There are many breeds of goats used for a variety of purposes. Goats are raised to be sold, traded, used for meat or milk, and they are used for physical labor. This means that depending on the breed, goats stop growing at different ages. Overall, goats are fully developed around age one.
On average, goats take 12-18 months to fully grow physically. At this age, goats can be used for meat, physical labor, and breading. By 2 years old goats stop growing physically with no more physical milestones to hit. By 1-2 years goats are fully matured. The amount of time can differ depending on the breed. With proper nutrients and care, goats should be able to perform various tasks by 6-12 months.
Different goat breeds have varying developmental cycles. Factors such as sex and breed determine how fast or slow a goat develops physically, sexually, and maturely.
Goat Development
With over 200 breeds of goats, it is easy to see trends in how different breeds and genders of goats develop. There are many factors to look at to see patterns. Such as sex, breed, climate, food, and what their primary purpose is. Their primary purpose is determined by looking at whether the goat is used for meat, milk, sale, trade, or labor. This can also show the value of the goat.
The more popular and widely used goats will be lower in value because they are more common. Whereas other breeds that are not common and used more rarely are higher in value. This can determine the price of the meat or milk sold from the goats.
Goats hit physical milestones as they develop and grow. A goat’s development starts from birth and continues through about 2 years old. Then, the goat is done growing physically in any major way.
From 4 months to 1 year is when goats develop more maturity and are capable of being used for tasks. This is also the time when they are developing sexually, physically, and grow in overall maturity.
A goat is raised in a herd, and after a few months is separated from its mother and begins being used for its tasks. This could be performing physical jobs on a farm, being used for breeding, being sold for trade, being sold for meat, or being used for milk sales.
Maturity of Goats
The physical maturity of goats ranges from 12-24 months and depends on the breed. The breed also tells whether the goat is used for meat, physical labor, or milk. The breeds used for milk mature at a slightly slower rate than goat breeds used for meat.
Sexual maturity of goats also varies per breed. Overall, males mature faster than females, and goats that have longer breeding seasons mature faster. Goats can mature sexually anywhere from 4 months to 1 year old.
Goats develop domestic maturity from age 6 months to 1 year. Goats grow fast and hit their peak anywhere from 1-2 years old. This peak is when goats are fully matured in all areas. Physical, sexual, and overall maturity develops fully, and breeders and farmers get full use out of their goats at the age previously mentioned.
Most major development of a goat takes place in the first year, and over the course of the second year, goats are finishing their development in some of the minor areas. It is important that goats do not fall behind in maturity and development because farmers and breeders have a timeline to stick with to keep up with their quota.
Breeds of Goats and Growth Rates
There are over 200 breeds of goats, below is a small list of the most popular goats along with their purposes:
Alpine goats produce up to 2 gallons of milk a day and it makes them good for milking.
La Mancha goats are also good for milking because their milk is high in protein and butterfat content. This also makes them one of the more popular breeds of goats used for milking.
Nubian goats are raised for meat, and they have a longer breeding season than other goats. The long breeding season helps farmers and breeders get more goats to raise for milk and meat.
Saanen is the largest breed of dairy goats, and they are very easy to work with and raise. they are used primarily for their milk.
Boer is one of the primary meat goat breeds. Their meat is easy to sell, which makes them the perfect animal to raise if you want some side money.
These are just some of the many breeds of goats. It is easy to see that goats are raised primarily for their milk or meat. Of the goats used for meat, they have longer breeding seasons than goats used for milk. This means that at the end of the breeding season, there will be more goats reproduced by meat goats compared to milk goats.
Meat goats like Nubian and Boer mature faster sexually compared to milk goats like Saanen and Alpine. It is also common for males to mature faster than females in some breeds. After 6 months to a year, meat goats are matured enough sexually to begin reproducing.
When goats stop growing, it means they are at the point of full maturity in developmental areas. There are over 200 different breeds of goats, and there are many ways goats can mature and become fully developed.