The goat is one of the most versatile species of livestock in Ontario. There are many different breeds of goats. They produce milk, meat and fibre. In the 1996 Census from Statistics Canada, there were 2,500 goat farms in Ontario with a total of approximately 46,000 goats.
Goats naturally have horns with only the occasional goat being polled naturally hornless.
Hornless goats are much safer around people, and other goats. Goats can be kept on marginal land or rough terrain unsuitable for other types of livestock if their diet is supplemented with hay and grain rations fed to them. They are very clean animals. Barley, bran and corn are used as energy feeds. Additional diet ingredients include alfalfa, grass, clover and sugar beets roots as either pasture or hay.