf |title=The feral goat (Capra hircus) – Invasive species fact sheet |website=environment.gov.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911080808/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/goat/pubs/goat.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2008 |url-status=dead}}

Goats are used to provide milk and specialty wools, and as meat and goatskin.{{cite journal |last=Mahmoud |first=Abdel Aziz |title=Present status of the world goat populations and their productivity |journal=Lohmann Information |volume=45 |issue=2 |date=October 2010 |page=43 |url=http://www.lohmann-information.com/content/l_i_45_artikel17.pdf |publisher=Lohmann Group |access-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-date=May 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514052635/http://www.lohmann-information.com/content/l_i_45_artikel17.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Coffey |first1=Linda |last2=Hale |first2=Margo |last3=Wells |first3=Ann |url=http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/goatoverview.html |website=attra.ncat.org |date=August 2004 |title=Goats: Sustainable Production Overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204014920/http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/goatoverview.html |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |url-status=dead}}

Some charities provide goats to impoverished people in poor countries, in the belief that having useful things alleviates poverty better than cash. The cost of obtaining goats and then distributing them can however be high.{{cite journal |last1=Blattman |first1=Christopher |last2=Niehaus |first2=Paul |title=Show them the money: Why giving cash helps alleviate poverty |journal=Foreign Affairs |volume=93 |issue=3 |year=2014 |pages=117–126 |jstor=24483411 |url=http://www.relooney.com/NS4053/00_NS4053_92.pdf |access-date=October 25, 2024 |archive-date=March 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316075437/https://relooney.com/NS4053/00_NS4053_92.pdf |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Goat meat}}

{{see also|List of goat dishes}}

The taste of goat kid meat is similar to that of spring lamb meat;{{cite book |title=Milk Goats |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dUgEAAAAMBAJ&q=goat+tastes+like+lamb&pg=PA57 |date=June 18, 1945 |publisher=Life |access-date=July 6, 2010 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321192933/https://books.google.com/books?id=dUgEAAAAMBAJ&q=goat+tastes+like+lamb&pg=PA57#v=snippet&q=goat%20tastes%20like%20lamb&f=false |url-status=live}} in fact, in the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean, and in South Asia, the word 'mutton' denotes both goat and sheep meat.Janet Groene, Gordon Groene, U.S. Caribbean Guide, 1998, {{isbn|1883323878}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=vh3eancwP-YC&q=goat%20mutton p. 81] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510190117/https://books.google.com/books?id=vh3eancwP-YC&q=goat%20mutton |date=May 10, 2024 }}{{cite news|title=Whose goat is it anyway?|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch-stories/whose-goat-is-it-anyway/article1-809563.aspx|access-date=15 May 2015|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=11 February 2012|archive-date=December 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225054153/https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/whose-goat-is-it-anyway/story-iUTujy9czvoPPMoUKrTtqI.html|url-status=dead}} However, some compare the taste of goat meat to veal or venison, depending on the age and condition of the goat. Its flavor is said to be primarily linked to the presence of 4-methyloctanoic and 4-methylnonanoic acid.{{cite journal|last=Cramer |first=D. A. |date=1983 |title=Chemical compounds implicated in lamb flavor |journal=Food Technology |issue=37 |pages=249–257}} and {{cite journal|last1=Wong |first1=E. |last2=Nixon |first2=L. N. |last3=Johnson |first3=B. C. |date=1975 |title=The contribution of 4-methyloctanoic (hircinoic) acid to mutton and goat meat flavor |journal=New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=261–266|doi=10.1080/00288233.1975.10423642|doi-access=free |bibcode=1975NZJAR..18..261W }} Both articles cited in: {{cite journal |url=https://www.thaiscience.info/Article%20for%20ThaiScience/Article/1/10015445.pdf |title=Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Emulsion Goat Meat Sausages Containing Pork Fat or Shortening |author1=Intarapichet, K. |author2=Sihaboot, W. |author3=Chungsiriwat, P. |journal=ASEAN Food Journal |location=Malaysia |year=1995 |access-date=March 27, 2021 |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331063730/https://www.thaiscience.info/Article%20for%20ThaiScience/Article/1/10015445.pdf |url-status=live }} The meat is made into dishes such as goat curry,{{cite book |last=Taffe |first=M. |title=The Original Jamaican Curry Goat Recipe |publisher=Booktango |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4689-2551-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=62XhMkm27gcC&pg=PA14 |page=14}} mutton satay,{{cite news |title=Just a slice of mutton |author=Suryatini N. Ganie |date=13 June 2010 |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/06/13/just-a-slice-mutton.html |newspaper=The Jakarta Post |access-date=26 May 2015}} and capra e fagioli.{{cite web |title=Lo stufato di capra e fagioli |date=February 21, 2018 |accessdate=15 February 2019 |url=https://www.ilgolosario.it/assaggi-e-news/attualita/stufato-di-capra-e-fagioli |language=it |trans-title=Goat and bean stew |archive-date=February 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215215902/https://www.ilgolosario.it/assaggi-e-news/attualita/stufato-di-capra-e-fagioli |url-status=live }}

