Ah yes. That has to be the domestic goat, one of the earliest examples of goat domestication. In fact, if you ever wonder are goats domesticated, the answer is yes–the domesticated goat was among the first animals to be brought under human care, right after the dog. Many even call it man’s second best friend because of its usefulness and companionship. And yet, despite being a domestic animal goat, it still isn’t really housebroken. This is a matter of the highest importance for he or she who would master a goat–or rather, understand the behavior of this remarkable goat animal.
Unlike other farm animals who meet danger by running away, a domestic goat has the instinct to face its enemy and dodge him. You can drive a cow, but as for the goat, to hell with it. The goat will come with you providing that you have something good for it. Something like leguminous hays, wheat, and vegetables to eat. This is part of understanding how do humans use goats effectively, by working with their instincts rather than against them.
Of all domestic dairy animals, domestic goats have the widest range–from the Equator to within ten or fifteen degrees of the Poles. In severe climates, the goat does need warm shelter, but the Finns have settled that. The goat warms the family and the family warms the goat, in separate but equal stalls. One caution: the goat does need a chance to dry his hoofs every day or our caprine friend will develop hoof rot. This is essential knowledge when raising domesticated goats in different environments.
The goat has utility–he can survive and prosper in country that would starve a cow. With his leathery mouth and fantastic digestive system, there’s mighty little a goat won’t eat. True, some plants are poisonous to him (such as the False Hellebore), but it is only starvation which drives a goat to eat such. This adaptability is one of the reasons why the domestic goat remains one of the most versatile farm animals.
There is an obvious hint for us admirers of the domestic goats in all this. Almost any scrubby leftover land is good enough for this animal. And he’s content in much smaller confines than the cow. Your backyard is plenty for a buck, a doe, and a yearling. So long as you have the leguminous hay, wheat, alfalfa, and vegetables. In theory, it’s quite all right to keep a goat in Seattle, but beware of disturbing your middle-class neighbors. Figure about 100 square feet per goat, about what you need for a human in an office. This makes the domestic animal goat ideal for small-scale farming or homesteading.
Human is a well-chosen word for all farm animals, but the goat is by long odds the most nearly human. The goat family holds dances and plays games like Follow the Leader and King of the Mountain. This is why many people ask, are goats friendly to humans? The answer is yes–goats can be very social, playful, and interactive with people when raised properly. The bucks enjoy pretending to butt you, especially when you bend over. And sometimes it isn’t pretense, as I found once when I was digging portholes. If a buck butts you, he immediately loses respect for you. So, with one hand you bend his head backward to the backbone, with the other hand you twist his tail and you throw him on the ground. A lot of growers do this every two weeks to their bucks. Agricola brutality. Yep.
Goats are famous leapers and can survive perfectly well in the wild. So build your fences at least five feet high. Electric fences must be three-strand affairs. Whether you are raising a domesticated goat or a herd of domesticated goats, proper fencing is essential.
Purchasing a goat is far too complicated to go into here, so I’ll just mention a few things. You had jolly well better be acquainted with this subject before you do any purchasing. The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have pamphlets, but you’re better off buying a book written by some English author. They’re the world’s best farmers and gardeners when it comes to raising the goat animal.
Fact. It is important that you understand four words. Thoroughbred, crossbred, grade and scrub. A thoroughbred goat, bottle-broke, i.e., a weaned animal, is a product of a registered dam (that’s mom) and a registered sire (that’s dad). And a thoroughbred can’t be had for much less than $100. At least the buck should be thoroughbred, and should be the most expensive buck you can afford. Just be sure he’s a milking buck, if you’re interested in milk.
A crossbred is the product of a registered dam of one variety and a registered sire of another variety–a Toggenburg and a Saanen for example. These cost about $75–around in there–even bottle broke, and are often excellent choices for a family operation or for the rank and file of a milking or meat or fleece herd.
Scrubs are the product of an unregistered dam and an unregistered sire and come cheap–usually worth it, too. Say $5 for an unbroken kid and $25 for one that’s bottle-broken. For a Mom and Pop operation–say a milking doe–for the backyard–you can get by with these, especially if the dam and sire had good records. But if you have to make money off scrubs, you’d better get a doe. Keep this tip in mind. For milkers, buy bone, good thick bones to hang heavy mammaries from. For meat animals, buy a sleek appearance.
