Goats, along with dogs, cows and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated.

Until the Middle Ages goat skin was a popular material for water and wine bottles that could be used while travelling and camping, and in some as parchment for writing.

With their extraordinary coordination and agility goats can climb to the most precarious of places, often climbing trees.

What do they eat?

Goats will not eat just anything as many people believe. They are very fussy eaters and will not take even a bite of something that has been on the ground or been in another animal’s mouth.

Goats prefer to eat shrubbery and weeds and are more like deer than sheep in their preference for woody shrubs rather than grasses.

Where do they live?

Goats can live in places that are very hot and dry or hilly, where it is hard for other farm animals to live.

What are they used for?

Goats are a source of food and materials most commonly used in clothing.

Goats provide meat, called “chevon”, which tastes much like lamb, and milk which is used in cheeses like Feta.

The hide of a goat can be used to make a special type of leather called “kid”, which can then be made into items of clothing like gloves. Some goat breeds such as Angora and Kashmir, produce wool in roughly the same manner as sheep. Fine and soft, this wool is harvested and then made into clothing and other products designed to keep people warm, such as blankets.

Are there different types?

While there are many different breeds of goats, all of them fall into five basic categories based upon what they are most commonly used for. Some breeds fall into two categories meaning that they have a dual purpose.

The categories are: Dairy, Meat, Fibre, Skin and Wild.

What do I call ...?

A male goat is called a buck or billy, and a female is called a doe or nanny. Young goats are called kids.