Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group ( herd ), maintaining the group, and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. Herding can refer either to the process of animals forming herds in the wild, or to human intervention forming herds for some purpose. While the layperson uses the term "herding" to describe this human intervention, most individuals involved in the process term it mustering , "working stock", or droving .
4-844: A goatherd or goatherder is a person who herds goats as a vocational activity. It is similar to a shepherd who herds sheep. Goatherds are most commonly found in regions where goat populations are significant; for instance, in Africa and South Asia . Goats are typically bred as dairy or meat animals, with some breeds being shorn for wool. The top six goat industry groups in the United States include: meat (includes show), dairy (includes show, pygmy and Nigerian dwarf), fiber or hair (angora, cashmere), 4-H, industrial (weed control, hiking/pack), and biotech (see Goats in agriculture ). Companies using goats to control and eradicate leafy spurge , knapweed , and other toxic weeds have sprouted across
8-597: A coordinated feeding behavior. People use dogs to help herd. Herding is used in agriculture to manage domesticated animals. Herding can be performed by people or trained animals such as herding dogs that control the movement of livestock under the direction of a person. The people whose occupation it is to herd or control animals often have herd added to the name of the animal they are herding to describe their occupation ( shepherd , goatherd , cowherd ). Many people use dogs to help herd animals Most herbivores live in groups, called herds, they go from place to place grazing
12-741: The American West . This goat -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Herding Some animals instinctively gather together as a herd. A group of animals fleeing a predator will demonstrate herd behavior for protection; while some predators , such as wolves and dogs have instinctive herding abilities derived from primitive hunting instincts. Instincts in herding dogs and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Dogs exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to aid in herding and to compete in herding and stock dog trials. Sperm whales have also been observed teaming up to herd prey in
16-536: The grassland. There are special maps that show where big groups of these animal herders range from the US to Canada. Herding began over 10,000 years ago, as prehistoric hunters domesticated different animals. A competitive sport has developed in some countries where the combined skill of man and herding dog is tested and judged in a "trial", such as a sheepdog trial . Animals such as sheep, camel, yak, and goats are mostly reared. They provide milk, meat and other products to
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