GOAT BREEDS
By Dorothy DeLisle
This is
intended only as a brief intro to goat breeds.
Some of these observations are mine, but some comes from discussion
lists, fair posters and web sites, including from those who use goats as pack
animals. I’ve included the breeds I know to be commonly kept in the USA. Note: Some of the breeds fit more than one
category, but are listed only in one category with a notation as to their
further classification. For more detailed info on the various breeds, go to http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/
Personally,
I’ve kept Pygmies, Nigerian Dwarfs and San Clemente Island/Pygmy blends. Anyone who wishes to add comments on the
various goats breeds especially in regards to working them with dogs, please
submit to me at gsdvominsel@cox.net.
General statement – The Swiss breeds (Alpine, Oberhasli, Saanen, Sable & Toggenburg) are not very heat tolerant and aren’t the best choice for working in hot conditions
ALPINE - easily trained, strong natural
instincts, brighter than Saanens or Toggs, very much a herd animal. Developed in France from Swiss stock. Also called
French Alpine. Comes in a variety of colors and can have piebald pattern.
LA
MANCHA – appears
earless, but actually has ear folds that are tightly folded over and rolled up.
Easily trained, friendly and agreeable, very smart. Comes in a variety of
colors and color combinations. Originated in Oregon, USA.
NUBIAN – Flopped ear. Roman nosed. Comes in a variety of colors including some real pretty spotted patterns (moon spots). Very stubborn, they'll even lay down like mules. Very vocal. Bucks weigh at least 175 and does at least 135. Developed in England from crosses of English, African and Indian goats.
OBERHASLI – Chamois (reddish brown with black
markings), but solid black is allowed in does. Mellow.
SAANEN – Solid white. Easily trained, mellow.
About 145 pounds. Sensitive to excessive sunlight and performs best in cooler
conditions.
SABLE – Disqualifying recessive color
variants (any color, not just sable) of the Saanen that some folks are
trying to promote as a separate breed.
For people that like Saanen traits, but not the sunburn/cancer that unpigmented standard Saanens are susceptible to.
TOGGENBURG – Brown with white markings, less
mellow, enjoy their independence, more heat tolerant than Saanens. But do
perform better in cooler conditions.
Over 120 pounds.
The
following two are pet and petting zoo breeds so are heavily selected for
exceptionally calm and friendly temperaments.
These stable temperaments make them great for starting dogs on. Their small size also means you need to feed
them less and need less heavy fencing than you would for larger goats. And they are much less goat to wrestle with
when they need attending to. Warning,
kids can fit through very small openings.
NIGERIAN
DWARF – Ideal
height 17-19 inches (does), 19-20 inches (bucks). Usually weight 30-60 pounds.
Built like a miniature version of a typical dairy goat, which it is
classified as. Comes in a wide variety
of colors and patterns, including pinto. Heat hardy. I’ve run my Nigerians in several trials. Most folks comment on how CUTE they are.
American
Nigerian Dairy Goat Association http://andda.hypermart.net/
Nigerian
Dwarf Goat Association http://www.ndga.org/
Islander
Ranch Nigerian Dwarf Goats (my site) http://members.cox.net/islanderranch/
PYGMY – Formerly called African Pygmy,
but the pc folks made them cut the name back even though they are from
Africa. Some have muted voices. Short
legged and big bellied, which tends to make them move slowly and not be very
agile; especially those bred for the extreme potbelly. However, they have much better stamina than
the Angora. Very calm and heavy temperaments.
Excellent for starting exuberant and/or powerful dogs. Tend to have birthing problems especially
the shorter backed ones. Teeth tend not
to meet right, eventually will grow out to where rubs the cheek, so need to be regularly
floated. Show ring structure has caused
both these problems. Sometimes
classified as a meat breed. Comes in black or caramel/brown combined with an
agouti (salted/roan) body pattern with black points or solid black (which may
have white muzzle and spot on head).
