9 Best Goat Breeds: Perfect for Farming, Domestic Help, and as a Pet
If you plan to adopt or have a goat at your home as a pet, you must know their type or breed and understand their importance and benefits. Goat breeds were initially the first animal who was adopted and bred for farming. Only a few people know that different types of best goat breeds are specially bred and adopted for farming and domestic help. Usually, goats are famous for meat and milk. Whereas, the fact is, they are brilliant and active participants as farming animals. Various goat breeds are perfect by all means. If you plan to adopt goat breeds for milk, farming, and domestic help, we are sure this blog will help you.
The blog will even help you with the pros and cons of having the breed as a pet or a domestic or farming help. To learn more, keep reading further.
Table of Contents
9 Best Goat Breeds
Now, let us explore the types of breeds best for domestic help and activities.
Nubian Goats
Nubian goats were bred back in the 1920s for the production of milk and domestic help. They were so much in demand in the mid-40s that they were specially exported to other countries. It is said that Nubian Goats are the first-ever goat breed, bred for farming purposes.
Nubian goats produce the highest fat-containing milk. The milk produced by the goat breed is highly fat-containing, which is very beneficial and helpful in making butter and high-quality cheese. They beat the race of high-quality milk in comparison to Alpine goats.
Though the breed produces only one and a half-gallon of milk, it makes the best quality of fat milk. It is noted that Nubians are very fertile even after crossing at the age of 10 or 11. They can give birth to triplets or quadruplets at once. Thus, they are said to be the most fertile goat breeds.
Now that we know Nubians are a working goat breed, they need intensive training for easy and safe working. So, if you are a first-timer goat owner, it can be a little challenging to train them initially. However, invest reasonable efforts in the initial months of their training needs, this will get easier to train them.
Benefits:
– They have a long Lifespan.
– Hardworking, pack animals.
– Very productive and active breed.
– Fantastically Fertile.
Drawbacks:
– A lot of training is essential and challenging at times.
– They are very noisy and irritating.
– Attention seeking becomes very challenging.
– Milk production is limited.
Myotonic Goats
Myotonic goat breeds are very popular as Mini Fainting Goats. When exposed to shock or surprises, they have a tendency to faint, which is a rare feature in goat breeds. Myotonic goats are now given a lot of importance and taken proper care of. In the late 80s, they were announced as an endangered animal. . Since then, they are bred to maintain their breed.
Myotonic goat breeds are very smart and active in fields. They are awesome with their assigned tasks. Families love them as pets. . Their fun-loving, exciting, joyful, and charming nature makes them loveable and desirable for families.
Benefits:
– Adaptable to all climatic conditions.
– Very supportive and active on the field.
– Easy maintenance.
Drawbacks:
– They are expensive to purchase.
– They are an easy catch as prey.
– They are super active, which means they can be a bit challenging to manage.
Alpine Goats
Are you searching for a goat breed that is a good producer of milk? Alpine goats are the result of your search. They are very good at producing milk. Alpine goats can produce up to two gallons of sweet milk daily. Especially, if you have a herd of Alpine goats, a milk distributing business will be a path of good stable income.
Alpine goat is very popular for its healthy production of milk. The milk contains high-quality fat, which is very useful in making many of the milk products. Usually, ice cream, cheese, and butter are made preferably from the milk produced. Thus, Alpine goats are worth the investment. They are even beneficial as domestic help who can be a perfect load bearer.
Alpine goats are demanding because of their high quality and quantity of milk production. They are very friendly and easy to maintain. They need a bit of attention, love, and care in the initial days of milk secretion. Attend them patiently until they are used to the process.
Benefits:
– Very productive in fields.
– Very calm and friendly.
– Excessive dairy production.
Drawbacks:
– Very protective and possessive of their offspring.
– You cannot keep them stable in one place for a longer time.
– They can be aggressive at times when extracting milk from them.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Nigerian Dwarf Goats are one of the best goat breeds for farming and producing bowls of milk. They are not as large as any other regular goat breed but it is perfect to fit them in a small space. You can adapt them for your urban farming. They are very famous for child-rearing or urban farming.
If we focus on milking more, Nigerian Dwarf comparatively produces less milk. The best thing is whatever milk they produce is best for creating buttermilk. Isn’t this the exciting thing about goats? People prefer to eat good and high-quality milk products to avoid overeating in today’s world. In such conditions, Nigerian Dwarf Goats are the best option for you.
If you plan to adopt a Nigerian dwarf, let me inform you beforehand that removing their horns at a young age is very beneficial. If you are wondering, why? Nigerian Dwarf seems to be a calm and silent goat, but they are very aggressive at times. When they are angry, their horns can be dangerously harmful to you or the people around them. Thus, it is crucial and strongly advisable to remove their horns for safety purposes.
Benefits:
– Very supportive and productive.
– Holds back to their roots.
– They are straightforward to maintain and take care of.
– Solid and firm load-bearing goats.
Drawbacks:
– Escapes quickly from fencing.
– High jumping of the breed is a minus point at times.
– Attractive to predator animals.
– Milk production is complex activity at times.