{{main|Goat milk}}

{{see also|List of goat milk cheeses}}

Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply.FAO. 1997. 1996 Production Yearbook. Food Agr. Organ., UN. Rome, Italy. Dairy goats produce an average of {{convert|1200|to|2600|lb|abbr=on|order=flip}} of milk during an average 284-day lactation.{{cite web |last1=Toledo |first1=Izabella |last2=Dacey |first2=Justine |title=Dairy Goat Facts |url=https://animal.ifas.ufl.edu/media/animalifasufledu/small-ruminant-website/fact-sheets/Dairy-Goat-Fact-Sheet.pdf |publisher=University of Florida IFAS Extension |access-date=29 October 2024}}

The milk can contain between around 3.5% and 5% butterfat according to breed.{{cite web |title=British Goats Are Best |url=https://www.britishgoatsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Web_3-British-Goats-Are-Best.pdf |publisher=British Goat Society |access-date=29 October 2024}} Goat milk is processed into products including cheese{{cite web |url=http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encyclopedia/termdetail/0,7770,1237,00.html |title=Chèvre cheese |date=2008 |website=foodnetwork.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110074428/http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encyclopedia/termdetail/0,7770,1237,00.html |archive-date=January 10, 2009 |url-status=dead}} and Dulce de leche.{{cite web |date=6 April 2003 |title=Origen mítico del dulce de leche |language=es |trans-title=The Mythical Origin of Dulce de Leche |url=https://www.clarin.com/sociedad/origen-mitico-dulce-leche_0_r1nl5JflRtx.html |access-date=8 June 2014 |publisher=Clarín |archive-date=9 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809045424/http://edant.clarin.com/diario/2003/04/06/s-04104.htm |url-status=live }}

{{further|Mohair|Cashmere wool}}

Most goats have soft insulating hairs nearer the skin, and long guard hairs on the surface. The soft hairs are the ones valued by the textile industry; the material goes by names such as down, cashmere and pashmina. The coarse guard hairs are of little value as they are too coarse, difficult to spin and to dye. The cashmere goat produces a commercial quantity of fine and soft cashmere wool, one of the most expensive natural fibers commercially produced. It is harvested once a year.{{cite web |title=Australian Goat Notes |url=http://www.acga.org.au/goatnotes/A002.php |publisher=Australian Cashmere Growers Association |accessdate=2008-07-22 |archive-date=2018-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721211549/http://www.acga.org.au/goatnotes/A002.php |url-status=dead }} The Angora breed of goats produces long, curling, lustrous locks of mohair. The entire body of the goat is covered with mohair and there are no guard hairs. The locks constantly grow to four inches or more in length. Angora crossbreeds, such as the pygora and the nigora, have been created to produce mohair and/or cashgora on a smaller, easier-to-manage animal. The wool is shorn twice a year, with an average yield of about {{convert|10|lb|kg|abbr=on|order=flip}}.{{cite book |last=Shelton |first=Maurice |title=Angora Goat and Mohair Production |publisher=Anchor Publications |year=1993 |url=http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/files/2011/11/AngoraGoatandMohairProduction_21.pdf |access-date=October 25, 2024 |archive-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522085623/http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/files/2011/11/AngoraGoatandMohairProduction_21.pdf |url-status=live }}

