Goats Animal Study & Lapbook
created by Wende

         

Lapbook Components

Optional Book List:

You do not need to choose any books to complete lapbook. Here are some optional titles you could read as interest warrants. Included are some lapbook components specific to the books. You can record books read in Book Log Fan if desired.

Animal Tales (ISBN 0-7853-6999-6) “Goat Kids” by Catherine McCafferty

A Baby Goat for You by Walter Chandoha
A photographic journey follows two kids through the farmyard.

Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier
Beatrice is a young girl from the small African village of Kisinga in western Uganda.  This is the story about how goats enabled her to go to the United States to school. 

Friendship Saves the Day by Karen Ravn
Lanie Lamb is upset with Gallagher Goat after he eats her precious curtains. This is a story of friendship and forgiveness.

G is For Goat, by Patricia Polacco
An excellent alphabet book that teaches about goats.  Beautiful pictures.

The Goat in the Rug by Charles L. Blood and Martin Link
Geraldine is a goat, and Glenmae is a Navajo weaver. One day, Glenmae decides to weave Geraldine into a rug.  The reader learns, along with Geraldine, about the care and pride that goes into making a rug.
Goat in the Rug Lapbook Components

The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli
Two children meet the lady next door and learn a lot about goats, tolerance, thankfulness and love.

Gregory The Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat and Jose Aruego
Gregory the goat eats nutritious food and his parents are alarmed!  They try to teach him to eat “junk” food, but finally accept him as he is.
Gregory Lapbook Components

Heidi (read the original or select an abridged version for your young reader)

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Janet Stevens
Updated folktale.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff/Just a Friendly Old Troll (Another Point of View) by Alvin Granowsky 
Read the traditional story of The Billy Goats Gruff.  Then turn the book over and read the story from the troll’s point of view.

Top of the Heap by Cynthia A. DiTaranto.  
Although change is inevitable, what counts is how you deal with it.   In this book, a trip to a local goat farm helps a child make the transition from city to country life.  Join Maggie and Montie as they find their way, like Blackie, to claim the Top Of The Heap!

Trees of the Dancing Goats

The Usborne Book of Farm Animals by Felicity Everett
This book takes young children on a farmyard tour, introducing each animal in turn and showing how it lives, feeds, and rears its young.

The Kingfisher First Animal Encyclopedia by Jon Kirkwood
Brief description of various goats with illustrations.

1. In the Bible

Sometime around 6,000 – 5,000 BC goats were first domesticated. They were kept in herds that wandered the hillsides, tended to by goatherds. They were kept primarily for their milk and meat. Their dung was used as a fuel, and their bones, hair, and sinew were used for clothing, building, and tools.  Here are some specific Bible references:

Linens –

Goats provided hair and skin to make clothing, linens, and bottles for wine, water, and oil.

One of the ten layers of curtains at the tabernacle were to be goat hair, to serve as an insulator, as specified in Exodus 26:7: “And thou shalt make curtains of goat hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle, eleven curtains shalt thou make.”

Goat’s hair was also used for pillows, as described in 1 Samuel 19:13. Michal was helping David to escape for his life and she “took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with cloth.”  Complete component 1a. 

Symbolic for Unsaved –

Goats were used symbolically to represent the unsaved. Read Matthew 25:31-46. Verse 32 says, “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd dividith his sheep from the goats:” God will separate the sheep (the Lord’s flock of saved people) from the goats (the unsaved people). It continues on in verse 33, “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” The right hand is God’s favored hand, and the saved will inherit the kingdom prepared for them. The left hand is God’s unfavored hand, and the unsaved will be sent into everlasting fire. Which side will you be on?   Complete component 1b. 

Jacob’s Deception –

Read the story of Jacob’s deception in Genesis 27. What part did two kids play in Jacob’s attempt to deceive his father? They were made into savory meat, and Jacob also used the skins to cover his hands and neck to resemble those of hairy Esau.  Complete component 1c. 

