Domestic Goat Gallery 1

DOMESTIC GOAT GALLERY 1

Boer goat copy

The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the family Bovidae and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae.

Female goats are referred to as “does” or “nannies”, intact males as “bucks”, “billies”, or “rams” and their offspring are “kids”. Castrated males are “wethers”. Goat meat from younger animals is called “kid” or cabrito (Spanish), and from older animals is simply known as “goat” or sometimes called chevon (French), or in some areas “mutton” (which more often refers to adult sheep meat).

Bilberry goat

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASx120_Nightmare.jpg The Bilberry goat is a unique breed of feral goat which is believed to have lived in one herd on Bilberry Rock in Waterford City in the south of Ireland for hundreds of years. Unlike any other breed found in Ireland or Great Britain, the Bilberry herd is thought to be related to Pashmina, Maltese or Cashmere goats. Locals believe they came over with the Huguenots from France over 300 years ago and have lived on Bilberry Rock ever since. The goats are feared close to extinction; numbering only 7 in the year 2000 and 21 in 2005. A local charitable society of volunteers, The Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust was set up in 2000 to care for the animals. The herd continues to recover; numbering 42 in 2008. The herd is led by a dominant nanny. The goats are large, with shaggy coats and very large horns. Two members of the British Feral Goat Society, Dr.Shirley Goodyer and Dr. Ray Werner, together with Robert-Jan Prins, a breeder of Dutch Landrace goats, reported that they were “amazed to see a primitive herd still living in the wild”, and that the goats are a “unique ancient breed.”