Which goat should you get?

WhichGoat is a cited reference for 28 US goat breeds, built for people choosing their first goat or their next one: backyard keepers, homesteaders, small farms. No breeder listings, no sponsored picks. We read every US registry standard so you don't have to.

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DairyDairy breeds, yield and butterfat compared19 breedsMeatMeat breeds, weight compared9 breedsFiberMohair and cashmere breeds compared5 breedsPetsTwo companion breeds, size and temperament2 breedsMiniatureSame jobs, smaller footprint11 breeds

Not sure yet? Filter the full list by size, climate, and temperament. Every card opens the breed's cited record.

28 of 28 breedsFilters
Purpose
Size
Climate
Temperament

28 of 28 breeds

Alpine goat, a cou clair doe in side profile with a wether in the background

Alpine

Alpines are prized as much for shrugging off any climate as for what they produce in the pail.

2,715 lb
Milk yield
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Angora goat, close-up portrait showing its curly mohair fleece and horns

Angora

Angoras are shorn twice a year for mohair, and weeks of cold vulnerability follow every shearing.

Mohair
Fiber type
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Boer goat, a white-bodied doe with the breed's classic red-brown head

Boer

The Boer converts feed into carcass at a rate its standard calls unusually high among mutton breeds.

190–230 lb
Doe weight
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Cashmere goat, a white, long-coated doe resting on a rocky hillside

Cashmere

Cashmere isn't really a breed, just a fiber qualification any goat can earn.

Cashmere
Fiber type
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Damascus type goat photographed at Ugarit, Syria, 1995

Damascus

Damascus goats are prized across the Middle East for milk, yet no US herd or registry exists.

992 lb
Milk yield
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Fainting Goat (Myotonic) goat, a brown-and-white doe with the breed's stiff-legged stance

Fainting Goat (Myotonic)

The trait that gives the fainting goat its name also keeps it away from fences.

50–150 lb
Doe weight
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Golden Guernsey goat, a golden-coated doe

Golden Guernsey

A decade after the US recognized the breed, Golden Guernseys are still hard to find here.

3.7%
Butterfat
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Kalahari Red goat, a red-coated buck resting in the shade of a tree

Kalahari Red

Kalahari Reds have no US registry of their own, so breeders dual-register them under two other associations.

20 lb (9 kg) (typical)
Weaning weight
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Kiko goat, a white doe with grey facial markings resting in grass beside her kid

Kiko

Kiko is a standard-sized meat breed from New Zealand.

140–200 lb
Doe weight
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LaMancha goat, a doe in side profile showing the breed's earless head

LaMancha

LaManchas are bred to have almost no external ear at all, a prized trait, not a fault.

2,298 lb
Milk yield
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No free photo yet

Mini Alpine

Mini Alpine is a miniature dairy breed from the United States.

1,002 lb or more
Milk yield
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Mini Guernsey

Mini Guernsey is a miniature dairy breed from the United States.

1,002 lb or more
Milk yield
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Mini LaMancha goat, a white and black doe grazing in tall grass

Mini LaMancha

Mini LaMancha is a miniature dairy breed from the United States, also kept for meat.

1,002 lb or more
Milk yield
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Mini Nubian goat, three goats with long pendulous ears standing in a pasture

Mini Nubian

Mini Nubians keep the standard Nubian's long, bell-shaped ears in a body scaled down for a backyard.

1,002 lb or more
Milk yield
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Mini Oberhasli goat, a bay doe lying in straw with her five kids

Mini Oberhasli

Mini Oberhasli is a miniature dairy breed from the United States.

1,002 lb or more
Milk yield
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Mini Saanen

Mini Saanen is a miniature dairy breed from the United States.

1,002 lb or more
Milk yield
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No free photo yet

Mini Toggenburg

Mini Toggenburg is a miniature dairy breed from the United States.

1,002 lb or more
Milk yield
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Nigerian Dwarf goat, a small black-and-tan doe in side profile

Nigerian Dwarf

A small goat with a surprisingly serious milking habit.

795 lb
Milk yield
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Nigora goat, a group of goats of varying coat types behind a wire fence

Nigora

Nigora is a miniature fiber breed from the United States, also kept for dairy.

Cashgora
Fiber type
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Nubian (Anglo-Nubian) goat, a brown doe with the breed's long pendulous ears and Roman nose

Nubian (Anglo-Nubian)

Nubian (Anglo-Nubian) is a standard-sized dairy breed from the United Kingdom.

2,018 lb
Milk yield
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Oberhasli goat, a bay doe with black markings in side profile

Oberhasli

Oberhaslis are calm enough for a first-time owner, yet rare enough that conservationists track their recovery.

1,995 lb
Milk yield
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Pygmy goat, a small, stocky doe

Pygmy

NPGA breeds the Pygmy for the show ring, though most buyers are really after a companion.

Erect
Ears
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Pygora goat, a white, curly-fleeced doe standing in a barn doorway

Pygora

A single Pygora can be born into any of three officially recognized fleece types, each spun completely differently.

Cashgora
Fiber type
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Saanen goat, an all-white doe in side profile with tail raised

Saanen

Saanens are the classic all-white dairy goat, though that pale coat sunburns easily.

2,702 lb
Milk yield
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No free photo yet

Sable

Sable is a standard-sized dairy breed from Switzerland.

2,385 lb
Milk yield
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Two adult white Savanna goats beside a water trough, with a horned buck in the foreground

Savanna

Savanna is a large meat breed from South Africa.

143 lb (65 kg) (typical)
Doe weight
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Spanish goat, a dark-coated, horned and bearded adult

Spanish

Spanish is a standard-sized meat breed from the United States, also kept for dairy and fiber.

70–125 lb
Doe weight
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Toggenburg goat, a brown-and-white doe standing in snow

Toggenburg

Toggenburg is a standard-sized dairy breed from Switzerland.

2,237 lb
Milk yield
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How we source

Every figure carries a source and a date, from a registry, an extension program, or peer-reviewed research. Where sources disagree, we show both.

Sources and methodology

Guides and rankings

How to read the data, breed comparisons, and rankings by yield, size, hardiness, and ADGA registrations.

Guides · Rankings · Most registered

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