{{further|Conservation grazing}}

Goats have been used by humans to clear unwanted vegetation for centuries. They have been described as "eating machines" and "biological control agents".{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Rent-a-goats-gain-foothold-1240623.php |title=Rent-a-goats gain foothold |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=June 14, 2007 |access-date=April 24, 2011 |archive-date=January 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120202847/https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Rent-a-goats-gain-foothold-1240623.php |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/animal/meatgoat/MGLand.htm |title=NCSU: Animal Science – Meat Goats in Land and Forage Management |work=ncsu.edu |access-date=April 24, 2011 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126125053/https://smallruminants.ces.ncsu.edu/ |url-status=live}} There has been a resurgence of this in North America since 1990, when herds were used to clear dry brush from California hillsides thought to be endangered by potential wildfires. This form of using goats to clear land is sometimes known as conservation grazing. Since then, numerous public and private agencies have hired private herds from companies such as Rent A Goat to perform similar tasks.{{cite web |url=http://modernfarmer.com/2013/09/get-goat-weed-garden/ |title=How to Get a Goat to Weed Your Garden |last=McGuire |first=Virginia C. |website=Modernfarmer.com |date=September 17, 2013 |access-date=June 27, 2019 |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604202947/https://modernfarmer.com/2013/09/get-goat-weed-garden/ |url-status=live }} This may be expensive and their smell may be a nuisance.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35676221 |title=Oregon scraps goat landscaping scheme due to cost and smell |date=February 27, 2016 |work=BBC News |access-date=June 27, 2019 |archive-date=November 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118001404/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35676221 |url-status=live }} This practice has become popular in the Pacific Northwest, where they are used to remove invasive species not easily removed by humans, including (thorned) blackberry vines and poison oak.{{cite web|url=http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/465/465-341/465-341.html |title=Options for Clearing Land: Pasture Establishment for Horses – Publications and Educational Resources – Virginia Tech|date=May 1, 2009 |work=vt.edu |access-date=April 24, 2011 |archive-date=December 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213191059/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/465/465-341/465-341.html |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30583512 |title=The goats fighting America's plant invasion |work=BBC News |location=Washington |date=January 13, 2015 |last=Jolly |first=Joanna |access-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-date=September 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910203146/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30583512 |url-status=live }} Chattanooga, TN and Spartanburg, SC have used goats to control kudzu, an invasive plant species prevalent in the southeastern United States.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/us/05goats.html |title=In Tennessee, Goats Eat the 'Vine That Ate the South' |last=Emery |first=Theo |date=June 5, 2007 |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 27, 2019 |archive-date=April 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424024445/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/us/05goats.html |url-status=live }}

Some countries' militaries use goats to train combat medics. In the United States, goats have become the main animal species used for this purpose after the Pentagon phased out using dogs for medical training in the 1980s.{{cite news |title=Who, What, Why: Does shooting goats save soldiers' lives? |first=Jon |last=Kelly |periodical=BBC News Magazine |date=March 8, 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21620521 |access-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109004759/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21620521 |url-status=live }} While modern mannequins used in medical training are quite efficient in simulating the behavior of a human body, trainees feel that "the goat exercise provide[s] a sense of urgency that only real life trauma can provide". The practice has elicited outcry from animal-rights groups.{{cite news |title=Military is required to justify using animals in medic training after pressure from activists |first=Ernesto |last=Londoño |date=February 24, 2013 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/military-is-required-to-justify-using-animals-in-medic-training-after-pressure-from-activists/2013/02/24/9b19e4ee-7d3e-11e2-82e8-61a46c2cde3d_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228111659/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-24/world/37276084_1_animal-activists-human-simulators-civilian-trauma |url-status=live |archive-date=February 28, 2013}}

Some people choose goats as a pet because of their ability to form close bonds with their human guardians.{{Cite web|last=MacDonald |first=Fiona |date=June 30, 2018 |title=Goats Are as Smart And Loving as Dogs, According to Science|url=https://www.sciencealert.com/goats-are-just-as-smart-and-loving-as-dogs-say-scientists|access-date=April 18, 2021 |website=ScienceAlert |archive-date=March 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315072302/https://www.sciencealert.com/goats-are-just-as-smart-and-loving-as-dogs-say-scientists|url-status=live}}{{cite journal |last1=Nawroth |first1=Christian |last2=Brett |first2=Jemma |last3 =McElligott |first3 =Alan |title =Goats display audience-dependent human-directed gazing behaviour in a problem-solving task |journal=Biology Letters |volume=12 |issue=7 |pages=20160283 |doi =10.1098/rsbl.2016.0283 |pmc=4971169 |date =July 5, 2016 |pmid=27381884 }} Goats are social animals and usually prefer the company of other goats, but because of their herd mentality, they will follow their owner and form close bonds with them, hence their continuing popularity.

