The FAO (2000) defi nes breed as “ either a sub - specifi c group of domestic livestock with defi nable and identifi able external characteristics that enable it to be separated by visual appraisal from other similarly defi ned groups within the same species or a group for which geographical and/ or cultural separation from phenotypically similar groups has led to acceptance of its separate identity. ” The Thoroughbred horse fi rst was listed in the General Stud Book in 1791; it included only horses that had won impor- tant races. Shire horses, Longhorn cattle, and Leicester sheep followed. The fi rst herdbook in the western world was the Coates ’ Herd Book for Shorthorn Cattle, estab- lished in 1822 in the U.K. This led to the widespread acceptance of a concept developed by Robert Bakewell of
Dishley, U.K., that involved combining stocks with similar morphology and production in accordance with the breed- ers ’ vision, recording of the pedigree, registration, and maintenance of herdbooks established by breed societies (Lush, 1945 ). Bakewell ’ s message was “ like begets like ” and “ breed the best to the best. ” Concurrently, the estab- lishment of rigid breed standards encouraged the selection of goats with uniform morphological characteristics and the requirement for detailed record keeping of pedigreed animals that occasionally included performance measure- ments. Pure breeds were widely sought and promoted as seed stocks of choice in show rings, exhibitions, and auc- tions. To ensure the purity of the breed, introduction of any breeding animal that was not registered in the same herd- book was offi cially prohibited regardless of its genetic merit. The concept of breed was readily accepted and became established in many countries resulting in the development of numerous breeds worldwide.
In the 1920s, South African farmers from the Eastern Cape crossed indigenous goats kept by the Hottentot and Bantu tribes with imported Nubian and Indian goats to produce the Boer breed (Skinner, 1972 ). In the following years, selection for body size and conformation resulted in goats that excelled in meat production effi ciency. In Europe, the Alpine (e.g., Saanen and Toggenburg) and Anglo - Nubian breeds were developed as dairy goats. In the U.S., the Spanish goat, named to be distinct from the Angora and dairy breeds, is of Mexican origin and accounts for most of the goat meat produced in the U.S. The highly variable appearance of these goats may be attributed to natural selection and the indiscriminate crossing with the Nubian (syn., Anglo - Nubian) or Toggenburg breeds.
In India, goats were classifi ed according to both their primary product and their distribution into the following: cashmere - like goats close to the Himalayan mountain range; milk goats in the northern dry areas; black meat goats on the Deccan plateau; and small meat goats adjoin- ing the Bay of Bengal. Many indigenous populations were further classifi ed into some 20 goat breeds on the basis of having morphological characteristics distinct from other breed populations with complementary local names in the vicinity. Pakistan classifi ed goats on the basis of hair and coat smoothness characteristics into 25 breeds. Goats found in the tropical, subtropical, and high mountain cli- mates were exposed to humid, very dry, dry, and humid and cold environments. These goats were classifi ed into breeds according to primary products with 34 for meat, 12 for milk, 8 for prolifi cacy, and 3 each for pashmina and skin production. According to the FAO ( 2009 ), 1,153 breeds of goats currently exist in the world.
goats) under nomadism and seminomadism in agropastoral production systems and arid rangelands. Goats usually are kept within the perimeter of farms, or in the vicinity of homesteads of the small holder farming systems. These animals have multiple functions and also have been used to control brush and prevent forest fi res in North America. Generally, the management practices of goats are tradi- tional, socially tolerant, sustainable, and in harmony with the natural vegetation and local environment. Goats con- tribute to the effi cient use of labor surplus, help meet household needs for food in small holdings worldwide, and help alleviate poverty among the rural poor. In India goats are called the poor man ’ s cow.
In the developing countries of Asia, the poor in rural areas raise a large number of small herds of goats. These people use milk for home consumption and supplement their income by selling goats or meat from surplus animals. Goats survive on vegetation surrounding roads, irrigated pastures and adjoining forest, agricultural by - products, and vegetable toppings from kitchen waste. In Malaysia and the Philippines, goats have been integrated with cropping systems and fi sh farming, and this has increased production of animal protein (Jalaludin et al., 1992 ; Libunao, 1990 ). In contrast, in countries bordering the Himalayan mountain range, the mountain people sustain their livelihood raising goats together with sheep under a transhumance system and nomadic pastoralists. Nomads with their goats and sheep ascend to high mountainous pastures during the spring and descend into the populated areas adjoining crop- lands and irrigated pastures during the autumn. Farmers raise goats in South China including the Hainan Island and in the western plain of Taiwan in irrigated river basins.
In the Sahel region of Africa, nomadic tribes keep goats to provide milk and meat, and move with them from region to region in search of vegetation around oases, waterholes, and irrigated lands. In the humid zone of West Africa and the southeastern region of Nigeria, small numbers of goats
and consume diets based on herbage. In Mexico, goats graze on semiwoody brush rangeland but often are supple- mented with concentrate feeds. In the north and west central region of Argentina, large herds of Criollo (syn., Creole) and Anglo - Nubian goats are managed under exten- sive husbandry (Angel - Neelem and Nellem, 1998 ). Creole goats in Guadeloupe grazing on irrigated pastures are highly productive under an accelerated kidding program. The transition from goat keeping for sustenance to the large - scale commercial enterprise common in cattle, swine, sheep, and poultry illustrates the potential to increase production effi ciency from goats. To date, com- mercialization has only materialized in the dairy goat industry. However, goats have been used as laboratory animals for research and teaching and for production of biological proteins.
