The Domestic Goat (Capra hircus or C. aegagrus hirca) was derived from the Wild Goat (C. aegagrus). At the beginning of this century, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization compiled a summary of domestic breeds of mammals and identified nearly 600 Domestic Goat breeds. The Wild Goat was likely domesticated around 10,000-11,000 years agomainly in eastern Anatolia (in modern day Turkey) and secondarily in the Central Iranian Plateau and Southern Zagros Mountains. Large-scale studies of mitochondrial DNA have indicated that all haplotypes now found in domestic goats are present in Wild Goats and more than 90% of domestic goats share the same haplotype (a haplotype that is common today in Wild Goats in the eastern Anatolia region of Turkey). Today there are an estimated 700 million domestic goats, perhaps 20% of them on the Indian subcontinent.
(Groves and Leslie 2011 and references therein)
Goats are extremely curious and intelligent. Goats are easily house trained and you can teach them to pull carts and walk on leads. Goats are also known for escaping their pens. If you have unsecured fencing, be warned your goats will be inquisitive and test it out and soon you will know where the gaps are. Goats are very coordinated and can climb and hold their balance in the most awkward places. Goats are also widely known for their ability to climb trees, although the tree generally has to be at a slight angle.
If goats are raised correctly and disciplined from an early age, they never develop any bad habits. Goats will butt each other, this is quite natural and normal as they develop an order of dominance in the herd. However if corrected from an early age they never butt humans or other animals.
A goat that has been teased may butt people as part of their ‘play’, which may start as kids, when it is no problem. It can be a problem if this behaviour extends to adult age and size. Hence start correctly: if a small kid pushes against your legs, never push back.
Goats make a bleating sound much like a sheep. All in all, goats make wonderful companions and pets. Goats are a pleasure to keep and give you many hours of fun watching them with their humourous ways. Goats all have very different personalities and different little habits which can be very interesting to observe.
Goats are extremely curious and intelligent. Goats are easily house trained and you can teach them to pull carts and walk on leads. Goats are also known for escaping their pens. If you have unsecured fencing, be warned your goats will be inquisitive and test it out and soon you will know where the gaps are. Goats are very coordinated and can climb and hold their balance in the most awkward places. Goats are also widely known for their ability to climb trees, although the tree generally has to be at a slight angle.
If goats are raised correctly and disciplined from an early age, they never develop any bad habits. Goats will butt each other, this is quite natural and normal as they develop an order of dominance in the herd. However if corrected from an early age they never butt humans or other animals.
A goat that has been teased may butt people as part of their ‘play’, which may start as kids, when it is no problem. It can be a problem if this behaviour extends to adult age and size. Hence start correctly: if a small kid pushes against your legs, never push back.
Goats make a bleating sound much like a sheep. All in all, goats make wonderful companions and pets. Goats are a pleasure to keep and give you many hours of fun watching them with their humourous ways. Goats all have very different personalities and different little habits which can be very interesting to observe.