Goats are similar to deer with regard to nutrition and need a wide range of food, including things like hay, grain feed or pelleted grain mix, and loose minerals.{{cite web |url=https://www.thespruce.com/feed-and-tend-goats-3016793 |title=Learn How to Feed and Tend Goats on the Small Farm |website=The Spruce |access-date=April 19, 2020 |archive-date=August 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804203330/https://www.thespruce.com/feed-and-tend-goats-3016793 |url-status=live}} Goats generally either inherit certain feeding preferences or learn them after birth.{{Cite journal |last=Morand-Fehr |first=P. |date=September 1, 2003 |title=Dietary choices of goats at the trough |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092144880300141X |journal=Small Ruminant Research |series=Advanced research on nutrition of sheep and goats, with special reference to pasture and rangeland use |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=231–239 |doi=10.1016/S0921-4488(03)00141-X |access-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531231044/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092144880300141X |url-status=live}}

File:Boerbok.jpg|The Boer goat, a meat breed

File:Curry Goat and Rice.jpg|Goat curry and rice at the Notting Hill Carnival

File:Mauritanian bota bag (cropped).jpg|Goatskin water container in Mauritania

File:Goat milking on an organic farm in Israel.jpg|A goat being milked by machine

File:Chabichou2.JPG|Chabichou, a French goat cheese

File:Angora 001.jpg|Angora goat with long coat of mohair

File:Duet mohair wool beret.jpg|A mohair wool beret

File:Goats in landscape management at German Highway B 42. Spielvogel 2013.jpg|Goats managing a German motorway embankment

{{anchor|Religion,_mythology,_and_folklore}}

In classical myth, Amalthea is either a nymph who fed the infant god Jupiter with goat's milk, or the goat who suckled the infant. In another legend, the god broke one of the goat's horns, endowing it with the power to fill itself with whatever its owner wanted, making it the cornucopia or horn of plenty.{{cite dictionary |last=Smith |first=William |author-link=William Smith (lexicographer) |title=A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DA%3Aentry+group%3D18%3Aentry%3Damaltheia-bio-1 |publisher=Perseus.Tufts.edu |year=1870 |access-date=26 October 2024 |pages=A.18 |chapter=Amaltheia |archive-date=August 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820111333/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:alphabetic+letter=A:entry+group=18:entry=amaltheia-bio-1 |url-status=live }}

The ancient city of Ebla in Syria contains a tomb with a throne decorated with bronze goat heads, now called "The Tomb of the Lord of the Goats"."The Eighteenth Century BC Princes of Byblos and Ebla and the Chronology of the Middle Bronze Age", p. 161 ([https://www.academia.edu/1096021/The_Eighteenth_Century_BC_Princes_of_Byblos_and_Ebla_and_the_Chronology_of_the_Middle_Bronze_Age 161] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024213207/https://www.academia.edu/1096021/The_Eighteenth_Century_BC_Princes_of_Byblos_and_Ebla_and_the_Chronology_of_the_Middle_Bronze_Age |date=October 24, 2020 }}){{cite book |last=Matthiae |first=Paolo |author-link=Paolo Matthiae |title=Ebla: Archaeology and History |publisher=Routledge |edition=1st |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-13885065-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dvn2DwAAQBAJ&q=%22tomb+of+the+lord+of+the+goats%22 |translator1=Bates, R. |translator2=Bilardello, M. |translator3=Weston, A. |access-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321193058/https://books.google.com/books?id=Dvn2DwAAQBAJ&q=%22tomb+of+the+lord+of+the+goats%22#v=snippet&q=%22tomb%20of%20the%20lord%20of%20the%20goats%22&f=false |url-status=live }}

