The following are some frequently asked questions about pest animals. You may be able to find more information about some of these questions from the relevant species page or by searching the database on this site.

Frequently Asked Questions about feral goats

Q. Where are they and how many?

A. In Australia, feral goats are mainly found in the semi-arid pastoral lands used for sheep grazing. Numbers vary from year to year depending on factors such as drought and the intensity of harvesting and other forms of control. However, in 1993, there were estimated to be about 2.6 million feral goats across Australia.

Q. When do they breed and how many kids do they have?

A. Feral goats can breed all year round although the peak mating period is during summer. All sexually mature females can breed, with first-year females producing only one kid per litter and older nannies having two to three kids. In good seasons they can produce two litters a year and have the potential to increase their population by 50% a year. Consequently, they have the potential to quickly replace animals lost through harvesting or other forms of control. The gestation period for goats is about 150 days.

Q. How far do they move?

A. The home range of feral goats with good supplies of food and water is only about one square kilometre. In drier areas, movements are centred around permanent water and their home range is much larger at 70 to 250 square kilometres. Males have larger ranges than females. During dry times, the size of their home range decreases as feral goats have to regularly visit water points to drink. This dependence on water can be used to help control them. For example, trapping at water points or harvesting animals that are concentrated around remaining waters during drought.

Q. What is their social structure?

A. Feral goats are highly social animals and can form very large herds. The basic social unit is an adult nanny and her recent offspring. These usually associate in the herd area with similar, often related, social groups. When sexually mature, young males leave their mother’s group to form loose groups with similar-aged males or larger mixed-aged groups. These associate with the home range of females during the main breeding period, but roam more widely at other times.

Q. What do they eat?

A. Feral goats are generalised plant eaters that tend to select the best quality food available. They will eat leaves, twigs, bark, flowers, fruit and roots. They will also take seeds and fungi. The proportion of browse (twigs, shoots and leaves of shrubs), grass and herbs in their diet varies with the availability of these food items and their quality and palatability. However, despite their selectivity, feral goats can eat the majority of plants in the pastoral areas of Australia including prickly acacia, many poisonous plants and some that are avoided by sheep and cattle.

Q. What are the main causes of death?

A. The death rate of kids (0 to six months) can be as high as 40%. The natural death rate of older animals is thought to be about 10% per year. The major causes of death besides human control and losses due to lack of water and food during drought are predation by wild dogs and foxes, toxic plants such as those that produce fluoroacetate (1080) and various diseases and parasites.

Q. What diseases do they carry?

A. Feral goats carry many parasites such as cestodes, nematodes and protozoans. The degree of cross-infection between feral goats and stock is not known but thought to be fairly low except in well-watered pastures where stocking rates are high. However, feral goats are usually not common in these areas.

Feral goats can also carry a wide range of bacterial and viral diseases such as the bacterium that cause melioidosis. Of great concern to cattle and sheep producers is the potential for feral goats to carry a wide range of stock diseases that do not yet occur in Australia. These include Foot-And-Mouth Disease, screw-worm fly and Rift Valley Fever. Contingency plans to manage these diseases and their potential wild hosts such as feral goats have been developed just in case these diseases should get to Australia.

Q. What is the Judas goat technique?

A. This technique involves capturing wild goats, fitting them with a radio-collar and releasing them to allow them to link up again with other individuals and groups. The groups of feral goats can be located and shot by tracking the radio-collared animal. The technique works well on highly social animals such as feral goats. The technique is usually used for low density populations or to remove survivors from earlier control programs.

Q. What are Boer goats?

A. Boer goats are a domestic breed developed in South Africa for meat. They are much larger and heavier-framed than feral goats with billies weighing up to 120 kilograms. Animals have been imported into Australia to be crossed with goats derived from feral herds to produce a hardy goat that is suitable for the export goat market.