Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2
Goat Breeds
N.K. Gurung , PhD, PAS and S.G. Solaiman , PhD, PAS
KEY TERMS
Herdbook—records and pedigree of a recognized breed of any livestock species.
Breed—a group of animals within a species descended from a common ancestor (similar genotypes) that visibly are
similar in most physical characteristics (similar phenotypes).
Dairy breed—breed of goat selected for high milk production, dairy characteristics, large body capacity, and a superior
mammary system.
Feral goats—domesticated animals that have been in the wild for over 100 years with no introduction of new
genetics.
Meat breed—breed of goat selected for faster gain, muscling, and carcass characteristics.
Fiber breed—breed of goat selected for fi ber coat quality.
Companion breed—a group of goats with a mild temperament often used for pets.
Multi-purpose breed—a group of goats that is valued for its combination of traits (milk, meat, and fi ber production).
Composite breed—a crossbreed developed from two or more existing breeds that outperform the parent purebreds.
Transborder breeds—breeds that cross the national borders.
OBJECTIVES
By completing this chapter, the reader will acquire knowledge on:
Breed defi nition
Morphological characteristics of different breeds
Breeds commonly used for meat production
Breeds commonly used for milk production
Breeds commonly used for fi ber production
Breeds commonly used for pets
INTRODUCTION
More than 1,153 goat breeds are listed in the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations'
inventory of domestic animal diversity database (FAO,
2009). According to the FAO (2007), more than 850
million goats exist in the world with more than 95% found
in the developing countries. Of this total population, Asia
has the highest breed share at 65.3%, followed by Africa
with 29.2%, and Central America with 1.3% (Oliver et al.,
2005). Only 60% of the breeds are found in the developing
countries (Scherf, 2000). Europe is broadest in goat genetic
resource (33%) but only 4% of the world's goat population
(Galal, 2005). According to Oliver et al. (2005), approxi-
mately 31% of the goats are dairy/milk goats in the
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