1. Swimmers: Goats are good swimmers
2. Pets: Goats have been kept as livestock for around 10,000 years, making them some of man’s first domesticated animals. The oldest archaeological finds of domesticated goats are from Ganj Dareh in Iran
3. Connectivity: If goats are bottle-fed as babies, they bond with their caregivers
4. Distribution and numbers: Goats are found in almost every country in the world and it is estimated that there are more than 860 million goats worldwide. The largest number of goats are found in Asia (approx. 511 million) and Africa (approx. 295 million).
5. Wild goats: True wild goats still exist in the southern parts of Asia
6. Breeds: There are over 200 recognized breeds of goats
7. Replaced: A goat herd consists of 5 – 20 goats and is predominantly a female goat (matriarch)
8. Food: Goats are not grazers, but browsers
9. Omnivore: Although goats are considered omnivores, they don’t eat everything – e.g. not metal, stone, etc. Goats are very picky when food is plentiful
10. Hop, skip and jump: Some goat species (e.g. mountain goats) can jump 3.5 meters and leap up to 1.5 meters into the air

Fact: Pygmy goats are a species – not a breed

 

Goat’s ability to climb

Goats have an extremely good sense of balance, which is one of the reasons why they can survive in steep and inaccessible mountains. They can even climb some types of trees. Find out more in the videos below:

 

Goats climbing a dam in Italy

 

Goats climbing trees

 

More facts about goats

• Diseases: Goats can catch colds and even pneumonia
• Transport animals: Goats make great transportation animals because they are more docile than many other animals. If properly cared for, goats can carry up to 25-30% of their own body weight
• Pupils: Goats have horizontal pupils that give them 320 degrees of vision without a blind spot in front of them
• Intelligence: Goats are highly intelligent and curious animals. They explore terrain and investigate anything unfamiliar
• Pygmy goats: Dwarf goats are a species of goat – not an outbred breed
• Age: Goats usually live to be 15 – 18 years old. The oldest recorded goat was 24 years old

 

Facts about goat’s milk

• Goat breeder: There are many different breeds of goats. Each breed’s milk tastes different
• Dairy products: All dairy products that can be made from cow’s milk can also be made from goat’s milk
• Butterfat: Goat’s milk contains more butterfat than cow’s milk
• Fat breakdown: The fat molecules in goat’s milk are 5 times smaller than the molecules in cow’s milk. In the human stomach, goat’s milk breaks down in 20 minutes, whereas cow’s milk breaks down in 1 hour