Common Goat Terms Explained

 If you're new to the goat world, you may come across terminology that seems confusing at first. Here's a quick guide to some of the most common terms used by breeders and goat owners.

Don't worry if all these terms seem overwhelming. Every experienced goat owner was once a beginner too. Never be afraid to ask questions—we're always happy to help explain goat jargon!  

Doe

A female goat.

An intact (entire) male goat used for breeding.

A castrated male goat. Wethers cannot breed and are often kept as pets, companions, or vegetation control animals. In our experience, they are often some of the friendliest goats you can own.

Doeling

A young female goat that has not yet reached maturity or had her first kidding.

A young male goat that has not yet reached maturity.

A goat between approximately 12 and 24 months of age. This term is often used in shows and breeding discussions for goats that are no longer kids but not yet fully mature adults.

Kid

A baby goat, regardless of sex.

A female kid under 12 months of age.

A male kid under 12 months of age.

Bottle Baby

A kid raised on a bottle rather than being raised solely by its dam.

A kid that remains with and is raised by its mother.

A kid that receives extensive human interaction from an early age, often resulting in a very friendly temperament.

A kid that has transitioned from milk onto solid feed and no longer requires milk.

Dam

The mother of a goat.

The father of a goat.

The process of a doe giving birth.

A breeding technique where semen is collected from a buck and inseminated into a doe without natural mating. AI allows breeders access to genetics from bucks located elsewhere in Australia or overseas.

A doe that has been mated to a buck.

A doe that has been housed with or had access to a buck and may have been bred, but pregnancy has not yet been confirmed.

A doe that has successfully become pregnant after breeding.

Confirmed In Kid

A doe whose pregnancy has been confirmed, often through ultrasound or blood testing.

A term meaning pregnant.

A pregnant doe approaching her expected kidding date.

The process of a doe giving birth.

A doe that has given birth.

A doe in her first lactation after having her first kids.

A doe that has never been bred or kidded.

When a doe does not pass her placenta within the expected timeframe after kidding and may require veterinary attention.

A kidding resulting in one kid.

A kidding resulting in two kids.

A kidding resulting in three kids.

A kidding resulting in four kids.

A kidding resulting in five kids. While less common, Nigerian Dwarfs are known for their prolific kidding rates.

Conformation

The physical structure and correctness of a goat according to the breed standard.

A set of guidelines describing the ideal characteristics, structure, and traits of a breed. Breeders use these standards as a blueprint when making breeding decisions.

A documented family tree showing a goat's ancestry.

Official documentation issued by a breed society confirming a goat's identity and pedigree.

Permanent identification applied to a goat's ears or tail web, often required for registration purposes.

Horned

A goat that has retained its natural horns.

A goat whose horn buds were removed when it was very young, preventing horns from developing. Most dairy goats are disbudded for safety and management reasons.

A goat that is naturally born without horns due to genetics. Unlike disbudded goats, polled goats never develop horn buds.

Small, abnormal horn growths that can occasionally occur after disbudding. Scurs are usually loosely attached and are not true horns.

Fullblood

A goat whose pedigree traces entirely back to Nigerian Dwarf goats with no outcrosses to other breeds.

A goat that contains a percentage of Nigerian Dwarf genetics but also has ancestry from other goat breeds.

A goat registered within a breed-up program and assigned an Appendix classification (D, C, B, A, X, or P) according to the registration society's rules.

Freshened

A term used when a doe has recently kidded and begun producing milk.

A doe that is currently producing milk.

A doe that is not currently producing milk.

Udder

The milk-producing organ of a doe.

The structures attached to the udder through which milk is extracted.

A term often used to describe the body depth and volume of a goat. In dairy goats, greater capacity is often associated with the ability to consume more feed and support higher milk production.

Browsing

The natural behaviour of goats eating leaves, shrubs, weeds, and tree foliage rather than simply grazing pasture.

Goats are primarily browsers, meaning they prefer shrubs, weeds, vines, and tree leaves. Sheep and cattle are generally considered grazers, preferring grass.