Characteristics of goat semen collected with the artificial vagina (AV), electroejaculator (EE), and Bailey ejaculator (BE) were compared. Semen was collected three times by each method from four bucks for a total of 36 separate collections. The semen was evaluated for volume, sperm concentration, mass activity (0 to 4, no activity to rapid wave motion), sperm motility (%), pH, and acrosome morphology (% normal). The means (± SEM) of semen samples collected with the AV, EE, and BE were volume-0.4 (±0.1), 0.7 (± 0.2), 0.6 (± 0.1) ml; concentration-4.6 (± 0.5), 2.1 (± 0.3), 1.4 (± 0.2) 10 9/ml; mass activity-4.0 (± 0), 3.3 (± 0.3), 2.8 (± 0.2); motility-81 (± 2), 78 (± 2), 76 (± 2) %; pH-6.2 (± 0.1), 7.0 ± (0.2), 7.0 ± (0.2); and normal acrosomes-96 (± 1), 92 (± 3), and 88 (± 3) %, respectively. Semen collected with the AV was lower in volume than that collected with the BE (P < 0.05). The sperm concentration in semen samples collected with the AV was greater than those collected with the EE and BE (P < 0.05). Mass activity was greater and pH was less in AV samples than in EE or BE samples (P < 0.05). There was no difference in sperm motility of semen samples collected by the AV, EE, or BE. The average percentage of normal acrosomes was greater for AV than for BE samples (P < 0.05). Use of the EE and especially the BE resulted in increased vocalization by the goats and excessive muscular contractions of the rear limbs. The BE, in its present form (11.2 volts), is not recommended for semen collection in goats.