Haimen Goat

Haimen Goat

The Haimen Goat is a geographical indication certification trademark.

The Haimen Goat is a product certified under the Agricultural Geographical Indication scheme.

　　The Haimen Goat is a high-quality local breed known for producing premium brush hair, and it serves multiple purposes including meat, hide, and wool. The goat is entirely white-furred. In its first year, the coarse hair from the neck and spine of male goats is straight, pointed, and elastic—making it an excellent material for making Hu brushes, which is why the Haimen Goat is often referred to as the brush hair goat. Its meat has little gaminess, is tender and flavorful, and highly palatable; the hide is firm and fine-textured, belonging to the Hankou variety; the breed is early-maturing, highly fertile with large litter sizes, tolerant to high temperatures and humidity, able to thrive on coarse feed, adaptable, disease-resistant, and genetically stable.

　　The Haimen Goat is primarily raised in the Yangtze River Delta region, with the central production area located within Haimen City. The terrain is flat with crisscrossing rivers and abundant water sources, featuring distinct maritime monsoon climate characteristics. Haimen City is one of Jiangsu Province’s main cotton-producing areas, where crop rotation between grain and cotton, as well as intercropping of grain, cash crops, and forage, is common. The livestock industry mainly focuses on pigs and goats. Goat raising has long been a tradition among local farmers, making the city one of the major national bases for both goat hides and brush hair production.

　　Historically, Chongming Island in the suburbs of Shanghai was originally part of Jiangsu Province. According to the Chongming County Annals, Chongming Island formed during the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD), and most of its residents migrated from areas around Jurong in Jiangsu. As a result, the white goat may have been introduced to the island by these migrants and subsequently spread to nearby counties such as Qidong, Haimen, and Tongzhou. Over time, through continuous selective breeding by locals, the distinctive Haimen Goat breed gradually took shape.

　　Haimen Goat

　　Geographic Scope

　　The original habitat of the Haimen Goat is located in Haimen City, Jiangsu Province, including towns such as Sanxing, Tianbu, Sanhe, Desheng, Haimen, the Development Zone, Sanchang, Changle, Qilin, Yuelai, Sanyang, Linjiang, Haiyong Township, Wannian, Shuxun, Sijia, Huolong, Wanghao, Yudong, Zhengyu, Baochang, Liuhao, Dongzao Gang, as well as institutions like the Tianbu Agricultural Science Institute, the Municipal Aquaculture Farm, the Yangtze River Reed Marsh Farm, and the Municipal Nursery. The geographic range spans from 31°46′ to 32°09′ north latitude and 121°04′ to 121°32′ east longitude, covering a total land area of 1,001.24 square kilometers. Currently, the city raises approximately 1.7 million Haimen Goats annually, with the goat industry generating an output value of 800 million yuan.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: The Haimen Goat has a moderately sized, triangular head; a long, narrow muzzle; and a slightly concave face. Both males and females have horns—the males’ horns are thicker and longer, with sturdy bases that extend upward and backward in an inverted “V” shape, while the females’ horns are thinner and shorter, resembling long chili peppers, usually extending outward and upward in an inverted “八” shape. The ears are of moderate size and also point outward and upward. Both sexes have dense tufts of beard. The body is well-proportioned and nearly square-shaped, with a flat back and straight limbs. The goat’s coat is dense, soft, white, and glossy. Adult males weigh around 40 kg on average, and females about 23 kg. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: The meat of the Haimen Goat is tender, flavorful, with minimal gaminess. The muscle fibers are fine, the fat distribution even, and the taste rich yet not greasy, offering excellent nutrition. Its protein content exceeds 20%, and it is rich in glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and lysine—with glutamic acid alone accounting for over 4.5%, and both aspartic acid and lysine over 1.8%. The hide belongs to the Hankou variety, featuring square or round shapes, thick and plump texture, some oiliness, and dense, resilient leather that makes it a premium raw material for high-end leather goods. The wool is white, straight, pointed, glossy, and elastic, making it an ideal material for crafting high-quality writing brushes. 3. Safety Requirements: The quality of Haimen Goat products complies with the standards outlined in NY5147-2002 for Pollution-Free Mutton.