In Norse mythology, the god of thunder, Thor, has a chariot that is pulled by the goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr At night when he sets up camp, Thor eats the meat of the goats, but takes care that all bones remain whole. Then he wraps the remains up, and in the morning, the goats always come back to life to pull the chariot. When a farmer's son who is invited to share the meal breaks one of the goats' leg bones to suck the marrow, the animal's leg remains broken in the morning, and the boy is forced to serve Thor as a servant to compensate for the damage.{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=J.C. |title=An illustrated encyclopaedia of traditional symbols |date=1979 |publisher=Thames and Hudson |isbn=978-0-500-27125-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc00coop_0/page/74 74] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc00coop_0/page/74}} Possibly related, the Yule goat (Julbocken) is a Scandinavian Christmas tradition. It originally denoted the goat that was slaughtered around Yule, now more often a goat figure made out of straw. It is used for the custom of going door-to-door singing carols and getting food and drinks in return, often fruit, cakes and sweets. The Gävle goat is a giant version of the yule goat, erected every year in the Swedish city of Gävle.{{cite web |title=Goat film |url=http://www.merjuligavle.se/English/VISIT-GAVLE/THE-CHRISTMAS-GOAT/Goat-film/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528014110/http://www.merjuligavle.se/English/VISIT-GAVLE/THE-CHRISTMAS-GOAT/Goat-film/ |archive-date=28 May 2013 |access-date=1 December 2012 |publisher=Mer Jul i Gävle}}{{cite web |title=bocken |url=http://www.merjuligavle.se/upload/MerJul/filmer/bocken.avi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320011830/http://www.merjuligavle.se/upload/MerJul/filmer/bocken.avi |archive-date=20 March 2012 |access-date=1 December 2012 |website=Mer Jul i Gävle}} In Finland the tradition of Nuutinpäivä—St. Knut's Day, January 13—involves young men dressed as goats (Finnish: Nuuttipukki) who visit houses. Usually the dress was an inverted fur jacket, a leather or birch bark mask, and horns. Unlike the analogous Santa Claus, Nuuttipukki was a scary character (cf. Krampus). The men dressed as Nuuttipukki wandered from house to house, came in, and typically demanded food from the household and especially leftover alcohol. In Finland the Nuuttipukki tradition is kept alive in areas of Satakunta, Southwest Finland and Ostrobothnia. Nowadays the character is usually played by children and involves a happy encounter.{{cite web |url=http://www.satakunnankansa.fi/cs/Satellite/Satakunta/1194662115574/artikkeli/nuuttipukit+kolkuttelevat+ovilla+tanaan.html |title=Satakunnan Kansa |publisher=Satakunnankansa.fi |date=January 13, 2011 |access-date=January 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113214706/http://www.satakunnankansa.fi/cs/Satellite/Satakunta/1194662115574/artikkeli/nuuttipukit+kolkuttelevat+ovilla+tanaan.html |archive-date=January 13, 2014}}

The goat is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac.Huang, Wen. [https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/01/31/year-of-the-sheep-goat-or-ram/ "Year of the Sheep, Goat or Ram?"] Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2003. Several mythological hybrid creatures contain goat parts, including the Chimera.Peck, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=chimaera-harpers "Chimaera"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011181119/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=chimaera-harpers |date=October 11, 2022 }}. The Capricorn constellation sign in the Western zodiac is usually depicted as a goat with a fish's tail.{{cite journal |first=John H. |last=Rogers |title=Origins of the ancient constellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions |journal=Journal of the British Astronomical Association |volume=108 |year=1998 |pages=9–28 |bibcode=1998JBAA..108....9R}} Fauns and satyrs are mythological creatures with human bodies and goats' legs.{{cite book |last=Fracer |first=Robert |date=2014 |title=Gerulata: The Lamps: Roman Lamps in a Provincial Context |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k3xYCgAAQBAJ&q=satyr+and+the+traveler&pg=PA326 |editor1-last=Chrzanovsky |editor1-first=Laurent |editor2-last=Topoleanu |editor2-first=Florin |location=Prague, Czech Republic |publisher=Karolinum |isbn=978-80-246-2710-6 |page=326}} The lustful Greek god Pan similarly has the upper body of a man and the horns and lower body of a goat. A goatee is a tuft of facial hair on a man's chin, named for its resemblance to a goat's beard.{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goatee |title=goatee |access-date=2024-04-12 |publisher=Merriam-Webster Dictionary}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

