We get wool from some goats.
Some people eat goat meat.
Some people drink goat's milk.
Goat's milk is made into cheese.
Goats can live on hills and in hot places.

Goats are farmed for their wool, milk and meat. We get meat from goats in the same way we get meat from cows and sheep: a goat is very quickly killed without being hurt or in pain, and then a butcher cuts up the meat for us to buy and cook.

There are about 600 different kinds of goats. There are some kinds that live in the wild.
To find out about the different breeds of goats, go here
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/

Goats can live in places that are very hot and dry, or hilly, and where it is hard for other farm animals to live. Goats eat plants.
Farmers feed goats grass and hay.
Animals that eat plants have different teeth and tummies from animals that eat meat.

To find out more about raising and caring for goats go here
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/Goats.html

Goats have fur covering their bodies. Fur keeps the goats warm in winter and cool in summer, and it makes it hard for insects to bite the animal's body. Fur also helps stop sticks and things like that from hurting their bodies. When the animal gets dirty, the dirt comes out of the fur easily.

The long wool of angora (say ang-gor-ruh) goats is made into fluffy mohair wool. The soft fur of the cashmere (say cash-me-uh) goats is made into fine soft wool yarn. The wool is cut twice a year. It is washed and spun into threads called yarn which can be knitted or woven.

Some farms raise goats for dairy products. Many people who are allergic to cow's milk (it makes them feel unwell) are able to drink goat's milk. Goat's milk is also made into cheese.

How do we get the milk?
Female (girl) goats have udders that fill with milk each day. An udder is like a bag with teats hanging from under her tummy. The farmer or person who owns the goat, which is called a nanny goat, attaches a machine to the udders. The machine squeezes the teats gently and the milk comes out into a container. Sometimes a goat can be milked by hand: the farmer puts a bucket under the udder and squeezes the teats, and the milk comes out and fills the bucket.

The farmer's jobs
Each day of any farmer is to make sure the animals are fed and that they have plenty of clean water to drink. Farmers need to check their animals each day to make sure none are sick or injured, and if they are, they must be treated and often a vet is called in to do this.

Fences and yards have to be kept in good condition as does all the farm machinery and other equipment.

If you use any of this information, write it in your notes like this:
Goats (2007). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

Do you have a question about goats? Ask a kidcyber researcher to help you.

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Updated October 2007