Spanish goat

The Spanish goat, also called the brush goat or scrub goat, came originally from Spain via Mexico to the USA. It is now a meat and brush-clearing type found widely in the United States. In the Southeast and elsewhere, they are often referred to as 'wood' (Florida), 'brush' or 'briar' (North Carolina, South Carolina), 'hill' (Virginia), and 'scrub' (midwest Pennsylvania) goats. Until recently, these goats were kept mainly for clearing brush and other undesirable plant species from pasture lands.The boer goats have overtaken Spanish goats for meat in the 1980s. The Spanish goat, also called the brush goat or scrub goat, came originally from Spain via Mexico to the USA. It is now a meat and brush-clearing type found widely in the United States. In the Southeast and elsewhere, they are often referred to as 'wood' (Florida), 'brush' or 'briar' (North Carolina, South Carolina), 'hill' (Virginia), and 'scrub' (midwest Pennsylvania) goats. Until recently, these goats were kept mainly for clearing brush and other undesirable plant species from pasture lands.The boer goats have overtaken Spanish goats for meat in the 1980s. Around the 16th century, Spanish explorers brought landrace goats from their native lands to the Caribbean Islands and areas that would later become the United States and Mexico. Some landrace Spanish goats exist in their native territory of Spain but survive through the bloodlines brought to the New World. Spanish goats are hardy and can thrive in difficult environments. Pure Spanish goats have been crossbred with imported goat breeds for cashmere and meat production. Most crossbred goats show a “superb hybrid vigor.” However, due to the amount of crossbreeding, Spanish goats are threatened, and appear on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy watch list.