Scapegoat and Other Sacrifices -

Read Leviticus 16:1-10. On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), sacrifices were made to reconcile the Israelites to God once again for another year. The priest was to choose two goats and present them to the Lord. Lots were cast upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one to be the scapegoat. The priest would symbolically lay all the sins of the people on the scapegoat’s head and it would then be released into the wilderness where it was likely to perish.

This was an indication of the scapegoat to come, the self-sacrificing Jesus who took the sins of the world on his own head.

The word scapegoat has come to refer to any person bearing undue blame for others.

Throughout the Old Testament goats were used for other sacrifices as well. Research more about these offerings.

Goats were used for burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:10).

Goats were used for peace offerings (Leviticus 3:12).

Goats were used for sin offerings (Leviticus 4:23).

Complete component 1d. 

Goats as Provision –

The milk of the goat was highly valued throughout the land. Read Proverbs 27:23-27:

23           Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds

24           For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

25           The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

26           The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

27           And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.

While jobs, money, and prominence may come and go, a well cared for flock of sheep and herd of goats can provide all your needs.

Complete component 1b. 

Using a Concordance –

Learning how to use a concordance is an important skill that should be learned right along with learning to use a table of contents, index, or dictionary. Have your older child practice using a concordance this week by looking up and recording some of the Biblical references to goats.

2. Classification

Animals are grouped into different categories according to their characteristics. Domestic Goats are classified in this manner:

Kingdom – Animal

Phylum – Chordata (having backbones)

Class – Mammal (live birth, warm blooded, fur, milk for young)

Order – Artiodactyla (even-toed, hoofed animals)

Sub-Order – Ruminant (cud chewing)

Family – Bovidae

Genus – Capra (goat)

Species – C. hircus (domestic goat)

Complete component 2a. 

3. Who’s Who
 

Male Goats - The proper name for the male goat is buck, but they are also called billy goats. A male goat that has been neutered is known as a wether. An adult dairy goat buck weighs between 200 and 300 pounds.

Female Goats - The proper name for the female goat is doe, but they are also called nanny goats or just simply goats. An adult dairy goat doe weighs between 125 and 200 pounds.

Young - Young goats are called kids.

Group – A group of goats is called a herd.

Complete component 3a. 

4. Anatomy

Digestive System –

Goats are ruminants, meaning they chew their cud. They have a huge four-chambered stomach. When they eat, the food passes down the esophagus to the rumen where it is broken down and formed into small balls of cud. As it desires, the goat will return the cud back to its mouth, where it will be chewed up some more to further break up the fibers. It will then reswallow the food, where it will go through the rumen, on to the reticulum, then to the omasum, and finally to the abomasums, the true stomach. In the abomasums, enzymes are secreted and normal digestion takes place.

Complete component 4a. 

Feet –

Goats are Artiodactyls, which have two toes per foot. Each toe is sheathed in a cornified hoof. 

Complete component 4b.

Teeth, Beards, Horns, Tails –

God designed the teeth of goats in a certain way. Because they are grazing herbivores, they have no need for sharp upper canines like a carnivore has. Instead, they have teeth designed for grinding. Their bottom front incisors and canines bite against a horny pad in the upper jaw. The back molars are broad and high crowned, with enamel ridges for grinding.

Both male and female goats have tufts of hair under their chins called beards. Many types of goats may have wattles, one dangling from each side of the neck.
 

Bucks have long, hollow horns that are directed upward, backward, and outward. Does have smaller horns than bucks. Their horns are made of living bone surrounded by keratin and other proteins and are used for defense, dominance, and territoriality.

Goat tails are short and point up.

Complete component 4c.

5. Goat Math

A goat’s body temperature ranges between 102.5 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Take your own temperature. How does it compare to a goat’s temperature?

A goat’s pulse rate is 60 to 80 beats per minute. Check your own pulse. How does it compare to a goat’s?

A goat’s respiration rate is 15 to 30 breaths per minute. Count how many breaths you take in a minute. How does it compare to a goat’s?

Complete component 5a. 

