Are you looking for a perfect flock to kick start your poultry? Then goats have a high-demand in this business. Not only are goats very easy to raise, but also, they need only minimum care or maintenance.
Goats are mostly adorable animals; they are funny, joyful, and whatnot? Especially the black goat breed. They are unique look-wise, but they are also one of the most emotional animals on earth.
Apart from their friendly nature, black goat breeds are also raised for exhibition and show purposes apart from commercial or personal purposes. They are all-rounders. Ranging from commercial purposes like dairy, meat, leather, and fiber production to exhibitions, they are perfect in all fields.
If you are focusing on bringing a black goat breed home, then choose a shedder one. The black, shiny, and glossy hair of black goat breeds produce fine quality fiber. Thus, you will additionally benefit from a goat with long fur.
5 of Our Favorite Black Goat Breeds That You Can Raise on Your Homestead
Now another question that may arise in your head is that can all black goat breeds be raised? No, you cannot randomly raise any black goat breed. To resolve this dilemma, we have come up with five best black goat breeds you may consider.
1. Bengal Black Goat
If you are looking for a goat perfect for commercial purposes, then Bengal black goat is the one you need. It is an Asian Black goat, native from Bangladesh.
Not only do they have a great disease-resistant, but they are also known mostly for the lean and tender meat they have. Although small in size, their meat is one of the most expensive meats in Bangladesh and worldwide.
They are pretty small in size with their maximum height can reach up to 22 inches, while they can have height as little as 15 inches. Apart from this, their weight varies from 44 pounds to 50 pounds.
They come in various colors when crossbred, which includes brown, grey, and or even golden. But basically, they are available in black colors with white markings.
The male Bengal black goats or bucks can yield 57% of their weight, while female goats yield meat up to 52% of their overall weight. Thus, it is not usually raised for meat production.
They have a very thick skin, which is suitable to make high-quality leather products. But, the most notable feature of Bengal black goats is their hardiness. They are susceptible to all the weather conditions and thus can survive at almost all locations around the world.
If you want a goat breed for commercial purposes, it is also the perfect breed you can look for. They have a very calm temperament and an amiable nature.
Also, they get along with other pets and kids well.
If you want a goat that requires minimal care and attention, it is the perfect independent black goat breed. It doesn’t have any additional food requirements. Nor does it need any extra care and expenditure on food and other essentials.
All they need is adequate water, nutritious food, and affections.
Pros:
- Very calm and docile.
- Perfect for commercial purposes because of their high-quality meat and soft skin that can make good quality leather.
- Hardy and agile.
Cons:
- They are not perfect in terms of milking.
Also Read: 5 Goat Predators that You Should Always Look Out For
2. Attapaddy Black Goat
Attapaddy or more commonly known as the black gem of Kerala, is a native goat breed to India.
It is, moreover, a local breed and is very highly resistant to diseases. Being very hardy, they adjust themselves in both hot and cold climates quite easily. It loves jumping and can tackle even significant obstacles very quickly.
Although slim and medium in size, Attapaddy black goat is known for its quality meat. The lean and tender meat yield from this black goat breed has a very high market value.
They fall under the category of endangered species now, as they are less than 500 in the count worldwide.
They appear in intense all-black color. Apart from this, both ducks have small horns and big ears. Their bronze eyes are in perfect contrast with their black color. Also, they are beautiful and appealing goats overall.
Although they are suitable for their milk because it has significantly less butterfat content, which is the main reason behind them being lean, but it tastes very sweet and similar to that of cow’s milk. People mostly raise them for meat and manure purposes. Their waste is used to produce nitrogen-rich manure, which is suitable for all kinds of crops.
They are shedders, and their hairs are used to manufacture very sophisticated and silky fiber. But again, their hardiness is the most prominent characteristic they have.
They are pretty friendly as well. Moreover, they love the company of other flocks with them; they are perfect to be raised in a home with kids too. They have a very calm temperament, and they usually prefer to enjoy and jump all the time.
Pros:
- They are black right from their head to toe, and this black color suits them, making them attractive.
- Their meat has very high demand in the market because of its tenderness.
- They are adjustable in all kinds of climates.
Cons:
- They didn’t yield milk in a considerable quantity.
3. Oberhasli Goats
Native to Switzerland, Oberhasli is one of the oldest goats ever. They have a very sturdy build and a relatively huge height.
Oberhasli is available in a solid black color, while bucks are available in various color coats. They can grow up to 28 to 30 inches with a maximum weight of 1150 pounds.
