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Baby goats at Airhouses

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1. Not all goats have wattles 

Wattles are those slightly strange hanging things from under their chins! Not all goats have them, some breeds are more likely too. It is believed to be an evolutionary by-product, glands that was needed once! With our goats Marshmallow and Bob have wattles and Fred and Grace do not!

2. Domesticated Years Ago! 

Bob at Airhouses

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It is believed goats were one of the first domesticated animals over 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. They came to Britain after the last large ice age.

3. Neolithic Milk Providers!

They were widely used in the Neolithic period for their milk.

Marshmallow at Airhouses

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4. Not Just all about Milk!

Their hide was also useful. It was used as parchment, but also to make water and wine carriers

5. Goats of many horns 

Fred at Airhouses

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Normally goats have two horns, but sometimes you may come across Polycrete goats - goats with many horns. Some as many as eight! Our goats only have two!

6. Viking God Goats!

Did you know that Thor (Viking God) had a chariot pulled by goats? Well he did. Or so the stories go...

7. Christmas Goats!

Grace at Airhouses

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Whilst here in the UK we celebrate Yule or more often now Christmas with images of Reindeers, Christmas trees and Penguins. In Scandinavia they celebrate using images of the goat. In Gavle they celebrate Yule with a hug Straw Goat sculpture that often ends up being set on fire......oops.

8. Goat Celebrations Continue 

In Finland on Saint Knuts day in early January young men visit peoples houses dressed as Goats. Traditionally they tended to be a little naughty, demanding leftover food and wine and if they didn’t get it would do evil deeds....now-a-days children often dress up as the goats and everyone is much happier with no evil deeds involved!

9. Pan and his Pipes 

Have you heard of Pan? He is a God from ancient Greek mythology and has the hindquarters, legs and horns of a goat. A goat man. He is friends with the nymphs and God of the wild, shepherds and flocks, and rustic music.

10. Greeps 

Not really recommended, and very rare due to the genetics being entirely different but every now and again you may get a Goat- Sheep hybrid, known as a Greep! We just loved the name!!

The Ramsay Lodge at Airhouses

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