Damascus
Damascus goats are prized across the Middle East for milk, yet no US herd or registry exists.
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No registry found in our sources.
Is Damascus right for you?
About Damascus
Damascus goats, also called Shami, are a strong dual-purpose choice where they’re kept, combining high prolificacy with genuinely useful milk production: about 992 lb over a 300-day lactation, with does averaging 1.8 kids per kidding, among the more prolific breeds in the region.
The coat runs reddish brown, and breeding follows a fixed season from late August through mid-December rather than running year-round. Fertility sits at a solid 80 to 90 percent.
Anyone drawn to what these numbers describe would need to import genetics directly from the Middle East, since no American breeder network, herd, or registry exists for the breed yet.
How Damascus compares
This breed's cited milk yield is 992 lb, below the median of 2,237 lb for the 9 dairy breeds with a sourced figure.
Does are cited at 155 lb, above the median of 100 lb across the 17 breeds in our list with a sourced doe weight.
Ranked 8th of 9 dairy breeds on milk yield. 10 more dairy breeds are in our list without a sourced figure for this.
Breeds like this one
Full record
Size
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Size class | Standard (derived) |
| Mature doe weight | 155 lb (70 kg) (typical)2 |
| Height at withers (doe) | 28.6 in (73 cm) (typical)5 |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Mature buck weight | Not found in our sources* |
| Height at withers (buck) | Not found in our sources* |
Appearance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Colors | reddish brown1 |
6 more fields not found in our sources
| Coat type | Not found in our sources* |
| Coat length | Not found in our sources* |
| Patterns | Not found in our sources* |
| Ears | Not found in our sources* |
| Horns | Not found in our sources* |
| Distinguishing features | Not found in our sources* |
Dairy
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Average lactation yield | 992 lb3 |
| Lactation length | 300 days3 |
4 more fields not found in our sources
| Lactation yield range | Not found in our sources* |
| Butterfat | Not found in our sources* |
| Protein | Not found in our sources* |
| Milking temperament | Not found in our sources* |
Meat
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Average daily gain | 0.29 lb/day (133 g/day)3 |
4 more fields not found in our sources
| Weaning weight | Not found in our sources* |
| Dressing percentage | Not found in our sources* |
Mature carcass: Not found in our sources*
Muscling: Not found in our sources*
Breeding
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Litter size | 1.8 kids1 |
| Kidding rate | 80–90%1 |
| Breeding season | Seasonal breeder4 |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Age at first breeding | Not found in our sources* |
| Weight at first breeding | Not found in our sources* |
Health and lifespan
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Genetic conditions | Thyroglossal duct cysts6 |
1 more field not found in our sources
| Common health issues | Not found in our sources* |
Availability
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Availability in the US | Not established in the US1 |
| Registered kid price | Not applicable, No registry exists to issue a 'registered' kid, so this field does not apply to Damascus. |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Conservation status | Not found in our sources* |
| Population estimate | Not found in our sources* |
History and registries
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin country | Syria1 |
About goats generally
The facts below are stated by extension and veterinary sources for goats as a species, not for this breed specifically, shown separately from the breed's own cited record above.
| Fencing / escape difficulty | High7‡ |
| Hardiness | High7‡ |
| Heat tolerance | High8‡ |
| Cold tolerance | Low9‡ |
| Browse clearing suitability | High7‡ |
Housing: Goats generally don't need elaborate housing -- a simple three-sided structure that blocks wind and rain is enough, at roughly 15 square feet of bedded space per animal. The real hazard is cold, damp drafts rather than fresh air itself: sustained drafty, wet-cold conditions can quickly bring on pneumonia and scours in young kids more than in adult stock.10‡
Fencing: Goats are notorious escape artists, so fencing built for cattle or sheep usually isn't enough. A multi-strand, electrified high-tensile fence with hot wires worked into the first, third and top strands is the standard effective approach; plain woven wire works too, but needs an extra interior electric strand to stop goats climbing on it or catching their heads and horns in the mesh.7‡
See our guides on how many goats to keep and how much space each one needs.
‡ Facts marked with a double dagger are about goats generally, not specifically this breed. See "About goats generally" above.
Sources (10)
- Molecular Genetic Studies for Damascus Goat Breed Raised Under Egyptian Conditions (Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 2013) · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Constantinou 1989, Genetic and environmental relationships of body weight, milk yield and litter size in Damascus goats (Small Ruminant Research) · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Comparison of the performance of Shami (Damascus) and Saanen goats raised under similar environmental conditions in Lebanon (CIHEAM Options Méditerranéennes) · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 2005)
- The Damascus (Shami) goat of Cyprus (Mavrogenis et al.) · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Tatar, Tuncer & Sireli 2019, Comparison of yield characteristics of Damascus and Kilis goats (Chilean Journal of Agricultural & Animal Sciences) · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Congenital Cysts of the Head and Neck in Animals | Merck Veterinary Manual · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Meat Goat Production | Penn State Extension · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Nutritional Requirements of Goats | Merck Veterinary Manual · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Shelter, Fencing and Predator Control Needs on Pasture | Langston Ag Research · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Goat Housing and Facilities | Penn State Extension (Meat Goat Production and Management Home Study Course) · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
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