The Jonica goat is a beautiful breed of domestic goat mainly kept for milk production. The breed is actually from the province of Taranto, in Puglia in southern Italy.
But the exact origins of the Jonica goat are uncertain. It is thought that ‘these goats have originated from crossing of local varieties with the Maltese breed.
Jonica goat is distributed in the southern Italy, especially in the Province of Taranto, Murge, Calabria, Province of Catanzaro, Province of Lecce, Province of Matera and the Province of Reggio.
Jonica Goat Characteristics
Jonica goat is a medium sized animal. Usually they have a white coat (but sometimes brown or slightly rose), with Fawn markings or speckled on head and neck. Usually both bucks and does have horns and white face.
They have fresh-pink skin and their hair is long and following throughout the trunk. Average height of the Jonica bucks is about 78 cm and 70 cm for the does. On average the bucks weight about 68 kg and the does about 48 kg. Photo form Italian Goat Consortium.
Uses
This breed is mainly kept for milk production. But as a medium sized goat, it is also somehow good for meat production. Some people also raise them as pets.
Special Considerations
The Jonica goats are good choice for the small to medium sized farms. They are beautiful and can be raised as pets. The does are pretty good milk producers.
On average, a doe produce about 350 to 400 liters of milk per year. Review full breed profile of this goat breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | Jonica |
| Other Name | None |
| Breed Purpose | Milk |
| Breed Size | Medium |
| Buck | About 68 kg |
| Doe | About 48 kg |
| Horns | Yes |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Coat Color | White |
| Good for Stall Fed | Not sure |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | Italy |