6. Diet

Goats have a few basic dietary needs. Firstly, they need water. You can leave a bucket of water in their pen, or use automatic waterers. It is important to make sure that the water does not freeze in the wintertime, using a heated waterer or a heat lamp aimed at the water. It is also important to keep the water clean, as goats won’t drink contaminated water.

The reputation goats have of eating just about anything stands true as they have very hearty appetites. They are grazers by nature, and when given the chance will browse on the tips of woody shrubs and trees, and pretty much any other plant matter. Goats will choose not to eat dirty food, which is why they are lower maintenance as free-rangers as opposed to stall-fed goats. Their diets largely consist of hay, alfalfa being a favorite. An adult dairy goat will eat about five pounds of hay a day. Hay is often supplemented with corn, wheat, oats, barley, and soy. A dairy goat currently being milked will eat an additional 2-3 pounds of grain a day, while a dry doe only receives up to a pound. A buck usually receives no extra grain. 

Goats should not eat any grass or other food with mold, nightshade, or wilted fruit tree leaves. They may die from them.

It is also a good idea to supplement your goat’s feed with minerals in the form of a loose mix or a mineral brick.

Complete component 6a. 

7. Habitats and Behavior

Goats like room to roam with lots of field to graze on. They need shelter such as a shed or barn to protect them from bad weather and to provide them with shade. Goats are known for escaping their pens. They will test fencing and if there is a place to spread, push, or jump over the fence, they will surely find it. Goats love to jump and climb. They can hold their balance and can even climb trees if they are on a slight angle. Goats are extremely curious and intelligent, and often get into mischief. They can easily be trained to walk on a leash, or to pull a cart.

Goats have their own little personalities and habits. Most are very affectionate and enjoy being around people. Kids are very playful and will butt each other for fun. They will also climb all over each other.

Bucks have an offensive odor that they use to attract the does. People keep more does than bucks because does are easier to manage and do not have the offensive odor that bucks have.

Within a herd of goats an hierarchy is often established through head butting.

Complete component 7a. 

8. Signs of a Healthy Goat

Goats are fairly easy to take care of. A healthy goat will show these signs:

1.    The eyes should be clear and bright. If they are not, an infection such as pink eye may be present.

2. The coat should be smooth and shiny. If the coat is not smooth, it is an indication of an ill-feeling goat. If the coat is not shiny, there may be parasites present.

3. The goat should have a good appetite, unless it is in labor, when it is normal to refuse food.

4. The goat should have a good attitude. It should be active, alert, and happy. Signs of a problem include a droopy tail and/or a hunched back.

Complete component 8a. 

9. Mortality

Diseases –

There are four diseases that are common to domestic goats.  
 

1. Coccidia - They are small parasites that get into the goat’s intestines. The symptoms of infestation include a dull, dry coat or a foaming and bloody diarrhea.  Kids younger than four months old are at the highest risk of being infested. You may notice that they are not thriving.  A medicine called Albon can be used to treat the infestation. A test of the stool can verify for certain whether your goat is infested or not.
    

2. Ketosis - If a pregnant doe is depressed, weak, clumsy, or uninterested in food late in her pregnancy, it may have ketosis. If left untreated, the goat may die within a few days. The disease is caused by the extra demand of food by the kids in the pregnant goat, and the goat’s inability to get the extra nutrition needed. Toxic by-products called ketones are produced as the doe uses up her fat stores. To prevent the disease, make sure your pregnant goat does not get fat early on, and that extra grain is provided late in the pregnancy. A stricken goat can be treated with propylene glycol at two to three ounces twice a day. 
    

3. Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome (CAE) – This is a viral disease that can be diagnosed with an inexpensive blood test. In young kids, the rear legs become weak and lose muscle strength.  The infected kids will usually die. In older goats, the symptoms are swollen joints, especially in the knees. The disease is slow developing, taking two or more years for the legs to stop functioning properly. The infected goats eat well, have no fever, and stay alert, but they will not recover from the arthritis. There are no treatments. Older infected goats spread the disease to the kids through contact or milk. It's a good idea to make sure a goat is CAE free before purchasing.
    

