GOAT, Bigger, more vigorous goats

The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of  southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep: both are in the goat ante-lope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of goats.
Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species. For thousands of years, goats have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. In the last century they have also gained some popularity as pets.
Female goats are referred to as does or nannies, intact males as bucks or billies; their offspring are kids. Castrated males are wethers. Goat meat from younger animals is called kid, and from older animals is sometimes called chevon, or in some areas "mutton".

Bigger and more vigorous goats now roaming the greenfields of Ilocandia.
Those robust ruminants are results of a project started in the Ilocos Region four years ago.
Called "Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) GoatAgribusiness Development Project in Region I", the venture is being implemented under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit I-Ilocos Integrated Agricultural Research Center (DA-RPU-ILLIARC).
Supported by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), the project aims to enhance productivity and profitability on goat-raising through Integrated Goat Management Technology (IGMT). Specifically, it seeks to develop and improve the small hold goat venture into an agribusiness development project, and establish goat multiplier farms.
A report on the research and development (R&D) project authored by a DA-RFU  I-ILIARC team heads by Melinda G. Calumpit won the Best Paper award in the recent 2008 National Research Symposium (NRS) organized by DA-BAR headed by Director Nicomendes P. Eleazar.
The DA-RFU I-ILIARC researchers reported that the project's capability building activities enabled the Ilocos farmers.
In 2005 - 2007 , 586 farmers in the four Ilocos Provinces, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte embraced the project.
Three multiplier farms have also been established in Alaminos City, Sta. Barbara, in pangasinan; and in Candon City, Ilocos Sur.