File:Glazed brick depicting a wild goat, from Nimrud, Iraq, 9th-7th century BCE. Iraq Museum.jpg|Glazed brick depicting a wild goat, from Nimrud, Iraq, 9th–7th century BC

File:Oinochoe Wild Goat Louvre A311.jpg|Ancient Greek oenochoe with wild goats, 625–600 BC

File:Chimera Apulia Louvre K362.jpg|Goat-lion chimera on a red-figure plate, {{circa|350–340}} BC

File:PanandDaphnis.jpg|Pan teaching Daphnis to play his flute, Pompeii, {{circa|100 BC}}

File:Amalthea Julien Louvre CC230.jpg|Amalthea and Jupiter's goat, 1787, at the French royal dairy, Rambouillet

File:Yule Goat on the christmas tree 2.JPG|A yule goat on a Christmas tree in Scandinavia

In Hinduism, Daksha, one of the prajapati, is sometimes depicted with the head of a male goat. A legend states that Daksha failed to invite Shiva to a sacrifice; Shiva beheaded Daksha, but when asked by Vishnu, restored Daksha to life with the head of a goat.{{cite book |last1=van der Geer |first1=Alexandra |title=Animals in Stone: Indian Mammals Sculptured Through Time |date=2008 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9-00416819-0 |page=171 |url=https://brill.com/downloadpdf/book/9789047443568/B9789047443568-s015.pdf |chapter=Capra hircus, the Domestic Goat |access-date=October 29, 2024 |archive-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125183414/https://brill.com/downloadpdf/book/9789047443568/B9789047443568-s015.pdf |url-status=live }}

Goats are mentioned many times in the Bible. Their importance in ancient Israel is indicated by the seven different Hebrew and three Greek terms used in the Bible.{{cite book |last1=Younker |first1=Randall W. |url=https://archive.org/details/eerdmansdictiona0000unse_i2l4/page/510 |title=Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible |date=2000 |publisher=W.B. Eerdmans |isbn=0802824005 |page=510 |url-access=registration}} A goat is considered a "clean" animal by Jewish dietary laws and a kid was slaughtered for an honored guest. It was also acceptable for some kinds of sacrifices. Goat-hair curtains were used in the tent that contained the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4). Its horns can be used instead of sheep's horn to make a shofar.Chusid, Michael T. [http://hearingshofar.com/book.htm Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227002105/http://www.hearingshofar.com/book.htm |date=December 27, 2011 }}, 2009. Hearingshofar.com On Yom Kippur, the festival of the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen and lots were drawn for them. One was sacrificed and the other allowed to escape into the wilderness, symbolically carrying with it the sins of the community. From this comes the word "scapegoat".{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|16:21–22}} In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus said that like a shepherd he will separate the nations, rewarding the sheep, those who have shown kindness, but punishing the goats. The devil is sometimes depicted, like Baphomet, as a goat, making the animal a significant symbol throughout Satanism. The inverted pentagram of Satanism is sometimes depicted with a goat's head of Baphomet, which originated from the Church of Satan.{{cite book |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |author-link=Massimo Introvigne |year=2016 |title=Satanism: A Social History |chapter=Éliphas Lévi and the Baphomet |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nt8zDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 |location=Leiden and Boston |publisher=Brill Publishers |series=Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism |volume=21 |isbn=978-90-04-28828-7 |oclc=1030572947 |pages=105–109 }}

File:Separation of Sheep and Goats MET cdi24-144-4s1.jpg|Christ separating the sheep from the goats

File:Baphomet by Éliphas Lévi.jpg|Baphomet, a deity with the head of a goat

File:Baphomet Pentagram.svg|The Sigil of Baphomet, inscribed with a goat's head

• Goat tower
• Sheep–goat hybrid

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote|Goats}}

{{Commons category|Goats}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110515043635/http://www.allgoats.com/ British Goat Society]
• [https://www.iga-goatworld.com/ International Goat Association]
• [https://www.napga.org/ North American Packgoats Association]
• [https://www.adga.org/ The American Dairy Goat Association]

{{Artiodactyla|R.3}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2934}}

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Category:Capra (genus)

Category:Goats

Category:Herbivorous mammals

Category:Livestock

Category:Mammals described in 1758

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus