The goat, along with sheep, was among the earliest domesticated animals.

Goat remains
have been found at archaeological sites in western Asia, such as Jericho, Choga, Mami,
Djeitun and Cayonu, which allows domestication of the goats to be dated at between 6000
and 7000 B.C. However, unlike sheep, their ancestry is fairly clear. The major contributor
of modern goats is the Bezoar goat which is distributed from the mountains of Asia Minor
across the Middle East to Sind.

NUBIAN
This is the most popular breed. This breed is large, has
long, wide, pendulous ears, and a roman nose. Goats of this
breed usually are brown, but can be almost any color. The
Nubian breed originated in the United Kingdom from
British and Near-East descendants. Nubians have a high
butterfat content in their milk. Nubian milk is therefore
good for cheese making.

ALPINES
Alpines originated in Switzerland. They were later
imported to France and England, and then to the United
States. Most Alpines are either black and white, brown and
white, but can have various other color patterns. This breed
has dished, or curved, noses, and upright ears.

NIGERIAN DWARFS
The Nigerian goats, as the name suggests, originated from
Africa. They are tiny, small goats best for dairy produce.
Although they are very small but can give up to 3-4 pounds
of milk per day. They are regarded to be best dairy goats as
their milk contains about 6.1% butterfat. However,
Nigerian dwarfs are difficult to milk but they can be raised
all year round. These goats also come in variety of colors
and patterns.

SAANENS
Saanens are another Swiss breed. These goats are large,
kind, and friendly. This breed of goats is generally allwhite, with forward-facing ears.

TOGGENBURGS
Toggs are medium-sized chocolate animals who also
originated in Switzerland's Toggenburg Valley.

LA MANCHA
This breed was developed in the United States of a Spanish
breed that was crossbred with other breeds. This breed is
distinguished by having very short ears.

OBERHASLI
Oberhasli, another Swiss breed, is colored Chamoisee,
ranging from light to a deep red bay with black facial
stripes, muzzle and forehead. Oberhaslis can also be black
in color.

THE PYGMY GOAT

Was originally called the Cameroon Dwarf Goat. The goat
is mostly restricted to the West African countries. Similar
forms of Pygmy goats also occur in all of northern Africa,
in the south western African countries, and also in east
Africa. The breed originated in the former French
Cameroon area. The Cameroon goats were exported from
Africa to zoos in Sweden and Germany where they were on
display as exotic animals. The first Pygmys probably
arrived in the United States in 1959 from Sweden.

THE BOER GOAT

Was developed in South Africa as a breed meant solely for
meat production. The Boer goat is considered far superior
to any other goat for meat.

CASHMERE
Production is a new industry for the United
States. The first Cashmere goats were imported from
Australia and New Zealand in the late 1980's. Since then
several Cashmere breeders and growers have been
producing breeding stock to launch this new industry in the
US. They are sheared once a year and a full grown adult
buck will yield as much as 2.5 pounds of fleece. The fleece
consists of two kinds of fiber, cashmere and guard hair.

ANGORA:
The most valuable characteristic of the Angora as
compared to other goats is the value of the mohair that is
clipped. The average goat in the U.S. shears approximately
5.3 pounds of mohair per shearing and are usually sheared
twice a year. The mohair is very similar to wool in
chemical composition but differs from wool in that it is has
a much smoother surface and very thin, smooth scale.
Consequently, mohair lacks the felting properties of wool.
Mohair is very similar to coarse wool in the size of fiber.

KIKO
Kikos were first grown in New Zealand. Keeping goats is tricky
but Kiko are hassle-free as they can easily be raised even in
harsh weather conditions. They are heavy producers and that is
why named kiko, which means meat. They can also be grown all
year

SPANISH MEAT GOAT

Also known as Brush goats, they were introduced in
America by Europeans. They are short but have a strong
built. These meat goats are available in various colors and
can be grown in any month of the year.

TENNESSEE FAINTING GOAT

These goats have various names due to their unique
characteristics. The most popular ones are fainting or
nervous goats named after their genetic imbalance. When
shocked or surprised, these goats fall down as their muscles
get locked or jammed. Nevertheless, they not only provide
generous amount of meat but also fleece.