This post is regarding endangered heritage breed goats, courtesy of TLC.
Not too many breeds appear on this list, so we will go over all of them! 🙂
Goats can be a valuable asset to a homestead for many reasons: they are fantastic mowers and brush clearers, they provide lean meat, they can provide lactose-free milk, some breeds provide fiber, and nearly all goats offer comic relief at one point or another. They can be hard to keep contained, but once you’ve got a system down, goats are great little homesteaders!
Critical
Arapawa – originated in New Zealand; bred for meat and some dairy uses; they are alert, hardy, adaptable animals ranging from 60-125 lbs full grown; long haired, non-aggressive
San Clemente – originated in California; small breed but not quite dwarf size – 50 to 120lbs full grown; multipurpose breed; hardy breed, excellent mothers, unique genetics; gentle
Threatened
No breeds listed as threatened
Watch
Spanish – brought from Spain to the Caribbean; bred for meat & dairy; ranging from 50-200lbs full grown; rugged adaptation, good fertility & longevity; can be dazzling to look at
Recovering
Myotonic (Tennessee Fainting) – bred for meat; originated in Tennessee; experience muscle contraction when startled causing them to “faint”; heavily muscled; parasite resistant; 50-175 lbs full grown
Oberhasli – dairy breed originated in Switzerland; 100-125lb fully grown; the record amount of milk produced by one doe in one year was 4,665 gallons!!!
