Goats are fantastic animals, and many people that live in rural areas enjoy keeping them as pets. Goats are easy to care for and they do a great job at keeping your yard looking trim and tidy. They are friendly, clean, and many have beards, which makes for funny appearances. If you are thinking about getting a goat but would like to know more about them first, keep reading while we list several fascinating and fun facts you never knew about goats that are sure to get you looking for a breeder.
Top 29 Fascinating and Fun Goat Facts
1. Male goats are billies, and female goats are nannies.
This name for the males is how we get the popular term billy goat.
2. Goats are excellent swimmers but prefer to be on land and try to get out of the water as fast as possible.
3. Goats have little appendages of flesh hanging from their neck called wattles.
4. Goats have a square pupil instead of a round one, which improves their night vision.
It also provides them with a 320–340-degree peripheral vision, which is better than humans, who have 160–210 degrees vision.
5. Goats are foragers that prefer to eat weeds, vines, woody plants, shrubs, and hay rather than grass which is why many people use them to maintain their property.
It also allows goats to live alongside grazers, like cows and horses that eat the grass.
6. Most people call a group of goats a herd, but the actual name is a trip.
7. Goats can help calm racehorses, so owners frequently keep them together.
8. Humans used goat milk before cow’s milk.
9. Goats have no upper front teeth, but they can effectively grind up their food using molars in the back of their mouth on the top and bottom.
10. Goatskin naturally produces a tick repelling oil.
11. Goat milk soap can help treat eczema and other skin disorders.
12. A goat’s stomach has four compartments, the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.
These four compartments lead many people to state that goats have four stomachs.
13. Goat’s milk is easier and faster to digest than cow’s milk.
It’s also more nutritious, is less inflammatory, and is easier on the environment.
14. Most people know goats will chew on almost anything, including aluminum cans, fabric, and other non-digestible items.
Fortunately, chewing is just one of the ways the goat explores its environment, and it usually doesn’t eat these items.
15. Baby goats were called kids since ancient times, long before we called children kids, which didn’t start until the 1800s.
16. Goats can live to be pretty old.
According to the Guinness World Records, the oldest goat was 22 years and 5 months old; her name was McGinty.
17. It only takes a baby goat a few minutes to stand after birth.
18. The only place in the world you can’t find a goat is in Antarctica.
19. Goats usually give birth to twins or triplets.
20. Goats may be responsible for discovering coffee after farmers notice the goats would stay up all night after eating the beans.
21. Goats have amazing balance and can even stand on the backs of cows.
In Anatolia’s Zagros Mountains, where they originate, it’s not uncommon to see a group of goats standing in a tree.
22. Goats have an accent.
Each goat’s accent is based on where they live and the group they live in.
23. Goats have a bleating call that’s very similar to a human yell.
24. There are more than 300 species of goat.
25. Goats prefer to have the company of at least one other to stay happy and healthy.
26. You can train a goat to pull a cart.
27. Male goats can start breeding at just four months old, while the female should wait until at least one year.
28. Goats prefer happy faces.
They will avoid angry-looking people when possible.
29. Goats don’t like rain.
Summary
As you can see, there are quite a few amazing things to love about these amazing animals, and there is even more to love once you get to know them. We’ve found that most people are surprised by how friendly and intelligent they are. Besides their advantages in maintaining property and milk and fur production, they also make great companions and have a long lifespan.
- Related read:
- Do Female Goats Have Horns? What You Need To Know!
- 20 Essential Goat Supplies to Get You Started: Vet-Reviewed Guide
Featured Image Credit: Artur Pawlak, Pixabay