Toggenburg Goats
Toggenburg Goat Breeds have a profoundly rooted history. They are the oldest goat breeds to date. Many researchers believe that Nubian goats are the oldest breeds according to history. In contrast, the fact is, Toggenburg Goats are the oldest of all the goat breeds. They were seen for the first time back in the 16th century.
Toggenburg has a unique and iconic appearance which helps them to stand out in the crowd. They have a sleek and straight face featured with a small head and an outstandingly large body. These features of the goat breed make them unique and different.
Every Toggenburg owner must know that they need proper training, attention, and care while pregnant or with new ones. They need help to adapt and understand the new change within them. Thus, being patient and calm will be helpful for both of you.
Toggenburg has a good quantity of milk production. The fat amount in Toggenburg milk is not much in comparison to other breeds. The fat proportion being less in the milk is suitable for your health and consumption. Whereas in addition, you will get more milk for a longer time.
Benefits:
– Adapt to extreme cold conditions and weather quickly.
– Very sharp instincts as being a mother goat.
– Produces milk up to 18 to 22 months. (Depending on their diet.)
– Best quality and quantity production of milk.
Drawbacks:
– They are not at all suitable for beginners.
– You need a lot of patience to train them.
– They are hyperactive and at times challenging and uncontrollable.
– Very loud, noisy, and misleading at times.
Pygmy Goats
Pygmy is the best farming goat according to the breeders and owners, till date. Other than producing milk and farming activities, they are very potential in maintaining their routine. They are obedient, intelligent, and active goat breeds. Thus, farmers and goat owners prefer Pygmy more than any other breeds.
Pygmy is a small breed; they weigh around 85 pounds maximum and grow up to 15 to 20 inches tall. However, please do not mistake the goat breed with its small body. Pygmy is very good at producing milk. Thus, if you search for a farming goat breed, Pygmy is one of the best options.
Pygmy is adaptable to all climatic conditions, which is best for the farmer. Usually, if we try to find one benefit in the goats, the other is missing. The goat rarely has all the three benefits of the right quality and quantity of milk production, good at farming and active in domestic activities, and good adaptability to all climatic conditions. Every quality has a price to be paid, and so are these goat breeds. In comparison to other goat breeds, Pygmy is comparatively costlier.
Benefits:
– They are very friendly and obedient.
– Very happening goat breed to be adopted as a family pet.
– Produces an excellent quantity of milk.
– Smaller in size, yet easily moveable. (If in cases required.)
Drawbacks:
– Easily escaping from the boundaries or fences.
– Need regular checkups with the doctor, as they are prone to health problems.
– They need continuous attention, or else they can behave aggressively and irritated.
Mini Alpine Goats
They are the exact copy of their larger versions. Even Mini Alpines are very popular for producing milk. An interesting fact about Mini Alpine goats is, they can do anything in exchange for food. They are hyperactive and can work for hours in the field.
Mini Alpine seems to be smaller in height, but they have great strength and high spirit. You can make them do any domestic work unless they are not in a good mood. Mini Alpines are praised as the most loved and charming goat breeds. If you want a breed that enjoys every moment of its work, Mini Alpine is the right choice for your family and farming.
Benefits:
– Very obedient and helpful.
– Highly energetic and active.
– Milk production is better in comparison to other goat breeds.
Drawbacks:
– They are heavy.
– They get challenging to maintain at times.
Mini Lamancha Goats
One more goat breed that is precisely the xerox copy of its larger version. Mini Lamanchas are the same as the Lamanchas. Lamancha goat breeds are prevalent in the United States. They are very obedient, calm, and active on the field, making them one of the best types of goat breeds for farming. They have a specialty of not losing their cool, unlike other goat types.
Lamancha has a sweet and charming nature as well as physical features. They have unique characteristics, especially their ears and nose. They are so small that they can be barely noticeable. Mini Lamancha is small in size and has an ideal weight which is helpful for the owner while maintaining them. Their sweet, respectful, and joyful nature also makes them a desiring family pet.
Benefits:
– Very obedient and active.
– Respectful and joyful as family pets.
– Very energetic on the field.
Drawbacks:
– Very attentive and alert, so hard at times to take control over them.
– They escape fencing easily.
Oberhasli Goat
Oberhasli goats are very familiar with their sweet flavored milk. If you like to provide sweet milk to people, Oberhasli goat is the correct choice. They produce sweet milk, which is very demanding and famous in the United States. They are very small in size, which makes them popular on small farms.
Oberhasli goat breeds have a great personality that families admire. They are very sweet and lovable, and thus families like to adopt them as family pets. It is beneficial to remove their horns at a young age. They have a strong physique, and at times, when they are aggressive, their horns can be dangerous for you. That is why the breeder should remove their horns at a very young age.
Benefits:
– Produces sweet and tasty milk.
– Healthy milk production.
– Adaptable to all climatic conditions.
Drawbacks:
– Escape enclosures easily.
– Fat content in milk is very low.
– They are very loud and noisy.
Types of Goat Breeds
All the different types of goat breeds we have discussed above have their importance and plus-points. Before you conclude, list your requirements, whether you want a milking goat breed or farming and family breed? Once you are clear with your expectations and requirements, choose from the above list. Make sure you take proper care of them after they are a living being who needs love, care, and respect in exchange for the services they provide to you.
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