Anyone who raises goats or is considering having goats, has a specific reason or expectation in mind from the venture. Different breeds of goats are raised for various purposes, such as for their meat or milk, or as work animals. Some are raised for the fiber used from their coats in the manufacture of cashmere or mohair clothing and accessories. Goat breeds have different characteristics, as well, and some people find a goat makes a lively and delightful pet. Before beginning a goat raising project or looking for a pet, first decide what results are desired, and then it will be possible to find the breed best suited for that particular situation.

Dairy Goats

In the United States dairy goats come mainly from seven breeds, which are Toggenberg, Saanen, La Mancha, Oberhasli, French Alpine, Nubian, and Recorded Grade. The Toggenberg was once the most well-known in the USA. They are small in size with coats ranging in color from dark chocolate to a light fawn shade. A healthy doe can produce three to four quarts of milk each day during her lactation, and four to six quarts is the record among this breed. The Saanen is on a par with the Holstein in cow breeds. It is the largest among all dairy goats, with superior milk production. This Swiss breed is light cream or white in color and it adapts well to almost any environment.

LaMancha dairy goats are medium in size, hardy and strong, making them excellent milk animals, although they produce a little less than some Swiss breeds. They are distinguished in appearance by small ears, and their coats can have any combination of colors. Also a good Swiss dairy goat, the chamois or black colored Oberhasli is medium in size and appears alert and energetic. Distinguishing marks are in the form of two black stripes on the face. The French Alpine has a long lactation period and produces more than three quarts of milk a day. Adaptable to almost any climate, it is a very popular breed and has many varieties of colors in the coat.

The Nubian was actually developed in England for both milk and meat. It has long ears and a Roman nose, with nearly any color coat. This breed is the most popular in the USA today, although they produce a little less milk than other breeds, or a little over two quarts a day. Even when mated with other breeds, they easily produce healthy offspring of Recorded Grade, which is a cross between any two breeds. Any of the breeds mentioned make good dairy milk goats, with slight differences in production and adaptability to climate.

Meat Goats

In the United States, goats were mainly raised for milk or fiber before the 1990s, when demand for goat meat began to increase faster than it could be produced. Although ethnic cultures within the country have always eaten goat meat, the U.S. made very little effort to educate the general population about the nutritional and health benefits of eating this type of meat.

That has now changed since the United States Department of Agriculture reported goat meat has lower cholesterol and saturated fat than turkey, chicken, beef, lamb or pork. In addition, it is high in vitamin B12, iron and protein and has a better balance of amino acids than any of the other meats mentioned. Roughly half the goat meat sold in the USA is imported from Australia and the other half is produced within the country and slaughtered in USDA inspected plants.

The Boer goats are perhaps the best known meat goats in the USA because of their large size and meaty muscles. They have long ears and their coats are black, red, white or spotted. Bucks can weigh up to 350 pounds and does up to 250 pounds. The Kiko goat, whose name means flesh, came from crossbreeding feral goats in New Zealand with Saanen, Toggenburg and Nubian breeds, producing a hearty animal enthusiastically welcomed by breeders.

Savanna meat goats are a hardy strain developed in South Africa and brought to the USA in 1995. They are an attractive solid white with black skin, and are adaptable to heat and drought conditions. The Spanish meat goat is a descendant of goats from New England that migrated south and were bred with those from Mexico and Texas. Ranchers selectively bred the does with the largest and meatiest bucks. They sometimes have a cashmere undercoat in harsh winters. Another good meat goat is the Myotonic goat, known as the Tennessee Fainting goat, which does not really faint. When they are startled, their muscles tense, causing them to fall down. They have dense muscles and a vast array of coat lengths and colors.

Fiber Goats

The Angora goat originated in Turkey and is most common in South Africa and Texas because of climate, although they are raised in several countries and all parts of the USA. The production of mohair is the primary reason Angoras are bred, and demand for the cloth has increased worldwide in the last decade. The purebred Angora produces more than twelve pounds of mohair each year from its creamy white, long and lustrous hair.

The luxurious soft Cashmere comes from the soft undercoat sheared or combed from the goat as it sheds its winter coat. The Cashmere goat produces the fine fibers that are insulation to the animal against cold and harsh winter conditions. Each goat produces only about four ounces of cashmere fibers a year, and they must be separated from the coarser hairs of the top coat. The small yield and time consuming dehairing process accounts for the expense of the finished cashmere product.

Whatever the various reasons are for raising goats, the animals themselves are an enjoyable addition to a farm or property with enough acreage to provide them with shelter and a place to roam a bit. Many small operations produce income from meat or dairy goat breeds, even in a poor economy. Still others enjoy them as quiet and gentle pets.