Here we are, once again, chatting about goats. I did stipulate in yesterday’s post that today’s would be a continuation of all things goat, and I’m not here to disappoint anyone.
Again, this information comes from livelyrun.com.
- “Goats, being mountain animals, are very good at climbing; they’ve been known to climb to the tops of trees, or even dams!
- Goats’ pupils (like many hooved animals) are rectangular. This gives them vision for 320 to 340 degrees (compared to humans with 160-210) around them without having to move and they are thought to have excellent night vision.
- Goats are foragers, NOT grazers. It is actually unnatural to graze a goat on grass and increases the likelihood of them picking up harmful parasites. In their natural habitat, they roam mountaintops and reach up as high as possible to pick out choice bits of forage around them.
- Goats have four ‘stomachs.’ Their food moves first into the rumen (from which it is periodically regurgitated for more ‘cud chewing’), then to the reticulum, later to the omasum, and finally to the abomasum (which is most like a more sensitive human stomach).
- Goats are burpers! This is due to the role of their rumen. The rumen, which in a mature goat holds four to five gallons of plant material, breaks down cellulose and acts as a fermentation vat. Of course, fermentation produces gas, and this gas escapes in the form of loud, healthy burps. Our goats can frequently be heard burping in the barn,” the web page explains.
I realize if you’re located in an urban setting, finding a goat may not be the easiest thing to do if you did want to spend some time with these creatures and benefit from their presence. I do encourage you to do so, though; goats are way too entertaining to not have the pleasure of witnessing their character first-hand.
ontheedgeofeverything 
