Domestic Goats
Capra hircus

The Minnesota Zoo’s Wells Fargo Family Farm features three domestic goat breeds – French-Alpine goats of various colors, white Saanen goats, and smaller Pygmy goats.

Where They Live:
Domestic goats can be found on every continent except Antarctica, but the largest numbers of domestic goats live in Asia.

What They Eat:
Goats eat leaves, twigs, vines, and shrubs. On farms, goats are typically fed cracked or ground corn mixed with oats, hay, and alfalfa.

Test Your Knowledge! (answers below)

  1. How much milk can a goat produce in one year?
    a. 100-300 pounds   b. 1,000-2,000 pounds    c. 3,000-5,000 pounds    d. 6,000-10,000 pounds
  1. About how many breeds of domestic goats are there?
    a. 15      b. 200        c. 650       d. 1000

Answer each of the following questions with True or False:

  1. Goats are often used to clear land for farming.
  2. Goats were believed to be aboard the Mayflower on its 1620 voyage to North America.
  3. The closest relatives to goats are deer.

Fun Facts!

Around the world, more people drink goat’s milk than drink cow’s milk – or the milk of any other single animal.

The green sea turtle gets its name from the green-colored fat tissue under its shell. The fat has a green color because it eats seagrass and algae.

Goat Vocabulary

Download this activity sheet to learn and match different words for goats.

Answers