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Goat breeds
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An Angora goat with long, curly fleece and curved horns stands on grassy ground with a clear blue sky in the background. Photograph of an Angora goat in pasture. Boer goat. Cashmere goat. LaMancha goat. Nubian goat. Oberhasli goat. Saanen goat. Toggenburg goat.
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An Angora goat with long, curly fleece and curved horns stands on grassy ground with a clear blue sky in the background.
Angora goat The silky coat of the Angora goat is the source of fine mohair.

Goat breeds

animal husbandry
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•History

Goats were probably first domesticated in Asia, perhaps during prehistoric times, and have long been used as a source of milk, cheese, mohair, and meat. Goat skin can also be made into leather. Goats are especially adapted to small-scale milk production; one or two animals can supply sufficient milk for a family throughout the year. Indeed, they are key livestock in quarters and regions where it would not be practical to keep a cow.

The many breeds may be roughly grouped: the prickeared—e.g., Swiss goats; the eastern, or Nubian, with long, drooping ears; and the wool goat—e.g., Angora and cashmere. While it is usually easy to distinguish goats from sheep, certain hair breeds of sheep can be distinguished from goats by the orientation of the tail: upward in goats, downward in sheep.

A comparison of selected breeds of goats is provided in the following table.

Selected breeds of goats
name use distribution characteristics comments
Photograph of an Angora goat in pasture.
 Angora wool originally Turkey, now also South Africa, United States small body; thick, flat fleece thrives in temperate regions
Boer goat.
 Boer meat originally South Africa horned; lop ears extended breeding season
Cashmere goat.
 Cashmere wool, milk, and meat originally China, now Asia and Middle East small body; large ears; small horns wool obtained from its undercoat
LaMancha goat.
 LaMancha milk originally United States distinct ear types: “gopher ears” (up to one inch in length but preferably nonexistent) or “elf ears” (maximum length 2 inches) hardy
Nubian goat.
 Nubian milk originally North Africa, now also India, Middle East, United Kingdom, United States long legs; long ears; large nose several varieties
Oberhasli goat.
 Oberhasli milk originally Switzerland medium-sized; chamois in colour with two black stripes on face alert in appearance
Saanen goat.
 Saanen milk originally Saanen Valley, Switzerland white or cream-coloured; short hair consistent milk producer
Toggenburg goat.
 Toggenburg milk originally Toggenburg valley, Switzerland, now also United Kingdom, United States light to dark brown important dairy goat
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.