Some have white belts. 16 to 22
3/8 (does) or 23 5/8 (bucks) inches is the allowed adult height. Heat hardy. American Goat Society registered pygmies are
a separate lineage than National Pygmy goat Association registered and the two
lineages differ in conformation.
National
Pygmy Goat Association http://www.npga-pygmy.com/default.asp
SAN
CLEMENTE ISLAND – descendants
of goats released over a period of a few hundred years onto this island in the
Catalina Island chain off the coast of Southern California. Actively removed from the island by US Navy. Also classified as a rare breed and as a
dwarf breed. I’ve seen it on various
lists as a meat goat or as a dairy goat, but as a feral breed it has actually
been selected for neither. Mostly red or tan with black markings. Fine boned and deer-like. Heat hardy.
San
Clemente Island Goat Association http://www.scigoats.org/
I have some goats that are pygmy-San Clemente blends. (One SC bred into a Pygmy herd generations ago. Many in this herd have solid blackish brown coloration from the SC and are finer than typical pygmies.) They are a lot lighter in temperament than pure pygmies. From this, I would expect a pure SC to be even lighter. But then, it might just be due to this herd which hasn’t been selected for “pet” temperament. The herd owner was fairly hands off her stock and has had them since the early days of the Pygmy in the US. I don’t use the blends with novice dogs unless they have a lot of rate.
SPANISH
GOATS – These are
the goat equivalent of Mustangs.
Escapes from Spanish explorers established in Oklahoma and Texas. Also known as Brush Goats. Highly variable. Selection pressures produces smaller more agile goats with
smaller udders. Used for meat, but
being feral are not selected for such. Many stock folks from those areas use
them to train dogs on. Heat hardy.
To quote
Red Oliver: “I always have a few around to start my young dogs on.”
BOER – muscular beefy build, Roman nose,
flop ears, generally reddish brown head on white body. Hardy and efficient forager and will eat
plants that other goat breeds won’t. Boer crosses (grades) are very common and
a lot cheaper than pure Boer and many people work dogs on the crosses, as well
as on the pure-breds. (Beware Boer
Grades being passed off as Boers.) Pure Boer bucks weigh between 110-135
kg (~240-300 lbs) and does between 90 and 100 kg (~200-225 lbs). Developed in South Africa. Heat hardy.
International
Boer Goat Assoc http://www.intlboergoat.org/
American
Boer Goat Assoc http://www.abga.org/
ANGORA – stubby-legged. The ones I’ve
worked tired easily, but then they were kept in small pens and not used to a
lot of exercise. Heavy wool-like coat that needs to be shorn 2 or 3 times per
year, depending on the climate. (Really
defeats one of the purposes for keeping goats instead of sheep – no need to
shear!) Don’t take the heat very well, especially when in “wool”
(technically fleece). Calm temperaments. Does 70-110 pounds. Bucks 180-225 pounds. Unlike most goats, is more of a grazer than
a browser/grazer. Also used for
meat. The fanciers of this breed
developed the name chevron for goat meat as a marketing ploy. The ones’ I’ve worked have been fairly
combative, but then they’ve had to fight off coyotes and although from a dog
training facility weren’t worked much by dogs..
PYGORA – cross between Pygmy and
Angora. Females average 22 inches,
males 27 inches. Pygmy goat colors plus
solid white. Docile. Generally hardy.
Pygora
Breeder’s Association
http://www.pygoragoats.org/PBAbreedstandards1.html
NIGORA
– cross between Nigerian Dwarf and Angora. (These home spinners are out of control!)
American Nigora Goat Breeders Association http://nigoragoats.homestead.com/
Cashmere – not a breed, but rather a type
of fiber that can come from any breed.
Specifically, the soft “down” for the winter undercoat of cold climate goats
of any breed.
Warning to potential keepers of them – fleece goats eat a lot more than non-fleece goats as it takes energy to grow the fleece. Plus shearers aren’t always that easy to find and it costs money to shear.
American Dairy Goat
Association http://www.adga.org/
American Goat Society http://www.americangoatsociety.com/
My goats link page http://members.cox.net/islanderranch/links.htm