An enormous diversity of goat genetic resources exists. Of the 546 world goat breed populations reported by FAO in 2000 , 77 (14%) were found in Africa, 167 (30%) in Asia and the Pacifi c region, 192 (35%) in Europe, 28 (5%) in Latin America, 77 (14%) in the Near East, and 5 (1%) in North America. This represents a colossal amount of vari- ability in morphological characteristics and potential pro- ductivity thereby providing an opportunity to exploit the biological potential of goats through the application of quantitative genetic principles to improve production effi - ciency. Goat breeds have been selected for meat, milk, prolifi cacy, pashmina (cashmere), and skins in countries with climatic conditions that range from tropical and sub- tropical to high mountains in dry, humid, and cold environ- ments as listed in Table 3.1 . The wide diversity of these breeds in morphological characteristics and production performance should have immense merit for selection and genetic improvement.
Despite its importance, information about the productiv- ity of breeds of goats is diffi cult to retrieve. Nevertheless,
Speciality Breed Country of origin Climate Environment
Meat
Banjiao China Subtropical Humid
Barbari Pakistan Tropical Dry
Black Bengal India Tropical Dry
Black Bengal Bangladesh Tropical Dry
Black Bengal Pakistan Tropical Dry
Boer South Africa Subtropical Dry
Bugri Pakistan Tropical Dry
Chengdu Ma China Subtropical Humid
Cutchi India Tropical Dry
Damani Pakistan Tropical Dry
Du An China Subtropical Humid
Fijian Fiji Tropical Humid
Fuquing China Subtropical Humid
Ganjam India Tropical Dry
Guizhou White China Subtropical Humid
Haimen China Subtropical Humid
Huai China Subtropical Humid
Kaghani Pakistan Tropical Dry
Kail Pakistan Tropical Dry
Katjang Indonesia Tropical Humid
Khasi India Mountain Humid
Kheri Nepal Subtropical Humid
Katukachchiya Sri Lanka Tropical Humid
Lehri Pakistan Tropical Dry
Leizhou China Subtropical Humid
Longlin China Subtropical Humid
Ma ’ tou China Subtropical Humid
Marwari India Tropical Dry
Osmanabadi India Tropical Dry
Patteri Pakistan Tropical Dry
Sangamaneri India Tropical Dry
Shanzi White China Subtropical Humid
Sirohi India Tropical Dry
Sudan Desert Sudan Tropical Very dry
Tapri Pakistan Tropical Dry
Terai Nepal Subtropical Humid
Milk
Barbari India Tropical Dry
Beetal India Tropical Dry
Black Bedouin Israel and Egypt Tropical Very dry
Damascus Syria and Lebanon Subtropical Dry
Dera Din Panah Pakistan Tropical Dry
Kamori Pakistan Tropical Dry
Jamunapari India Tropical Dry
Jhakrana India Tropical Dry
Malabar India Tropical Humid
Sudan Desert Sudan Tropical Very dry
West African Dwarf West Africa Tropical Humid
Pashmina (Cashmere)
Kashmiri Central Asia High mountains Cold
Chyangra Nepal High mountains Cold
Singhal Nepal High mountains Cold
Skins
Black Bengal India Tropical Dry
Maradi (Red Sokoto) Niger and Nigeria Tropical Humid
Mubende Uganda Tropical Humid
Source: Shrestha and Fahmy (2005) .
the diversity in production performance based on available reports has been summarized by region of the world in Table 3.2 . This represents differences among breeds within environment as well as production performance. Europe has the heaviest breeds with the largest litter size and the highest milk yield. Africa has the largest variation, possi- bly attributable to diversity among regions and irregulari- ties in recording (Galal, 2005 ).
Irrespective of its superior genetics and ability to adapt to varying environments, no single breed can meet the requirements of the discriminating consumers worldwide. Indeed, the vast array of food and fi ber products available within and among nations testifi es to the diversity of needs both among producers and among their respective markets. Goat milk and milk products are well liked in Europe and the Middle East regions, whereas goat meat is considered a delicacy in Asia and the Pacifi c region. Cashmere pro- duction is popular in remote areas adjoining the high - mountain and the Himalayan ranges. Furthermore, the discriminating tastes and preferences of the consumer as well as the changing cultural mosaic of the populations in developed countries have created a demand for meat, cheese, and cashmere from goats. In the future, climatic
change, emergence of exotic diseases, development of export markets, and the changing economic status of a country as well as individuals within the country are likely to further alter product availability and preferences. Altered desires and preferences of consumers can be expected to have a profound infl uence on the choice of goat popula- tions to be kept in specifi c environments in accordance with fi scal constraints.