Difference Between Lamb And Goat (With Table)

Lamb and Goat are two different creatures of the bovine family. But they are closely related to each other as they belong to the same class, family, and subfamily. Despite these, there is some difference between Lamb and Goat and in this article, we are going to depict those.

Difference between Lamb and Goat

Lamb	Goat
Lamb belongs to the Ovis aries species.	Goat belongs to the Capra hircus species.
Feed the plants and grass which are closer to the ground.	They usually live on by feeding the top portion of the grass or plants.
They don’t have any distinguished horns as they are young in age.	Have distinguished horns.
They depend on their flock for survival.	They don’t depend on other goats for survival.
Less intelligent creatures.	They are more intelligent creatures.
Lamb milk and meat contain high fat.	Goat milk and meat contain less fat.
They are less independent.	They are more independent.
Lambs can produce wool.	Goats cannot produce wool.
Lamb meat is less sweet than goat’s meat.	Goat meat is sweeter and milder than lamb’s meat.
Lamb meat is less healthy as it contains high protein and cholesterol.	Goat meat is healthier than lamb’s meat.

Related: What’s The Difference Between Pork And Ham [With Table].

Lamb vs Goat

A sheep that is under one year is known as a lamb. On the other hand, the goat is a member of the Capra hircus species. Lambs don’t have horns but goats have distinguished horns. Lambs are used for producing wool but goats don’t contain any wool.

What is Lamb?

Simply to say, Lamb is a sheep that is young in age.  Sheep which are under the age of one year are known as Lamb. They belong to the Mammalia class, Bovidae family, and Caprinae subfamily. Lamb is from the Ovis aries species.

As mentioned earlier, Lamb is a younger member of the bovine family as only the sheep under one year are called lambs.

Because of this, the flock needs to take care of them. Lambs are unable to battle and can’t protect themselves from their predators. That’s why they cannot wander about independently because they might get attacked by predators.

Lambs are known for providing meat, milk, and fur. The soft meat of lamb is popular in many regions. But mostly lambs are fostered to produce wool.

Some of the physical features of lambs are –

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• Most of the bovine members have horns. But from this end, lambs are exceptional. They don’t have any distinguished horns.
• Lambs are generally small in size as they are under the age of one.
• As lambs are smaller in size, they live on the grass or plants which are short in length.
• Lambs are mainly brought up for the production of wool as they have a thick covering of fur in their body. This fur layer is known as “Fleece“.

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Related: Difference Between Goose and Swan (With Table).

What is Goat?

Goats have been popular with mankind from the beginning of the world. Whenever humans felt the necessity of food, they started to think of goats. It also provided the clothing at that time.

Goats belong to the Capra Hircus species. Like lambs, they also belong to the bovine family. There are also some varieties in the types of goats.

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• Some of them are comparatively larger in size.
• Small in size some of them.
• Some goats used to live in or near grazing land.
• lives on mountains.
• Some of the goats have distinguished horns.
• Some of them haven’t.

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But all of them can produce meat and milk. Generally, their life expectancy is 15 to 20 years.

Related: What’s The Difference Between Pork And Ham [With Table].

Conclusion

Lamb and goat are two creatures that belong to the same bovine family. Both of them are known for their meat and milk. Lamb is also known for producing wool. So we hope next time you won’t get confused with the difference between lamb and goat.

Summary

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• Lamb is a sheep that is under the age of one year. It belongs to the Ovis aries species. On the other hand, the goat is a creature that belongs to the Capra hircus species.
• Lamb and goat both belong to the same bovine family.
• Lambs don’t have horns but goats have horns.
• Lambs live on the grass or plants which are shorter in size but goats usually eat the top portion of the plants.
• Though both of them produce meat and milk, goat milk and meat contain more protein than lamb milk and meat.
• Comparatively, goats are more independent than lambs.

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The FAQs about Lamb vs Goat

For any further queries, you may check the FAQ section. You can also put your queries or comments in the comment section.

Are lamb and goat the same?

No, lamb and goat are different creatures but they belong to the bovine family.

Is mutton a goat or lamb?

Meat comes from a sheep that is fully grown or from a goat is called mutton. But lamb, which is a sheep under one year, its meat is not considered mutton.

Can a lamb be a sheep or a goat?

A lamb can be a sheep after fully growing up.

Is goat healthier than lamb?

Yes, goats are healthier than lambs.

Is mutton male or female?

Meat comes from a fully grown goat or lamb known as mutton.

Which goat meat is best?

Boer goat produces the best quality meat.