June 2005

The Caprid Chronicles

by The Goat

It is worth considering which animals people feel affinities for. Horses, sheep, cows - they're interesting, as in the way of most mammals. Among the list of animals - and there are several - for which I've discovered an affinity I need to include the goat. Perhaps it is the goat's quiet curiosity which hides an inner wisdom. In an open and well-ventilated space, I'm not even bothered that much by the scent of a male goat in heat.

I've met goats, from pigmy on up. Although angora goats look superficially like small sheep, they're undeniably goats, and they are independent-minded in that goatlike way that suits my own personality. They don't put on airs, and although they are social animals, they don't have to follow the herd.

So, without further ado, shall we begin?

Goats from alpha to zed:

Domestic goats are a subspecies of the wild goat, and are named Capra aegagrus hircus. The Caprid family boasts nine member species and several subspecies. Note that the Rocky Mountain Goat, despite its name, is not considered a true goat by scientists as it belongs to the genus Oreamnos, although they are indeed a member of the subfamily Caprinae. The genus Capra consists of nine species, which are found in the commonly known groupings of the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat.

To look more closely at the hierarchy of the goat family tree, we find:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates, ten families of some 220 species)
Family: Bovidae (cows and other ruminants)
Subfamily: Caprinae (chamois, goats, serows, sheep, and relatives)
Genus: Capra

The Markhor (Capra falconeri) , by the by, is a wild species native to the Himalayans. These animals have a reddish-brown coat and spirally curved horns. The males have long dramatic manes and thick beards. They are the largest members, physically, of the Caprinae subfamily. However, due to extensive hunting, they are endangered and some populations are near extinction.

The serrow tend to be solitary, with long straight bushy hair. A species lives in Japan (Nemorhaedus crispus).. Both genders have very short horns. Sheep (Ovis aries) are animals at the other end of the family continuum from serrow, and are easily herded.

There are several geni of ibexes. The Spanish and African ibexes are considered to be very similar to the alpine ibex.(the steinbock), an animal of rocky terrain. They were hunted for medical purposes, and no doubt also for food; today there has been something of a comeback, and there are approximately 30,000 alpine ibexes in the wild. The tur is considered a type of ibex.

So, what is a goat?

You can consider it a near-sheep. It is a ruminant with hollow horns and coarse hair, and it developed in Asia and the Middle East. Wild goats include the parsan (Persian bezoar goat), and is the likely ancestor of today's many domestic goat breeds. Goats, compared to sheep, are a hardy species, and can survive in arid, rocky terrain. They don't eat "everything" - they select grasses, shrubs and additional vegetation. They've been domesticated a long time, starting circa 7000 - 9000 BCE, and were mentioned in early books of the Bible, and were known as a useful animal from early ancient Egyptian eras.

Today, the goat remains an important livestock source, particuarly in lower Asia and in the Middle East. They are raised to provide dairy products, meat, wool, hides, and to control weeds and shrub. Their milk is more easily digested than that of cattle. Dominant breeds of goat in the US include Saanen, Toggenburg, Nubian, French Alpine and Rock Alpine goats, all utilized for their milk production. Angora goats are the most popular American breed these days, and are shorn for their wool. The Boer is a popular breed of meat goat.

There are over 210 breeds of goats with an estimated 450 million goats worldwide as of 2001. Far and away, most still do not live in America. Intriguingly, the pupils of a goat's eyes slit horizontally, not vertically. Typically, goats live 8 - 12 years, although there are obviously going to be differences in this, in part based on breed or environment. Some breeds of goats are jumpers. It is also interesting to note that a baby goat (kid) separated from his mother (doe) at birth will be able to find her, and stay near her, when introduced later. Goats tend to socialize among their own breed. Goats do have herd tendencies, but not as pronounced as sheep, and are not as easily brought to bay by herding dogs..

 

Breeds of Goats:

As noted, goats come in a large number of breeds. The smallest goats weigh about 27 pounds (pigmy goats), and the largest weigh over 275 pounds, with regards to the male. Below we touch on just a few of the breeds of goats around.

The Angora goat originated in Angora, Asia Minor. Mohair dates back to early biblical days. These goats are smaller than most other goats, weighing around 180 pounds or so for the male, and around 170 - 110 for the females. Young goats have been culled for meat, but their main use is for the wool they produce. Usually, they are sheered twice a year. This wool gets tougher each year.

The Boer is a big, heavy, bruising meat goat who comes to us via a detour through South Africa. The buck or ram weighs about in the range of 240-300 lbs, making them, pardon me, meaty.

The Myotonic, or Fainting Goat is a unique animal. The origins of this "fainting" trait are unknown, but it may be that it served some purpose. Or not. Essentially, when startled, this goat's muscles stiffen and lock up, and then they fall over in a faint. In a few minutes they'll get back up and go about their business. They are somewhat smaller than the average goat, but apparently don't experience a lesser life expectancy. These days it appears these goats are raised both for meat and for their novelty.

The Pygmy (Cameroon Dwarf Goat) hails from West Africa, with similar bloodlines found in North Africa. No doubt these little guys served as food in their native regions, but today they are considered more an exotic and a pet.

The Saanen are primarily raised as dairy goats. They're medium-large, and mostly white in coloration, with short hair. They come originally from Switzerland, and need shaded areas as they are sun-sensitive. Milking goats is a labor-intensive activity. It takes two necessary milkings a day for a good portion of the year to raise dairy goats. This is not for people who can't stand routines.

Caprine Resources: