2LearnKept species
Goat
Capra hircus
The goat was domesticated from the wild bezoar ibex of the Middle East and is kept for milk, meat and fibre such as mohair and cashmere. Goats are browsers that prefer leaves, shrubs and weeds to grass. They are hardy, inquisitive and well suited to small holdings.
About
Domesticated mammal raised for its meat and milk.
- Family
- Bovidae
Keeping
How it is kept
Kept for
- Dairy
- Meat
- Fibre
- Mature weight
- 35–120 kg
- Lifespan
- 10–15 years
- Gestation
- 150 days
- Temperament
- Curious, intelligent and sociable; skilled escape artists
- Forage
- Browsers that prefer shrubs, hedges and weeds to grass, with good hay and goat minerals. Milking does need extra feed.
- Housing
- Dry, draught-free shelter, since goats dislike rain. Fencing must be very secure, as they climb, jump and squeeze through gaps.
- Good to know
- Goats need the company of other goats. Hooves need trimming every few weeks to months, depending on the ground. Many garden shrubs are poisonous to goats, so check what they can reach over and through fences.
Photos, videos and notes
From keepers
Known as
Names around the world
- en
- goat, domestic goat
Full detailsevery field on the record, to copy
- Name
- Goat
- Slug
- goat
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Capra
- Species
- hircus
- Wikidata QID
- Q2934
- Container suitable
- No
- Indoor suitable
- No
- OSSI pledged
- No
- Hazard level
- 1
- Data completeness
- 48
Generated sections & citations
summarywikidata