Just like cows, goat is valued mainly for its meat and milk. "As a milk producer, the goat is inevitably more efficient where the available fodder is of such low quality that a cow can barely live," wrote MacKenzie in his book.
"Indeed, I find among the writers, that the milk of the goat is next in estimation to a woman; for it helpeth the stomach, removeth oppilations and stoppings of the liver and looseth the belly," wrote William Harrison echoing the opinion of 2,000 years of medical writing. Hippocrates commended the virtues of goats' milk, and, according to Homer, some of the gods and goddesses themselves were reared on it.
There is probably no other animal -- except dog -- that has a greater variety of range than the goat. "It is met with in most parts of the world, and appears as much at home in the cold regions of Norway and Sweden as in the hot countries of Asia and Africa," notes H.S. Holmes Pegler in 'The Book of the Goat.'
At least 12 goat species known to animal scientists but only a few breeds are tended for their economic and commercial values. Below are the most common breeds:
Anglo-Nubian
The name Nubian came from Nubia, a desert section of the Northern Sudan. Its average weight is about 65 kilograms. Some are born with horns while others are hornless. It has long drooping ears, distinct Roman nose and prominent forehead. Its coats color may black, tan and white, or red and white; but it may be any these colors without markings.
This is a dual-purpose breed with its prime value as a heavy meat producer. Nubian goats produce an average of two liters of milk daily. The butterfat content of there is about 5.6 percent.
Angora
This breed originates from the ancient Angora region in Central Anatolia province of Turkey, now known as Ankara. Angoras offer the raisers a highly viable diversification away from traditional crop cultivation and farm produce that invariably are in surplus.
Angoras are primarily raised for their fleece and secondarily for their meat while their milk yield is considered "fair." They are browers, meaning they nibble at leaves and grasses rather than graze where the animals crop the grass or forage. Angoras as shorn twice a year of their fleece and they need not to be dipped after shearing unlike sheep.
Saanen
This breed originated in the Saane valley of the famous Swiss Alps. It has been exported to many countries of the world and is considered one of the most widely distributed of the improved breeds. It weight about 65 kilograms at maturity. Some are hornless although horned but disbudded ones are preferred. It has a straight nose and erect ears. It colors is either pure or creamy white.
The average milk production of Saanen is three liters, with butterfat content about 4.3 percent. Although it is nicknamed the "Queen of Dairy," this breed performs poorly in Asia, including the Philippines.
Toggenburg
Also from the Swiss Alps, the name originated from Obertoggenburg. This breed weighs about 52 kilograms at maturity. It is hornless with dished nose and erect ears. The color is chocolate brown with two white stripes on the face and white on the legs below the knees.
Toggenburg has an average milk production of three liters daily, with butterfat content of 3.8 percent.
French Alpine
This breed is found throughout the goat producing districts of France particularly in the Pays de Loire. It weighs about 56 kilograms at maturity. Some have horns and others are hornless. It has erect ears and straight nose. It has multicolored coat with no standard markings.
In the Philippines, its adaptability to local conditions ranks second to Nubian. Its daily milk production is three liters, with about 4.5 percent butterfat.
Philippine or common goat
Small but hardy, this goat weighs 25 kilograms at maturity. Its average daily milk production is only about 350 grams, with a butterfat content of about 4.6 percent. Its coat color is either red or black or a combination of these colors. This type of goats is found throughout Asia.
Dadiangas goat
This is common in Dadiangas (now known as General Santos City), South Cotabato. It is mixture of native, Nubian and Jamnapari goats and some may have some Alpine or Saanen blood. It varies in color. Its milk production and butterfat content are a little higher than the native goats. This breed thrives best in the drier areas of the country.
Boer goat
This breed originated in South Africa where the word "boer" means "farm." The Boer has been a registered breed in South Africa for fifty years and is raised strictly for its meat. The Boer goat can be easily recognized by its beautiful full white body, Roman nose, pendulous ears, and reddish brown or light to dark brown head.
If you cannot secure purebred stock, you can start with the best female goats available in you area. Mate them with purebred or upgraded stock. Then, select only their offspring and discard the undesirable ones (you can either sell them or butcher them for meat). Continue this procedure each year, and you will have desirable goat stocks.
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