Promote the Goat
Goats must
have the worst public relations in the animal kingdom. When a new person finds
out about our business of making goat milk soap, half usually snicker and make
a joke, “Will I smell like a goat after
using it?”
I blame the Billy goat for much of
the bad press. He is the central figure in comic strips, the one who knocks
down little children and eats tin cans in a single gobble. He is portrayed as mean, funny, aggressive,
and above all, smelly.
But the bull is not representative
of all cows, so how did the Billy goat hijack our impression of all goats?
The next
time you go into one of those quaint little gift shops where they hang white
lights and sell candles, look around and notice the animals. You’ll see
chickens, sheep, horses, rabbits, dogs, cats, and…pigs? Yes, pigs, dangling from Christmas trees,
stuffed and sitting on shelves, resin figures with bows around their necks,
floppy ears and cute expressions.
The animal missing from these
menageries? The goat.
It is my theory that goats need to
take some PR lessons from pigs. If there
ever was an unattractive and smelly animal, it surely must be the pig. But, in
1952 something significant happened which changed the image of pigs
forevermore. A bestselling book was
published by E. B. White, called Charlotte’s
Web. This book did more for pigs
than even pigs could have dreamed possible.
We fell hopelessly in love with Wilbur and rooted for him to be saved
from slaughter.
Five years later, another famous
book was written about goats. P.C.
Asbjornsen and J.E. Moe published The
Three Billy Goats Gruff. The hero in
this book is a Billy goat who turns into a killing machine and rips into the
evil troll. And therein lies the problem
with our view of goats.
On behalf of goats everywhere, let
me try to correct a few myths.
Goats cannot eat tin cans. Goats are
ruminants, meaning they chew cud as they process food through four stomach
chambers, just like a cow. They are curious and attracted to shiny things. They
might nibble on shiny buttons, earrings, and even tin cans, but they are
actually picky eaters. In fact, they love
to munch on thistles and multi-floral roses, the bane of a farmer’s existence.
Only Billy
goats smell. For you non-farmers, the Billy goat is the male goat that has not
been castrated. Without getting into the
delicate details, the smell is important in the mating process. Does and wethers (castrated males) smell just
as good as any other animal when kept in a clean environment.
Goats are
intelligent animals with the ability to be trained. Wethers can be taught to pull carts and work
as draft animals. Does and wethers can work as pack animals.
Goat milk is
easier to digest than cow’s milk. Some
doctors recommend it for certain gastric illnesses or liver dysfunctions. Elderly folks and babies who have digestive
problems also benefit from its qualities.
You can also make cheese, ice cream, fudge, pudding, and yogurt from
goat’s milk.
Goat milk is excellent for your
skin, which is why we put it in soaps and body creams. It is high in vitamins, minerals, nutrients,
protein and lipids, which all serve to nourish your skin.
Goats make
great pets. They are affectionate and
good with children, especially when handled frequently at an early age.
Goats are among the healthiest and
hardiest of domestic animals and thrive well on hills not suitable for cows.
They are less expensive and easier to manage than cows.
The Bible mentions goats in 94
different verses. Historically, goats
were highly valued for their meat, milk, and skin and even today, in many
developing countries, goats are still providing for the basic needs of a family
just as they did 3,000 years ago. In
fact, goat’s meat is eaten in 80% of the world.
So what is to be done about this
bad press problem? Unless a famous author decides to write a bestselling book
with a goat as the hero or unless goats rally together and hire a public
relations firm, the image of goats is unlikely to change.
But with this new information on
the finer points of goats, maybe you can be a Caprine Ambassador, promoting the
goat in your own neck of the woods.
