SPANISH GOAT. The Spanish or Brush goat breed has developed through natural selection from goats first placed in Oklahoma and Texas in the early 1540s by Spanish explorers. The size of the goat varies according to climate, terrain, and available breeding stock. The trend for smaller, more agile goats was dominant in the wild. Small udders were essential. Large udders would be cut up by cactus, thorns, rocks and any number of other obstacles.
Mature Spanish or brush bucks in Georgia weigh between 80 and 120 pounds. Mature Texas bucks can weigh up to 200 pounds and does up to 130 pounds. Body shape, hair and color are not consistent among goats of the breed.
The term Spanish or Brush goat has been used to denote goats that do not fit into any breed description. Historically, the Spanish goat has been kept primarily to help clear brush and other undesirable plants from pasture and range land. (Gipson 1999, Luginbuhl 1998, Oklahoma State University 1996)
The SPANISH GOAT came originally from Spain via Mexico to the USA. It is now a meat type goat found primarily on or around the Edwards Plateau of Central Texas. The Spanish goat has the ability to breed out of season and is an excellent range animal because of its small udder and teats. In addition, Spanish goats are usually characterized as being very hardy, able to survive and thrive under adverse agroclimatic conditions with only limited management inputs. Within the general group of "Spanish goats" there are those that are purely Spanish, whereas others represent an amalgam of all genotypes introduced to the area. There have been obvious infusions of dairy and Angora blood in many Spanish herds but no organized attempt has ever been made to use them for milk or mohair production.
The term "WOOD" (Florida), "BRUSH" or "BRIAR" (North & South Carolina), "HILL" (Virginia), and "SCRUB" (Midwest Pennsylvania) goat tends to be used in the Southeast and elsewhere. Until recently, these goats were kept mainly for clearing brush and other undesirable plant species from pasture lands. In recent years, the escalating demand for goat meat and the expanding interest in cashmere production have focused attention on the Spanish goat. Current estimates of the Spanish goat population is around 500,000 heads.
Several Spanish goat producers in Texas have been intensively selecting for increased meat production for the past several years. From information obtained from these producers, these "selected" Spanish goats appear to greatly outperform the ordinary Spanish goat used primarily for pasture maintenance.
The MARKHOR (Capra falconeri)Goat is the national animal of Pakistan. The markhor is a relative of the domestic goat, and have distinctive cork-screwing horns. The primary threat to this species is trophy-hunting, in which a single trophy license can cost as much as $18,000 USD.
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