Local Goat Breeds in the United States

Abstract

Goat production in the United States has largely relied upon breed resources imported less than a century ago. In addition to these imported breeds that are commonly used for production are a few local breeds that have been developed over centuries in the USA and other developed more recently. These include Spanish and Myotonic goats for meat production, Lamancha goats for dairy production, and an archaic type of Navajo Angora goat that still finds a role in mohair production. Additional genetic resources reside in a few populations of feral goats, although these now persist in domestication after having been eliminated from their feral ranges. The local breeds are increasingly the target of investigations into their genetics and levels of production. Results of those investigations are finding these local breeds to be productive and valuable additions to agricultural systems.