The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a domesticated subspecies of C. aegagrus that originated in Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat belongs to the Bovidae family and the Caprinae subfamily, which means it is closely related to sheep. There are about 300 different goat breeds. It is one of the oldest domesticated species of animal, with archaeological evidence indicating that it was first domesticated 10,000 calibrated calendar years ago in Iran.

Goat-herding is an old tradition that continues to be practiced in countries such as Egypt.

Throughout most of the world, goats have been utilized for milk, meat, fur, and skins. Goat cheese is frequently made from goat milk.

Female goats are called does or nannies, male goats are called bucks or billies, and both sexes of adolescent goats are called kids. Wethers are men who have been castrated. While the terms hircine and caprine both refer to something with a goat-like characteristic, hircine is more commonly used to underline domestic goats’ unique odor.

Goats were one of the first animals that humans domesticated. The most current DNA study backs up archaeological evidence that the Zagros Mountains’ wild bezoar ibex is the likely progenitor of all domestic goats today.

Wild goats were herded by Neolithic farmers for easy access to milk and meat, as well as their dung for fuel; their bones, hair, and sinew were utilized for clothing, construction, and tools. In Ganj Dareh, Iran, the earliest remains of domesticated goats going back 10,000 years have been discovered. Goat bones have been discovered at archaeological sites in Jericho, Choga Mami, Djeitun, and ayönü, indicating that goats were domesticated between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago in Western Asia.

Domestication is thought to have occurred 10,000 years ago, according to DNA data.

Goat skin has long been used for water and wine bottles, both in travel and in the delivery of wine for sale. It’s been used to make parchment as well.

Each recognized goat breed has its own weight range, ranging from over 140 kg (300 lb) for bigger breeds like the Boer to 20 to 27 kg (45 to 60 lb) for smaller goat does. Various strains or lineages within each breed may have different recognized sizes. Miniature breeds like the African Pygmy, which stand 41 to 58 cm (16 to 23 in) at the shoulder as adults, are at the bottom of the size range.

Most goats have two horns, which vary in size and shape according on the breed. Polycerate goats (those with as many as eight horns) have been reported, although this is a genetic oddity that is considered to be inherited. Because the genes that determine sex and those that determine horns are tightly connected, goats have not been successfully raised to be reliably polled, unlike cattle. When two genetically polled goats are bred together, the progeny produce a large proportion of intersex individuals, who are usually infertile. Their horns, which are composed of living bone and covered in keratin and other proteins, are utilized for defense, dominance, and territoriality.

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