Saanen goats: breed description and characteristics, care and how much they cost

Saanen thoroughbred goats have become famous for their high productivity. These hornless white animals give up to 6 liters of milk per day. They feed mainly on grass in summer and hay in winter. They rarely get sick and only due to improper maintenance. The Saanen breed has delicious sweetish milk with a hazelnut flavor. The term of economic use is 8-10 years.

History of Breeding

Saanen goats belong to the Alpine variety. They were bred on the territory of Switzerland in the Saanental valley, therefore they are sometimes called Saanenthal.For several centuries, Swiss breeders have been selecting the most productive dairy goats for further breeding. The selection involved local breeds. In the Middle Ages, even the poor inhabitants of the Swiss Alps could afford these animals.

As a breed, Saanen goats were only registered at the end of the 19th century. These animals were highly productive, that is, they could give 3-6 liters of milk per day. Soon, the Saanen breed began to be specially bred for sale in other countries.

In 1905, breeding goats were brought to Russia by Prince Urusov. The Saanen breed was used to improve local animals.

During the years of the USSR, they were forgotten, and remembered only after the collapse of the Soviet Union, that is, at the end of the 20th century. Purebred animals were again brought from Western Europe to Russia to breed and improve local individuals.

Description and characteristics of Saanen goats

The main distinguishing features of this breed are the absence of horns, white color, spherical large udder.The body of the Saanen goat has proportions characteristic of the dairy variety. It is trapezoidal, that is, expanding towards the back. The animal has a large belly, barrel-shaped body, well-marked hungry pits. The back is straight, with a slight bend. The legs are thin, of medium length, with strong cloven hooves. The tail is short, mobile, directed upwards or horizontally.

The head is light, graceful, hornless, that is, without horns. The nasal septum is concave. The ears are small, erect, narrow, splayed to the sides. The neck is thin, long, with earrings-outgrowths on the throat. The eyes are bright, with slit pupils. The udder of dairy goats is large, spherical, pulled up to the stomach. The nipples are oblong and protruding in different directions. The udder protrudes beyond the hind legs, that is, it has a "reserve". The skin on it is thin, pinkish. The udder is covered with light hairs.

The coat is short, without undercoat, but dense and close fitting.The color is white, sometimes there are yellow-white Saanen goats. Height at the withers - 75-95 cm, body length - 1-1.2 meters. Males are larger than females, they have a beard. The weight of adult goats is 50-70-105 kg. Females give birth to kids weighing 3-4 kg. Goats give 3-6, and sometimes 8, liters of milk with a fat content of 4.5 percent a day.

The main pros and cons of the breed

Pros and conshigh productivity;good immunity, excellent adaptation to the climate of temperate latitudes;milk has no unpleasant odor, sweet taste, suitable for making cheeses;calm, non-confrontational character.high cost of breeding animals (from $200);females are recommended to be covered annually to prolong lactation;term of economic use - no more than 10 years.

Geography of distribution

Saanen goats are bred in Europe. Asia has its own breeds of dairy animals. As before, Saanen are grown in their homeland (in Switzerland). Delicious cheeses are made from the milk of these animals. There are many of them in the UK, France, Germany. The Saanen breed is known and grown in the USA, Australia and some African countries.

There are these goats in Ukraine, Moldova and the European part of Russia. The Saanen breed is usually crossed with local animals to improve productivity.

Nuances of content and rules of care

For keeping goats, you need to allocate a separate room. One individual should account for about 4 square meters of area. Dairy goats are vulnerable to drafts and dampness. The barn should be warm (12 to 20 degrees all year round), dry and clean.

The room can be equipped with a ventilation system. In winter, the barn is insulated or infrared heaters are turned on. It is advisable to build a room for goats made of wood, no more than 2.5 meters high. The attic can be used to store straw.

In the room there should be a manger for hay, feeders for grain and vegetables and drinkers (bucket) for water. Goats are fed (stalled) twice or thrice a day. From spring to autumn, animals are grazed in the pasture. At lunch they are driven into a stall. Females are milked 2-3 times a day in special stalls. It is desirable to keep goats separately from goats so that the milk does not absorb foreign odors during milking.

The floor on which the animals will rest can be made of wood or concrete. Straw is used as bedding. It is replaced daily. It is advisable to make the floor at an angle or with cracks so that sewage does not flow under the animal.

Animal Diet

The he alth of goats and their productivity depend on the quality and quantity of feed. Animals should not starve or overeat. The menu is made taking into account the age of the goats. The diet of adults should contain juicy and soft food (green grass, hay from young meadow or forest plants, finely chopped vegetables), roughage and concentrates (straw, branches of trees or shrubs, grain mixtures, mixed fodder, chopping, chaff).The main thing is to keep the proportions.

On the day representatives of the Saanen breed should eat 4-6 kg of fresh grass. In summer, they are recommended to graze on the pasture. Additionally, you can give s alt and grated vegetables (carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin), beet tops. If the animals are grazing in the meadow, it is recommended that they do not eat poisonous or soapy plants. In between feedings give water (up to 5 liters at a time). Drink twice a day.

In winter, animals are given hay (up to 3 kg per day), as well as vegetables (up to 1 kg), grain mixtures (up to 0.5 kg). Excess grain can affect the digestive system and he alth of goats. This product can cause ketosis (a dangerous disease). It is desirable for representatives of the Saanen breed to give less roughage (branches, straw) in order to preserve their teeth.Over time, they wear down and even fall out. Toothless goats will not eat well and will not be able to produce much milk.

Saanen goat breeding

When the females are 1-1.5 years old, they can be covered. At the time of mating, animals must weigh at least 40 kilograms. Females are covered, as a rule, in the fall, so that kids are born in the spring, and in the summer the young are taken out to pasture. Pregnancy lasts only 5 months. For the first time, the goat begins to be milked after lambing. Usually 1-2 cubs are born. Up to 3 months of age, kids are kept under their mother. To prolong lactation, animals are covered every year.

During pregnancy, milking females are launched, that is, they stop milking. Grain and succulent feed (silage) are excluded from their diet. Give less water. They feed on bean and cereal hay. For the prevention of pathologies in the development of the fetus, pharmacy vitamins and minerals (“E-selenium”), carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, spruce and pine branches are given. A month before giving birth, goats can be given grain mixtures.After lambing, females are fed with silage, vegetables and, of course, high-quality hay. To replenish the body with useful substances, females and young goats are given injections of pharmaceutical vitamins.

Diseases, treatment and prevention

Representatives of the Saanen breed have excellent immunity. They get sick only in case of improper maintenance or malnutrition. In cold weather, goats can catch a cold, so it is recommended to keep them indoors all winter, right up to positive temperatures.

Milking females can develop udder mastitis if they are not properly milked or kept on dirty wet litter. Excess water, grains, legumes and soapy herbs, and grazing in rainy weather can lead to stomach problems. Vaccination saves from infectious diseases. Goats (at 3 months) are vaccinated against anthrax, brucellosis, smallpox, rabies, foot-and-mouth disease, and parasites.

How much?

Saanen goats can be bought for 200-1000 dollars. The price depends on the purity of the breed. The pedigree of animals is determined by the exterior and milk yield. It is advisable not to buy goats older than 7 years. This is the maximum age of their economic use. Peak productivity occurs at 4-5 years of age. Keep them up to 8-10 years.

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