Toggenburg goat: description and characteristics of the breed, rules of keeping

The Toggenburg goat breed was bred several centuries ago. These animals are mainly bred in Western Europe and in the European part of Russia. These are dairy goats that give about 5 liters of high-fat milk per day. Animals eat grass in summer and hay in winter. They tolerate harsh winters well. True, it is recommended to keep them indoors during the cold season.

Origin of the Toggenburg goat

Animals of this breed belong to Alpine dairy goats. They are bred mainly for milk production. True, an adult animal weighing 50 kilograms gives about 25 kg of meat.They also have beautiful skins with ash-brown hair. Toggenburg goats give 3-5 liters of milk per day with a fat content of 4-5%.

This breed originated in Switzerland. It took several centuries before the Toggenburg goats turned out. The breeding of a new breed was carried out by ordinary farmers. They selected individuals with the highest productivity, giving the most milk. An improved dairy breed with a characteristic color appeared in Toggenburg in the 18th century. Hence the name of these goats. In the 19th century, or rather in 1892, the Toggenburg breed was officially registered. These goats have been bred for sale.

At the beginning of the 20th century, animals of this breed appeared in all countries of Western Europe and even in the USA and Russia. Local farmers crossed them with domestic goats. Soon, new breeds appeared on the basis of the Toggenburg (English Toggenburg, Czech Brown, German Thuringian Forest and others). In Switzerland itself, the peak of the popularity of these goats came in the middle of the 20th century.

Currently, in the homeland of the Toggenburg breed, farmers breed other animals for milk. Saanen goats are more productive. In Russia, the Toggenburg breed was bred even before the revolution. Then they forgot about these goats and paid attention to them only after the collapse of the USSR. True, their livestock in modern Russia is still small.

Description and characteristics of the animal

The Toggenburg breed has an interesting coloration. The wool of these goats is short, but thick, ash-brown in color. There are goats with chocolate and brown-black color. They have a white spot under their tail. The head is dark. True, there are two white stripes on the sides of the muzzle. Ears - light at the edges, small, erect. Legs - widely spaced, straight, also white towards the bottom. The goat has a small dark beard, a short tail. The Toggenburg breed has no horns.

The body of these animals is barrel-shaped, angular, gradually expanding towards the rear.Height at the withers - 65-75 cm, weight - 45-65 kg. The udder is large, with two teats. Productivity per year - 700-1000 liters of milk. The goat is adapted to cold climates. Milked all year round, even in winter. The taste of milk and milk yield depend on the diet and conditions of detention. Animals feed mainly on grass and hay.

Main pros and cons

Breed virtues:

good immunity;
undemanding to feed;
excellent adaptability to cold climates;
year-round lactation;
high milk yields;
delicious milk that can be made into cheese.

Disadvantages of the Toggenburg breed:

not suitable for meat breeding;
gaining weight slowly but eating a lot of feed;
to prolong lactation females need to mate every year.

Conditions of keeping the breed and caring for it

Toggenburg goats at home in Switzerland grazed in the highlands, and due to the lack of pastures could stand in the stall all year round. These animals should be kept in a barn. In summer, they can graze all day in the meadow. In winter, animals should be kept warm.

The barn maintains a temperature of 10-20 degrees throughout the year. Be sure to install ventilation, windows and doors. At lower temperatures, animals will not milk well. In the heat, representatives of the Toggenburg breed often overheat, which is why milk yields fall. In the barn there should be a manger for hay, feeders for finely chopped vegetables and grains, a drinking bowl (bucket) for water.

In summer, goats can be driven out into the meadow in the morning, after the dew subsides, but it is better for animals to wait out the dinner heat in a cool room. The shed should be dry and fresh. Bedding (straw) is changed every day. If representatives of the Toggenburg breed are kept in mud and dampness, they will get sick. If the litter is not changed, then the animal will begin to have problems with the udder.

What to feed a goat

Feed the animals 2-3 times a day. In summer, from morning to afternoon, and after dinner, until sunset, they can graze in the meadow. It is good for goats to eat green grass and be outdoors. The most beneficial are cereals and legumes. Animals need to be fed with clover, alfalfa, timothy, fescue, nettle. They eat up to 8 kg of green grass per day. When goats graze in the pasture, care must be taken that they do not eat poisonous or soapy (with saponins) plants.

Additionally, animals can be fed with vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, beets), beet tops, branches of fruit bushes and trees.

In winter, goats are fed sun-dried hay. It is necessary to prepare at least 500 kilograms for one individual. About 4 kg of hay is given to the animal per day. In winter, goats are fed with root crops, grain mixtures (oats, corn, barley, wheat). During the cold period, animals are given spruce branches, premixes, pharmaceutical vitamins and minerals, bone meal, chalk, s alt stone for licking.

In between feedings, goats are given clean water to drink (5 liters of water per goat 2 times a day). The liquid can be slightly sweetened or s alted. You can not water the animals immediately after being on the pasture. A large amount of fresh grass, especially legumes, plus drinking water can lead to bloating. It is advisable to ensure that the goats do not overeat. If the animals graze greedily, you need to make them move a lot.

Reproduction rules

Puberty in the Toggenburg breed occurs at 6 months of age. True, it is recommended to cover females only at 12-18 months. For mating, a thoroughbred goat is selected, then the offspring will be first-class. They cover the goat on hunting days. During pregnancy, females begin to grow udders. Colostrum appears 60-70 days after mating. Pregnancy lasts 5 months. 1-4 cubs are born into the world. For the first 3 weeks, the goats should drink all the milk. When the cubs are a little older, the milk can be given off a little for personal consumption.

During the lactation period, the uterus itself should eat well. You can add pharmaceutical vitamins to drinking water or make injections (“E-selenium”). Kids are fed mother's milk for up to 3 months, then they are gradually transferred to plant foods.

You need to cover the female once a year, not more often, preferably in the fall, so that babies are born in the spring. Then the cubs born after milk feeding in the summer can be transferred to green grass, that is, to graze in the meadow. During the warm season, kids will gain about 30 kg of weight and they can be sent to slaughter for meat or sold before wintering.

Frequent diseases

Goats suffer from bloating if they are pastured in a meadow in the rain or in the morning with dew. In cold and damp weather, animals can get colds. With improper feeding, they develop gastrointestinal problems. An excess of grain leads to ketosis, a lack of vitamins and minerals affects the offspring (unviable, weak).

If the animal is kept in a damp and cold room, it can get rheumatism. Goats suffer from hoof inflammation if they are injured through carelessness.

Young goats often develop mastitis when they produce milk. From this disease, animals are given to drink water with dill. Massage saves from mastitis, rubbing the udder with camphor oil, uns alted fat, comfrey tincture on vodka, ichthyol ointment. To protect against dangerous diseases, kids at the age of 3 months are vaccinated against anthrax, foot and mouth disease, brucellosis, rabies, tetanus, and parasites. Prevention from fleas and worms is carried out quarterly. The he alth of the Toggenburg breed is affected by the conditions of detention and the quality of feed.

Prospects for breeding Toggenburg goats in Russia

Toggenburg goats are well known by Russian farmers. These animals are loved for their calm nature and high milk yields. On the day, the female after 3-4 lambing can give up to 6 liters of milk. Peak productivity occurs at 5-6 years of age. They keep such goats for about 10 years, then they are replaced by young ones.

Animals of the Toggenburg breed adapt well to the climate of the middle zone, tolerate harsh winters.They are bred mainly in the Vologda, Kostroma and Leningrad regions. In Siberia and the Far East, the Toggenburg breed is rare. In these regions of Russia there are no breeding animals for breeding, and it is not easy to get them.