4. Mastitis – When a doe is lactating, bacteria can cause an inflammation of the mammary gland called mastitis. The udder will be swollen, in pain, and hot.  The tissue may also be discolored and the milk will vary in color, texture, and thickness. The disease can be diagnosed by taking a culture to a lab. Mastitis is caused most commonly by rough treatment while milking, or unclean milking practices. A goat’s udder should be washed before and after milking, as well as your hands. The disease can be treated with antibiotics. If left untreated, the infection can spread and the goat may lose the udder or die.

Complete component 9a.

Predators –

Goats mostly fall prey to wild dogs. Foxes, wolves, and coyotes will all attack and eat goats. Wild cats will also attack them. Goats will use their horns to protect themselves from predators, and will also kick their attacker. To keep your goats safe make sure they are locked up at night. Having a light in the pen/barn helps to deter the predators as well.   Complete component 9b. 

10. Life Cycle

Vocabulary –

Record unfamiliar words and their definitions in Vocabulary Flap Book as you come across them.

Freshening – When a goat gives birth and the milk starts coming in.
Gestation – The period between fertilization and birth.
Heat – a period when a female animal is excited by a male animal
Kidding – when a goat gives birth
Placenta – an organ from which the fetus is nourished in the womb.
Rut – a period when a male animal is excited by a female animal

In some climates goats are able to breed at any time of the year. In temperate climates, however, the breeding season begins as the days shorten in the fall and ends in early spring. A doe comes into heat every 21 days, and it lasts for 2 to 48 hours. When a doe is in heat, she becomes more vocal, has a decreased appetite, and will stay close to a buck if one is present. Bucks come into rut when the does come into heat.  You can tell a buck is in rut if he has a decreased appetite and is overly interested in the does.

Once the doe becomes pregnant, the gestation period lasts about 150 days. The doe usually has a set of twins, but sometimes she will also have a single or triplets. Litters larger than that are rare.

Birthing, also called kidding, generally occurs uneventfully. Right before a doe is ready to kid, she will have a sunken area around the tail and hip. She will also breath heavily, become restless, and be very affectionate to her keeper. After birth, the mother often eats the placenta, which gives her much needed nutrients, and helps to reduce her bleeding.

The doe will freshen at kidding. The kids will wean off milk and reach puberty by  4 months. The new kids will be able to reproduce at 12 months. So a three-year-old doe can be a grandmother! 

11. Uses

Goats are raised for many purposes. They are used for both milk and meat. Some breeds are raised for their skin and/or hair. Goats are also raised for showing at petting zoos and fairs, and simply as companions. 

Dairy -  

There are various breeds of goats that are good for milking. Worldwide, people consume more goat milk than cow’s milk. It is more easily digested, has higher nutrient content, and has less cholesterol.  Goat milk can be drunk fresh, but pasteurizing it will reduce the possibilities of bacteria in the milk. If a strong smelling buck is left with the lactating does, the milk will get a bad taste. Goat's milk is naturally homogenized, which means the cream particles stay suspended in the milk, instead of rising to the top, like in raw cow's milk. Dairy goats in their prime will produce 3 to 4 quarts of milk each day over a ten month period. After that, the production will taper off until the goat is freshened.

Goat's milk is commonly made into cheese, butter, ice cream, and other products. Goat butter is white because goats produce milk with a colorless form of vitamin A instead of the yellow beta-carotene present in cow’s milk.

Here is a nutritional comparison: Source

Equipment Needed:

1)            Milking pan or pail

2)            Smaller goats should be put on a clean table/bench with a stanchion

3)            Teat Dip

4)            Weighing bucket with scale

5)            Notebook or such to keep records

How to milk a goat:

1)            Same person should milk in same place at same time of day.

