kecske

Kecske is the Hungarian word for goat, a domesticated ruminant in the family Bovidae. The domestic goat, Capra aegagrus hircus, descended from the wild bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus) of the Near East and Western Asia and was first domesticated around 10,000 years ago. Goats are kept worldwide for milk, meat, hide, and fiber, and have played a key role in smallholder farming systems. Milk from goats is commonly used to produce cheeses such as chèvre; mohair and cashmere fibers come from Angora and Cashmere breeds respectively, while goat meat is known as chevon.

Goats are generally medium-sized ruminants with a four-chambered stomach, adapted to a wide range of environments. They are intelligent and curious, typically social, and display a strong browsing instinct. Depending on breed, adults weigh from about 20 to over 100 kilograms; males are called bucks or rams, females does, and young kids. Reproduction usually yields one or two offspring after a gestation of about 150 days; goats can breed year-round in favorable conditions but often have seasonal patterns.

In farming, goats are valued for their ability to utilize marginal land and browse on shrubs and weeds, contributing to pasture management. They are among the most widely kept livestock species, with a global population estimated in the hundreds of millions to over a billion. Their adaptability makes them important for food security in many regions.