why do people keep goats?

Filed under: Goats |

dairy goats
Image by Claudine
Bruschetta of fromage blanc, spinach, yellow bells and beet puree.

Question by Rusty: why do people keep goats?
i know that they are not bred for meat specifically. do they make good pets or is there some other reason (besides milking) why people keep goats?

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4 Responses to why do people keep goats?

  1. Actually, some breeds of goat are bred for meat. There are three “types” of goats- meat, milk, and fiber. Each type has many different breeds, like boers and kiko’s for meat, nubians and LaManchas for milk, and angoras for fiber (there’s many many more in each, but I was just listing a couple). A lot of people do keep them as pets as well, because they’re awesome! I have three Nigerian Dwarf goats, and I worked on a dairy goat farm for a long time.

    Anna Finley
    May 21, 2014 at 4:48 am
    Reply

  2. Yes,they ***ARE*** “…bred for meat…” SPECIFICALLY!!!
    Meat,milk,hair,hides….even brush-removal…

    NO,livestock are NOT “pets”.

    Sisyphus
    May 21, 2014 at 5:09 am
    Reply

  3. Some are in fact novelty pets like these fainting goats.
    http://theanimalcabin.blogspot.com/2011/12/fainting-goats.html

    Some are kept for milk because many people cannot drink cows milk.

    Some goats are kept for fiber, such as Angora Goats.

    http://farm-animals.knoji.com/facts-and-information-on-angora-goats/

    Some people keep them as companion animals for other animals.

    I keep sheep, but do not eat them they are for pasture control.

    CF_
    May 21, 2014 at 5:33 am
    Reply

  4. Edit:
    ha~
    I didn’t read the other answers before I answered..so you get a dupe of the above ( ^ ) re: fainting goats.
    ~

    People have goats because they can milk the goats (goat milk), which can be turned into goat cheese, and other dairy products, which is easier on humans digestive tracts vs cows milk. Goats are smaller than cattle = easier to feed and take care of in a smaller space.

    Goats have nice dispositions and are very easy-going. The goats below (You Tube video link) shows Myotonic “fainting” goats which have an unusual habit of fainting when ever startled, overly happy, or when anything new is presented to them. Even if someone walks by with a balloon, this will be enough to cause the fainting goats to topple over and remain incapacitated for a few seconds to a few minutes. The baby goats cry when they faint, while the adults take it in stride and just lie there until the fainting spell passes.

    They are very cute and the toppling over doesn’t hurt them. People like to raise fainting and regular goats for many reasons..they may make nice pets, but primarily if one has a farm, they will have at least one or two goats.

    Myotonic “Fainting” goats:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3a1PNq9BbU

    tuesday
    May 21, 2014 at 5:35 am
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