No two goats are alike. Though they may look the same to the untrained eye, each goat has its own unique personality and characteristics. The same is true for sheep. But what’s the difference between the two animals?
Let’s take a look at goats vs sheep including the commonalities and differences between sheep and goats.
Are Sheep and Goats The Same?
No, goats and sheep are not the same animals. From a distance in a pasture, a large goat, and a small sheep can look similar especially when you can’t see any detail. However, if you get up close to a sheep and a goat at the same time you’ll see enough difference to know that they are not the same, though they do have some general similarities.
Difference Between Sheep & Goats
Goats belong to the species Capra aegagrus hircus and are generally smaller in size than sheep. They have straighter horns, narrower faces, and longer tails. Goats are known for their playful and curious nature and are often kept as pets as well as for agricultural purposes.
Sheep are not as interactive with humans like goats are in the way of giving companionship so they typically do not serve as pets but rather as productive members of a farm.
Sheep belong to the species Ovis aries and are generally larger in size than goats. They have curved horns and a more rounded face, with shorter tails. Sheep are known for their wool, which can be used for textiles, while goats have shaggy hair that can be used for cashmere or mohair. Sheep are raised for their meat and milk as well.
Goats and sheep have different foraging strategies. Goats are browsers, while sheep are grazers. This means that goats like to eat leaves, stems, and other vegetation, while sheep prefer to graze on grass and the more tender, green plants in general. Sheep and goats have different breeding habits, too, as sheep breed seasonally in the fall and goats breed year-round.
Another difference between goats and sheep is that goats have horizontally aligned pupils, while sheep have vertically aligned pupils. This gives goats a wider field of vision, which helps them to see predators coming from a long way away. Unfortunately, sheep can get easily surprised by predators which is why farmers often use dogs to protect their sheep.
Similarities Between Sheep & Goats
Sheep and goats are both domesticated ruminant animals, which are animals that have four chambers to their stomach for digestion. They are both commonly raised for their meat, milk, and fiber. Funny enough, they have been domesticated by humans for about the same amount of time.
Sheep and goats are different species and therefore not the same, though if you dive into their genetics, they are actually closely related as they both belong to the Bovidae family. Another interesting similarity is that they have similar social structures in the way that they interact with each other. Both sheep and goats live in herds or flocks.
Both sheep and goats are herbivores that feed on grass, hay, and other vegetation, though as we mentioned, the types of vegetation they like to eat are different. They also have a similar gestation period lasting around 5 months and often give birth to multiple kids or lambs at once. In fact,
Finally, both sheep and goats make a bleating noise to communicate, though the bleat of a sheep tends to be higher pitched and more like a scream in goats.
Sheep vs. Goats: Similar But Different
While goats and sheep have some similarities in their physical characteristics and the ways they are used by humans, they are distinct species with different behaviors, nutritional needs, and management requirements.