15 Famous Goat Breeds To Raise For Milk, Meat And Fleece

Dairy Goat Breeds

1- Alpine:

Alpine goat breeds can easily be found all across US. These goats were first originated in the Alps and are also commonly known as “French Alpine.”  These goat breeds range for medium to large size and adapt to their environment very easily. Due to this, raising them domestically is trouble-free. They come in various colors and patterns. Alpines are one of the  best for dairy farming as their milk contains an average of 3.5% butterfat. However, the downside is that they are seasonal breeders.

2- LaMancha:

LaMancha have a Spanish origin but are easily found in US. They are medium in size and healthy, friendly and sturdy goats. They have the best dairy temperament and thus, provide rich dairy produce. Their milk contains about 4.2% of butterfat but they are also seasonal breeders. LaMancha are medium sized goats with small tiny ears that are either gopher ears (sweet rolls) or elf ears (hooked ears).

3- Nigerian Dwarfs:

The Nigerian goat, as the name suggests, originated from Africa. They are tiny, small goats are best for dairy produce. Although they are very small but can give up to 3-4 pounds of milk per day. They are regarded to be best dairy goats as their milk contains about 6.1% butterfat. However, Nigerian dwarfs are difficult to milk but they can be raised all year round. These goats also come in variety of colors and patterns. Related: tips for raising goats.

4- Nubian:

Nubians also known as Anglo-Nubian are a big, graceful goat breeds. They are proud of their body structure as they have long, pendulum-like ears and Roman nose. They are a cross breed of African and Indian bucks and were raised in England. Although, they are large in size but are not heavy producers. Their milk approximately contains 4.6% of butterfat. They are considered seasonal breeders but they can even be raised all year round. Related: tips for popular sheep breeds.

5- Oberhasli:

These goat breeds are also known as “Swiss Alpine” having a medium sized built. They are in bay color with clear black spotting all over the body. Their milk contains 3.6% of butterfat and cannot be raised all year round.

6- Saanen:

They are large, white goats with upright ears and originally grown in Switzerland. Saanen goats are heavy producers but their milk is low in butterfat as compared to other dairy goats.

7- Toggenburg Goat:

They are the oldest breed of dairy goats having medium-sized body. They come in various colors ranging from fawn to dark chocolate brown with white marks on the body.  They are commonly raised for producing milk which is usually used to make cheese. However, their milk contains only 3.3% of butterfat.

Meat Goat Breeds

8- Boer Goat

This South African based goat breed has long, hanging ears and Roman nose. They have white body with colored head and backward curved horns. However, they have a gentle built but are strong and vigorous. They mostly breed in September and end in January.

9- Kiko Goat Breed

Kikos breed was first grown in New Zealand. Keeping goats is tricky but Kiko are hassle-free as they can easily be raised even in harsh weather conditions. They are heavy producers and that is why named kiko, which means meat. They can also be grown all year.

10- Spanish Meat Goat Breed

Also known as Brush goats, they were introduced in America by Europeans. They are short but have a strong built. These meat goats are available in various colors and can be grown in any month of the year.

11- Tennessee Fainting Goat

These goat breed has various names due to its unique characteristics. The most popular ones are fainting or nervous goats named after their genetic imbalance. When shocked or surprised, these goats fall down as their muscles get locked or jammed. Nevertheless, they not only provide generous amount of meat but also fleece.

Other Breeds Of Goats

12- Angora

Angoras are raised for their thick fleece. They are medium sized goats having long thick coat also known as mohair. They have a Turkish background. Related: tips for breeds of guardian dogs to raise for livestock.

13- Pygora

It is a cross breed of Pygmy and Angora raised to produce fine fiber. Pygoras have three different kinds of fleece categorized according to their characteristics.

Type A: The fleece is Angora dominant having almost 6 inch of fiber. The fiber of the fleece is lustrous and mohair.

Type B: It is a blend of Pygmy and Angora which gives fleece both kinds of fiber; cashmere and mohair. The fiber is slightly curled and 3-6 inch long

Type C: The fleece is Pygmy dominated which makes fleece cashmere type. The fleece is dull, matted and is 1-3 inch long.

Usually pygoras produce up to 6 pounds of fleece per shear and they can be shorn twice a year.

14- Kinder

Kinder are dual-purpose goats bred in US for both milk and meat. They come in variety of colors and patterns and can be bred anytime in the year.

15- Pygmy

They are of African origination having a small body structure. Nowadays, people are usually raising pygmy goats for meat but they are basically bred as pets. They can be raised all year round.