2)            Cleanliness is important for goat health as well as milk quality

a)    Only milk goat in a clean place such as a milking pen

b)    Keep milk pan and teat dip clean.

c)    The person milking should first wash their hands, arms, and fingernails with hot soapy water.

d)    Fingernails should be kept short

e)    Avoid wearing scented lotions/sprays/soaps as it will taint the milk.

f)     Wash each udder prior to milking

3)            First drop of milk from each teat should be disposed of due to bacteria

4)            Milk using the squeeze method. Don’t pull as it hurts the udder and teat.

a)    Hold and squeeze the base of the teat with the thumb and forefinger to trap milk in teat.

b)    Close the other three fingers and squeeze downwards in turn.

c)    The milk in the teats is squeezed downwards and not pulled.

d)    Squeezing slowly downward makes the milk come out. Repeat this in a rhythm and quickly.

e)    This should take about 7 minutes. So be quick so that you get as much milk as possible.

5)            Measure and record milk immediately

6)            Wash milking equipment with hot water and dry on rack immediately

7)            Dip teats in a teat dip containing an antiseptic such as iodine.

Complete components 11a and 11b. 

Meat –

Some breeds of goats, such as the boer goat, are raised for meat. Goat meat from younger animals is called kid, and from older animals is sometimes called chevon or mutton. Goat meat tastes similar to lamb but is lower in fat and cholestrol. Goat meat can be prepared in numerous ways including being stewed, sauteed, baked, grilled, barbequed, or made into sausage or jerky. Goat meat is most popular in Asian and African countries.  Complete component 11c. 

Hair –

All goats have two layers of hair. The soft insulating layer near the skin is called cashmere. Longer, more coarse guard hairs are on the surface. Some breeds of goats, such as the Cashmere goat and the Angora goat, are raised for their hair that is used to make clothing, linens, and rugs.  

The angora goats are covered with long, fine, silky hair called mohair. The hair constantly grows and can be four or more inches in length. The hair is shorn twice a year, with an average yield of 10 pounds.

The cashmere goats are the source of the fine wool called cashmere. These goats can produce an abundance of this fiber, which is one of the most expensive fibers in the world. The Cashmere goat grows enough cashmere to yield about 9 ounces of down a year.  Complete component 11d.

Parchment –

The hide of goats was used for centuries to make parchment. Parchment is a thin material that was used as paper and to make books. 

12. Great Art

After reading the Bible lesson about scapegoats, examine the painting called “Scapegoat” done by William Holman Hunt in 1854. Complete these lessons referring to the painting.

Complete component 12a. 

Color Pallet –

What colors are predominant in the painting? List the colors that you see.  Red, orange, yellow, gold, and brown are all warm colors. Discuss how this painting makes you feel.  Get out some paints and mix warm colors to get more warm colors.  Paint a warm color scene, such as a desert. Color blades of fans to match painting colors.

Complete component 12b. 

Narration –

Write at least a paragraph about the painting, from the goat’s point of view. For younger children, here are some story starter ideas:

“It was just two days ago that the lots were cast and I was chosen to…”

“I’d been walking all day to find water when suddenly…”

13. Goat Fables

Aesop Fables –

Goats have been used in fables for thousands of years. Read a few fables this week and use the morals for copywork lessons as desired.  Complete components in 13a. 

14.  Miscellaneous

Goat Related Occupations –

There are many occupations involving goats. If you take a field trip, you may want to interview one such person. Possibilities include a farm, veterinarian, petting zoo, circus, etc. Complete component 14a.

Haiku Poetry –

Haiku is a form of poetry that originated in Japan about three hundred years ago. It is a seventeen syllable poetic form and is usually about something in nature. The seventeen syllables of the haiku are divided into three lines of five, seven, five. Haiku poems usually do not rhyme. Because they are very short poems, every word should be well chosen to bring an image to the reader’s mind. Have your child try his hand at writing a haiku poem about goats.  Complete component 14b. 

Links

Good Site to View a Variety of Breeds

Lots of Goat Info

G is for Goat Coloring Page

Goat Coloring Pages

Gary the Goat Coloring Page