20 Goat Facts

1. There are about 450 million goats in the world. China has over 170 million goats.
2. Goats were one of the first animals to be domesticated.
3. They were even brought over on the Mayflower.
4. Early explorers used skins for water and wine bottles and in biblical times goat skins were used for parchment for writing.
5. There are over 210 breeds in the world.
6. Goats are raised for wool, milk and meat.
7. They’re close related to cows and antelopes.
8. While, cow’s milk is the most popular in the U.S., goat’s milk is the most popular milk worldwide. Read more.
9. Goats don’t have upper teeth, instead they have a strong dental pad and their up lip helps them sort through their food.
10. Goat meat is lower in fat and cholesterol compared to beef, pork and poultry.
11. Their pupils are rectangular to give them a larger range of vision. They can see 320 to 340 degrees, however they’re unable to look up or down without moving their head.
12. Similar to cows, goats have four-chambered stomachs to help they digest tough roughage.
13. Goats live 8 to 12 years.
14. Like sheep, goats are seasonal breeders. The typical breeding season is between late August and early January.
15. Goats are picky eaters. They don’t like eating food that is dirty.
16. Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Kentucky have the largest population of meat goats.
17. Texas, California, Wisconsin, Iowa, and New York have largest goat dairy herds.
18. The meat goat industry is one of the fastest growing segments of livestock industry in the U.S.
19. Goat are economically valuable in many parts of the world. They’re skins are used for leather and the pelts are made into rugs and robes.
20. It’s believed that coffee was discovered by goats. Goat herders noticed their animals were energetic after eating the beans.

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Sources:
Florida A&M
Mental Floss
USDA