The Jämtland Goat
The Jämtland Goat is an old Swedish breed that is well-adapted to northern climates and forest conservation work. It was once particularly common in the Swedish counties of Jämtland and Härjedalen.
Small and friendly
The Jämtland Goat is one of Sweden's three old indigenous goat breeds. The other two are the Göinge Goat and the Lapp Goat. The Jämtland Goat can have several colors – brown, white, grey or black. There are single-colored goats, but most are multicolored. Both the female and the male have horns, but the horns of the male are larger than the female's. The Jämtland Goat is an easy and pleasant animal to handle.
The useful goat
The goat arrived in Sweden around 4,000 years ago and has been an important animal for humans. Besides providing milk, cheese and meat, their rag could be mixed with wool to knit extra-durable clothes. The leather was used to make gloves. Goats have also been used as a transportation aid to carry our baskets.
Poor man's cow
The goat used to be called the 'poor man's cow'. Unlike cows, it produced fat and nutritious milk even though it grazed in nutritiously poor environments. The goat was particularly important for poor people for this reason.
The mythical goat
The goat has been an important domestic animal in the Nordic region. In the oldest Eddic poems, the goat is the most mentioned animal after the horse. Despite our long friendship with the goat, it gained a bad reputation during the witch trials of the 17th century. At the time, it was said that the goat was associated with witches and witchcraft. Yet it was also the goat who came with the Christmas presents – long before Santa Claus came into the picture.
Quick facts
Food: Shrubs, leaves, branches, bark
Weight: 30–80 kg
Height: 55-80 cm at the withers
Young: 1–2 kids
Lifespan: Mostly 10 years, sometimes older
The Jämtland Goat survives on lean grazing
Creating living space for other species
The Jämtland Goat is adapted to summer pastures. In summer, the animals were taken to the forest to graze while crops were grown on the farm. The ability of the Jämtland Goats to move and graze in woodlands creates opportunities for other species to get established. Fungi, insects and birds in particular thrive in the grazed woodlands.
The Jämtland Goat as a life insurance
Diversity is the basis of all stable ecosystems. Having a lack of variety in the species reduces the ability to cope with changes in the environment. This holds true not only for wild species, but also for domestic animals and cultivated crops. A quarter of the world's domestic animal breeds are endangered, and all countries of the world have agreed to preserve their native breeds. To ensure that the Jämtland Goat and its traits don't disappear, its genetic material is preserved in a gene bank where controlled breeding takes place. The animals in Slottsskogen are all part of this gene bank.
The fact that the Jämtland Goat can survive on lean grazing means that it could improve our food security.
Why is it important to preserve different breeds?
The more diverse breeds with different traits we have, the better equipped we are to face changes and challenges in the future. This reduces the risk of harms such as the spread of diseases or eradications due to environmental changes.
Maintaining a diversity of livestock breeds can help ensure food security at home and reduce poverty around the world.