Goats are a diverse range of beautiful (and sometimes rare) animals. Billy or nanny goats are the source of many a children's story – who hasn't read The Three Billy Goats Gruff to their children?
Goats were taken into the human fold over 10 000 years ago and most have been wandering the fields, hillsides and mountains since Adam were a lad. From some we obtain the fibre to create exquisite mohair and cashmere clothing. From others we obtain possibly more mundane (but equally important and extremely healthy) meat and milk; the latter being frequently turned into mouthwatering cheeses, bringing joy to me and a living to many farmers.
Goats are browsers and prefer unwanted brush, briar and weeds to grass, their lips and tongues choosing only the tastiest plants. Extremely intelligent and curious, they also are experts at escaping from 'secure' fields. Apart from keeping your fields looking good, they can make excellent pets.
In Know Your Goats Jack Byard gives us information on some 37 breeds of goats from all around the world, including photographs, size and weight, hair type and history.
1. Natolian Black
2. Ngora
3. Ppenzell
4. Rapawa
5. Agot
6. Ilberry
7. Ionda Dell' Adamello
8. Oer
9. Ritish Alpine
10. Ritish Primitive
11. Rown Shorthair
12. Chamois
13. Dutch Landrace
14. Fainting Goat
15. Girgentana
16. Golden Guernsey
17. Icelandic
18. Kiko
19. Kinder
20. Kri-Kri
21. Lamancha
22. Messinese
23. Nigora
24. Nubian (Anglo-Nubian)
25. Peacock
26. Poitou
27. Pygmy
28. Pygora
29. Rove
30. Saanen
31. San Clemente
32. Savanna
33. Spanish
34. Stiefelgeiss
35. Tauernsheck
36. Toggenburg
37. Valais Blackneck
Pensioner Jack Byard got the pocket-sized Know Your… series under way in 1998 with Know Your Sheep. This new book is Jack’s 12th – and the 19th in the Know Your… series – and his total sales are approaching 150,000 copies. Jack lives in Bradford with his wife Elaine.