They produce average milk with 3.6% of buttermilk in it. Their milk is very sweet and tasty and thus suits for lactose-intolerant people well.
They are very calm and docile. Apart from this, they are very sturdy and don’t easily frighten. Also, they are active and love to jump all the time. They are also excellent swimmers.
Being very agile and hardy, they perfectly adjust to all kinds of climate conditions. Also, because of their robust and healthy body, they utterly tackle all the obstacles and are ideal for the mountainous region.
Being very social, they are the perfect breed to be raised as poultry. Also, they get along with kids very well because of their friendly nature.
Perfect for milk production, they are not commercially raised for meat, Skin, or fiber production much.
As a meal, they need access to green grass and clean water to drink. But if you want very high and delicious milk yield, then prefer feeding them with good-quality hay.
And they are the perfect and most versatile dairy goat breed present all around the world.
Pros:
- A complete dairy goat that produces very delicious milk sweet in taste.
- They are very friendly and easy to adjust with other flocks, pets, and kids.
- Being hardy and sturdy, they are perfect for all the climate and even mountainous regions.
Cons:
- They are not suitable for any other commercial purposes apart from the diary.
4. American LaMancha Goat
If you are looking for a black goat breed, then you can consider LaMancha in your list. However, not all the LaMancha goats are black. They varied in color depending on their breeding, but you can easily find an all-black LaMancha as well.
Native to Spain, LaMancha is one of the most raised dairy breeds in the USA. LaMancha usually have elf ears with a height that can cross 30 inches. They can weigh for more than 155 pounds when fully grown.
They are perfect as dairy breeds, and people mostly raise them for dairy purposes. Statistics show that it can give up to 2100 pounds of milk while their lactation period of 284 days is going on. Also, it produces very high-quality of tasty milk with up to
4% of butterfat content in it.
If you worried whether this goat breed would survive in the harsh climate of your area, then don’t worry. This is undoubtedly the hardiest goat breed ever. That means it can readily adapt to all the climate conditions.
Especially the cold climate, they don’t need any extra prevention measures from the excessive cold with elf year.
Although they are good milk producers, they are yet better meat yielders. They yield very high-quality lean and tender meat as well and are potential meat producers as well.
Also, they can give birth to 1 to 3 kids per mating season.
Are you worried whether your goat will be able to adjust with other flocks in your poultry or not? LaMancha is a very emotional kind of goat that gets attached to their owner very quickly. Being a very social goat breed, they have a pretty calm temperament. Thus, it becomes so easy to raise them even at poultry.
Pros:
- They are ideal for dairy production.
- Because of their high-quality meat, they are perfect for commercial purposes moreover.
- They are perfect to be kept with other flocks as well.
Cons:
- They are not suitable for fiber production because of their small hairs.
Also Read: 10 Reasons That Goats Are Awesome Pets for Homesteaders
5. Verata Goat
If you are looking for a black goat breed mainly for commercial purposes, then Verata goat will be the perfect match for you. Commonly found in Spain, Caceres, and Vera, from where they got their name.
They are small or medium-sized goats, yet they are known for their succulent meat. They are mostly black and grey and have very glossy hair and shiny eyes. They appear very adorable and loving creatures look-wise.
They have somewhat shorter legs, the main reason behind their short height as well. They also have twisted horns.
Being very hardy, they easily adapt to all kinds of weather conditions very quickly. Also, they are pretty quick and agile and so perfect for terrain and mountain areas as well.
It is a unique goat breed, not known to many. People mainly raise them because of their dairy and meat. They are very fertile and give birth to 1 to 3 kids every two years.
Because of no additional expenses being levy on the raising of this breed, it becomes effortless to keep this breed in your poultry. Also, it didn’t require any extra care or maintenance as well.
Their milk is used to manufacture the premium quality of cheese. Apart from this, it becomes ready to slaughter on the 45th day from their birth. They produce very lean and tender milk.
Apart from this, people use their skin to produce premium quality leather products as well.
Pros:
- It is the perfect black goat breed for commercial purposes because if their high-quality milk and meat.
- They are also ideal for leather production.
- They are very hardy and agile.
Cons:
- They are not known in most parts of the world.
Verdict
Black goat breeds stand out differently among other goat breeds because of their attractive coat and contrasting eyes.
Goats are pretty unique, given that they are both lovable and active. Not only that, one weird thing about them is that they love being surrounded by humans or other animals. They may even become deeply depressed if left alone for long durations. Goats are very emotional animals as well. They are also extremely loyal animals.