Know Your Goats

Book excerpt: Goats are a diverse range of beautiful (and sometimes rare) animals. Billy or nanny goats are the source of many a children's story. Goats were taken into the human fold over 10,000 years ago. From some of these animals, we obtain the fiber to create exquisite mohair and cashmere clothing. Others provide (extremely healthy) meat and milk; the latter being frequently turned into mouth-watering cheeses. Wandering the fields, hillsides, and mountains, goats are browsers and prefer unwanted brush, briar, and weeds, their lips and tongues choosing only the tastiest plants. Extremely intelligent and curious, they are also experts at escaping from 'secure' fields. And, they can make excellent pets. Along with photographs, this book offers information on some 37 breeds of goats from all around the world, including size and weight, hair type, and history. (Series: Know Your...) [Subject: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Pet Care]