Posted by maggie on March 24, 2001 at 16:44:41:
In Reply to: Re: GoatWorld Terminology Page As Requested posted by Kris on March 24, 2001 at 13:14:52:
When I first got into pygmies and used the terms nanny and billy I was QUICKLY corrected and told the proper terms are doe and buck. I looked up both terms in my big Websters Unabridged and found that both terms are colloquial British terms (folk terms). Billy is derived from William and referring to something masculine. It can be applied to nearly anything such as a billy goat being a masculine or male goat. A nanny goat as I think I read somewhere refers specifically to a freshened doe whose milk is used for a human baby. Nanny is also a colloquial British term. And as we know the British have raised goats for a long time!