Domestic Breeds of goats are different from the ones raised on farms. But nowadays, several people are domestically raising goats for milk, and meat. Nevertheless, raising dairy goats at home is not an easy task. People often do not know how to raise goats for fruitful produce. Raising milk goats is different from meat goats or fleece goats so excessive care and skillful techniques are required. There are numerous types of goats but not all can be bred for dairy and meat. Here, we have collected 15 most famous goat breeds that can easily be raised at home.
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.
