Apr 16 2009
No goat is “just a goat”
Goats are usually right behind poultry in livestock acquisition when people start working on becoming more self reliant. Unfortunately, even folks developing self reliance too often start off with an attitude of their first goat being “just a goat”, possibly because they managed to acquire the animal without having to pay a high price or because they believe that goats are common and plentiful.
Let me just climb up on my soapbox for a minute and remind folks that more people in the world drink goat milk than drink cow milk, and that goats are among the top seven intelligent animals (and that’s counting man!). Goats can thrive where other milk producing animal can barely subsist, let alone produce milk. Goat milk is viewed as medicine in many cultures. There’s no such thing as “just a goat” and any one who believes that should just continue to support their local dairy and landscaping companies rather than take on stewardship of any goat. *Climbs down off soapbox*
Whether a body is interested in purebred goats, just any crossbred doe to provide milk regardless of her heritage, a couple of goats to keep the weeds down in a horse pasture or even companion animals they have value and should be treated as such. Purebred goats are usually registered, with their papers, through the breed registry of the breed they are. Until recently, however, crossbred goats have just gone begging—to the detriment of all goats.
GoatRegistry.com has stepped up to address this. Any goat can be registered through them, regardless of breed, breeding or purpose. There are a number of advantages to registering your goats, as pointed out on their website:
- Increases the overall value of your goat(s).
- Quick identification via paper and Internet documentation helps verify proof of ownership.
- A voice for owners of goats as pets, helping to bolster the urban livestock movement.
- Creation of a searchable database which facilitates formation of local clubs and support groups.
- A low cost method to advertise specifically for proponents of pet goats.
In the registry example given at GoatRegistry.com you can see the sort of information requested. However, if you look at Black Beauty’s registration page , you can also see that if you don’t have or don’t choose to share certain information you don’t have to. Black Beauty and Checker’s people have chosen to enter their address and phone number; other folks using the registry do not. Note, please, Black Beauty’s Tattoo, Identification, Marks, Tag Number information entry. There’s nothing there that could tie that pretty Kinder doe to the questionable NAIS, while at the same time the likelihood of there being a lost or stolen goat of that sex, breed, colouration and with those documented attributes in the vicinity of where Black Beauty lives and the goat in question not being Black Beauty is vanishingly small.
Raising the value of goats in the public—as having a registered animal does—can only be a good thing. The added benefit of an Internet page that you could link to for identification purposes is more than worth the initial $16.00 for a new registration. I’d personally love to see every companion goat, crossbred pack goat and livestock auction rescue of questionable parentage have the ability to have their registration printed out and framed to hang on their steward’s wall….right next to whatever certifications their steward has proudly acquired.
Do you have a caprine friend who could benefit from this? Will you sign them up?