How much milk can you expect from an average good doe? Six to eight quarts a day. A goat costs about a third of what a cow costs, about a sixth as much to feed and gives a third as much milk. Twice as much milk per poundage. And the milk is worth three times as much as cow’s milk.
A word should be put in about the superiority of goat milk. As far as fats, milk sugars, proteins, calcium and other solids go, cow milk and goat milk are fairly close on a percentage basis . . . but goat’s milk is far superior in Vitamins A, B, C, D and G. The fat globules of goat milk are smaller and the milk is more digestible. Goat proteins differ from cow proteins and goat’s milk does not cause allergies.
Many crib deaths are due to allergy to cow milk proteins. Cow milk allergy is quite common. I have it myself to some extent. I’m not smart enough to remember which of the proteins cause this but the English authors know. And then, goat milk is alkaline whereas cow milk is acid. And goat milk has more mineral salts.
Goat milk has a much lower bacterial count than cow milk. Very much less. So you don’t have to pasteurize goat milk. And of course, once cow milk gets to the dairy, the dairy employs lots of ingenuity to make sure that all of the good things in cows milk are extracted. So what you get out of Safeway is a little bit better than colored water. Listen, if you’d seen what I’ve seen and know what I know, you’d never touch cow milk.
Goat cheese is not only superior to cow cheese in all the departments mentioned above but it does not, to my knowledge, decay.
And then you have Mohair, which comes from goats–real genuine mohair that is. And Moroccan leather comes from goats. Everybody else in the world loves goats. Why don’t you Americans dig goats? I don’t know. I just don’t know. I don’t know if it’s stupidity or if it’s because you love to squander.
Anyway, I, assuming an unbending attitude, cheerfully salute the goat. Oh. Somebody (my wife) just asked how come goat’s milk stinks. Mismanagement, that’s why.
Among the mammals, see, milk is produced only when the female is or has been pregnant. And, when a male approaches a lactating female, certain odorous chemicals are released into the milk. This is true for humans. Caress your wife while she’s nursing a baby and the baby will wrinkle it’s face. So. To keep goat milk from smelling, segregate the bucks from the lactating does. And wash off the udder. Keep the hair clipped back. Stuff like that.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are goats domesticated animals?
Yes, goats are fully domesticated animals and were among the first livestock species to be tamed by humans. The domestic goat has been used for thousands of years for milk, meat, fiber, and land management.
2. What is goat domestication and why is it important?
Goat domestication refers to the process of taming wild goats for human use. It is important because goats provide milk, meat, fiber, and are highly adaptable to different climates and terrains.
3. Are goats friendly to humans?
Yes, domesticated goats are generally friendly to humans. They are social animals and can become affectionate and playful when raised in a proper environment with regular human interaction.
4. How do humans use goats in daily life?
Humans use goats for milk production, meat, wool (such as cashmere), land clearing, and even companionship. This makes the domestic goat one of the most versatile farm animals.
5. Why are goats called man’s second best friend?
Goats are sometimes referred to as man’s second best friend because of their usefulness, adaptability, and companionship, second only to dogs in domestication history.
6. What is the difference between domesticated goat and wild goat?
A domesticated goat is bred and raised under human care, while wild goats live independently in nature. Domestic goats are more social, manageable, and productive for farming purposes.
7. What is kambing domestic?
“Kambing domestic” is a term commonly used in some regions (like Malaysia and Indonesia) that refers to domesticated goats raised for farming, meat, or milk production.
8. How much space does a domestic goat need?
A domestic goat typically needs about 100 square feet of space per animal, along with proper shelter, fencing, and access to food and clean water.
9. Are domestic goats easy to take care of?
Domestic goats are relatively easy to care for, but they require proper feeding, shelter, hoof care, and secure fencing. They are hardy animals but still need regular attention.
10. What makes the goat animal unique among farm animals?
The goat animal is unique due to its adaptability, strong digestive system, climbing ability, and social behavior, making it suitable for both small farms and large-scale agriculture.
