Goat breed glossary

Butterfat / protein percent · the fat and protein content of milk, as tested by DHIR or a similar dairy improvement program. Dressing percentage · the proportion of a slaughtered animal's live weight that becomes carcass. Withers · the ridge between a goat's shoulder blades, the standard point for a height measurement.

Polled · naturally hornless. Wattles · small skin appendages on the neck, present in some breeds and lines regardless of horn status. Breeding season vs year-round breeder · whether a breed cycles only in shortening daylight (fall) or can be bred at any time of year.

Conservation status (Livestock Conservancy) · a category describing how at-risk a breed's population is, separate from "availability," which describes how easy the breed is to buy in the US right now.