Content
Dairy goat breeds are especially valuable, and the first place among them rightfully belongs to the Saanen. It was developed in Switzerland more than five hundred years ago, but gained its popularity in the twentieth century. Today this breed of goats is very common in our country. Everything about the breed, caring for it and the peculiarities of growing it is in our article.
Description of the breed
The origin of the name is associated with the place where the breed was bred, the town of Saanen, which is located in the Bernese Alps. For a long time, experts have been crossbreeding various breeds of goats in order to breed one of the best. In Europe it gained popularity only at the end of the 19th century, and was brought to Russia in 1905. A description of the breed will help the breeder with his choice.
The Saanen goat is a rather large animal, with a wide white body. The presence of cream and light yellow shades is allowed. The head is small and graceful with small horn-shaped ears directed forward. Goats are mostly polled, but there are also horned ones, which does not affect purebredness. The neck of the Saanen goat is long, often with earrings on the underside, and the back line is straight. The breed cannot be clipped; the short undercoat grows only when kept in northern conditions. The limbs are positioned correctly and the muscles are well developed.The udder has a spherical shape and is very large. The table below shows more detailed characteristics.
Table
Anyone who decides to breed Saanen goats should know well what it looks like and understand the parameters and characteristics of the breed. The table will help with this.
Options | Description for the Saanen breed |
|---|---|
Height at withers | 75-95 centimeters |
Body length | 80-85 centimeters |
Bust | 88-95 centimeters |
Live weight | For goats - 45-55 kilograms, for goats - 70-80 kilograms |
Fertility per 100 queens | From 180 to 250 kids per year |
Weight of kids at birth | 3.5-5 kilograms, famous for rapid weight gain |
Milk yield on average | 700-800 kilograms per year |
Average lactation period | 264 days |
Reference milk quality | Fat content - 3.2%, protein - 2.7% |
Undoubtedly, Saanen goats can be considered the best in the world dairy goats. Such a goat always looks spectacular, it is large and white (see photo). If you are offered a goat of a different color, you should know that it has nothing to do with the Saanen goat.
Below is a video, after watching which you can further study the characteristics of this breed:
Disengagement zones
As you know, milk production largely depends on where and in what conditions the goat lives. Saanen dairy goats have excellent acclimatization and adapt to living in different conditions. They are especially common in the west and south of Russia, in the Astrakhan region, as well as in Belarus and Moldova.
Saanen goats can be raised in the north of the country if the maintenance and care are appropriate. The quality of the milk does not suffer. It is tasty, has no foreign odors, and its fat content is 4-4.5%.The calculation of milk yield is taken on average, taking into account the fact that the goat will give birth to kids every year. Before lambing, milk is released in small quantities, and milk yield reaches its maximum after the third birth.
The breed is also important for selection. It is often used for crossing with other breeds to increase the milk yield of unproductive animals. This kind of work always gives a positive result.
Fertility
Many people are interested in the question of how many kids are born in one season. A goat, as a rule, can give birth to 2-3 kids, which quickly gain weight. The breed's precocity is extremely high: fruitful insemination occurs at the age of up to 6 months, if growing conditions and nutrition meet the standards.
Pros and cons of the breed
After reading the information and watching the video above, we can say with confidence that breeding animals of this breed is profitable. However, it is worth familiarizing yourself in advance with not only the pros, but also the cons of the Saanne goat.
The advantages include:
- a large number of milk yields;
- excellent genetic qualities for crossing;
- flexible character;
- possibility of breeding in different climatic zones;
- lack of unpleasant odor typical of other breeds.
All these qualities speak volumes, but when describing any breed, one cannot help but talk about its disadvantages. These include:
- demanding care (feeding must be of high quality);
- frequent and productive crossing may cast doubt on the purebredness of the acquired animal;
- high price.
Indeed, today it is very difficult to find a purebred Saanen type, and its cost will be extremely high.Moreover, for beginners, the process of choosing and identifying a breed based on a number of characteristics often seems difficult. Crossbreeding has made it possible to produce very similar specimens that can be passed off as purebred Saanen goats.
Pedigree Saanen goats are often imported from Holland, France and, of course, Switzerland. Please note that there are so-called colored Saanen goats. As a result of crossing, colored kids are often born, which can be considered Saanen for the reason that the genetic transmission of the main parameters for milk yield is generally preserved from generation to generation.
The photo shows a typical representative of the Sable breed (Dutch type).
Comparison with other breeds
It is difficult to find a breed for comparison, as Saanen goats have proven themselves to be excellent. Let us present to your attention a meat-and-milk goat, which is also famous for its high milk yield - the Nubian.
Nubian goats are famous not only for their huge milk yield (up to 900 kilograms per year), but also for their tasty and tender meat. They also have a friendly and gentle character, are not aggressive, and love children. The difference in the fat content of the milk of the Saanen breed and the Nubian breed is noticeable: in the latter it is almost twice as fat (5-8%). The taste of the milk is excellent and has no foreign odors. The Nubian also gives good offspring: 2-3 kids per season, but often a goat can give birth twice in a year. The Nubian goat is growing quickly and gaining weight. Below you can watch a video about this breed:
However, the Nubians have a number of features that will not allow them to raise goats throughout Russia:
- animals of the Nubian breed are thermophilic, most often raised in the southern regions;
- They are also demanding when it comes to food and care.
Feeding is done in a special way. The breed, bred in South Africa, often suffers in Russia from a lack of vitamins and minerals. The animal endures cold winters with difficulty, suffers, and their character does not allow them to be raised on large farms in the vicinity of other breeds and animals. The breeder is faced with the question of what to feed the goats and how to protect them from attacks by blood-sucking insects.
In comparison with them, the Saanen goat breed is more unpretentious in care.
Reviews
Reviews about Saanen goats are positive, which is why they have gained immense popularity among farmers around the world. Today, Saanen goats are bred in Australia, the USA, Latin America and Asia, and not only in Europe.
Conclusion
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Below is a video with care recommendations:
We also present to your attention a video review of the main breeding mistakes:
Purebred Saanen goats must be kept in good conditions. They expect attention, love and a variety of food from their owners. If all conditions are met, then goats will delight you with tasty and healthy milk for many years.
