ORDER

Artiodactyla (even toed ungulates)

FAMILY

Bovidae (antelopes, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep and relatives)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Nubian goats are the largest of desert breeds. Their ancestry is traceable back to Egyptian and Indian breeds, which were later crossed with Swiss goats. There are no wild populations as Nubian goats are domesticated.

IDENTIFICATION

Domestic goats can come in many size and color variations. They can be horned or polled (naturally hornless). Since they are highly bred animals for their "fainting trait" they can come in many designer colors including white, brown, black and tan. Goats can weigh between 50-165 lbs and stand 17-25 inches tall.

DIET

Contrary to popular belief, the more productive domestic goat is a fussy eater which requires careful treatment and a balanced ration. Does cannot be expected to milk well under adverse conditions. High yields are obtained from well-bred does which are well fed. Goats are natural browsers and as such they have a high mineral requirement.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Females are polyestrous (they come into heat all year). They come into heat every three weeks and remain so 1-3 days at a time. Gestation lasts 145-151 days. Kids are seldom weaned earlier than three months of age. Twins are common but triplets and quadruplets are possible.

NOTES

The Anglo-Nubian is a relatively large and graceful dairy goat. The Nubian goat is named for Nubia, in northeastern Africa. The original goats were imported from Africa, Arabia and India and were long legged, hardy goats that had some characteristics desired by goat breeders in England.