Trinidad and Tobago Goat and Sheep Society
Selecting Good Dairy Goats-
Which breed ?
by John Borely
Dairy Goat Keepers have to remember that for almost every different type of farm there is a breed of goat that will be best suited to it.So…, different goats for different farms; let us look at the kinds of farms here in Trinidad and Tobago.There are three types:
- The specialized, dairy operation whose main product is milk for sale
- The small scale, hobbyist whose main product is milk for home use
- And the dual-purpose operation that sells some milk but whose main products are stock and meat.
There are also different breeds of dairy, or milking, goats that are available in Trinidad and Tobago. There are three breeds that originate in the mountainous Swiss regions and which were improved in England, as well as one breed that came from the scrubland regions of the Africa and Asia and which was also improved in England.The dairy goat keeper should use these breeds because to a varying degree, they all have good milk producing characteristics.
These are:
- Good conversion of high quality feed into milk
- High milk production
- Good temperament
- Clearly defined physical characteristics that indicate the animals milking potential
- Years of herd book recording and selection
It may be fine to benefit from the use of these improved breeds but remember, as in all things, you only get out of your goat what you put in.
These goats place special demands on the farmers:
- They must be protected from any harsh environmental conditions that they aren’t accustomed to.
- They cost a lot of money
- They need lots of high quality grass, water and feed in order to produce lots of milk.
- They need to be milked regularly, in most cases twice daily.
To summarize, the improved dairy breeds of goat are capable of very high milk production but they need regular and special attention.
The improved Swiss breeds – the British Saanen, the British Toggenburg and the British Alpine all originated in the Swiss Alps and have the body conformation of a mountainous goat.
They have:
- Wide, barrel shaped bodies, to consume large amounts of food.
- Upright ears.
- Concave to straight facial lines.
- Short legs and straight backs which carry the stomach and udders lower to the ground, but give balance on mountain slopes.
- Hornless features.
They are seasonal with breeding taking place just before winter and kidding coming just after. This means breeding season is generally around September in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Swiss-breed Bucks have a tendency to be especially smelly around this time as a sort of breeding signal to females.
All the Swiss breeds have similar production characteristics:
- They are about the same size as adults with the British Toggenburg just marginally smaller and thus easier to feed.
- They produce similarly large quantities of milk, with the British Saanen and the British Toggenburg most preferred.
The Swiss breeds, in most cases, are characterized by what are called Swiss markings. These are white colourations than run along the top of the face on either side of the head, below the knees on all four legs and up the back of the hind legs and under the tail.
The British Alpine is a beautiful, black goat with white Swiss markings. They tend to be independent, active and skittish and may be more suited to a smaller operation and where given a little more room.
The British Toggenburg is an affectionate brown goat with white Swiss markings that responds well as pets. They crave attention so it is best to keep at least two. They are well suited to both the small-scale hobbyist as well as the specialist Dairy farm.
The British Saanen is a pure white goat that is placid and docile. This is a great asset to have in dairying and so this is the preferred breed for the specialist dairy farm.
The Dual Purpose Farmer can choose any type of goat, that he likes but most have a preference for the Anglo-Nubian.
This breed originated in the scrublands of the Middle East and Egypt and was crossed with other breeds in England to improve its milk production capacity. It has retained its dominant scrubland features that give it its characteristic look.
Some of these features are:
- A high arched back with long legs, especially its hind legs that enable the Anglo Nubian to carry its stomach and udder high above the hard thorny brush common in the Tropics.
- A convex facial line other wise known as a roman nose.
- Long lop ears that hang down to give protection from flies.
- A large, well fleshed frame, which makes it more desirable as a meat animal.
The Anglo Nubian may be a variety of colours, from black to brown and even light coloured but mottle colours are also very common and desirable to breeders.
It is a hardy animal, well adapted to local conditions, which explains why they are found in a variety of farms either kept in pens or ranging in the fields. Its tropical origin makes it a less markedly seasonal animal and so can easily be coaxed into multiple kiddings with 3 kiddings every 2 years being the most common permutation.
It does not, however, produce as much milk as the Swiss breeds, but its milk is by far the richest.
Well, now you know the different breeds and how to use them. Choose the one that suits you best and remember:
- The Anglo Nubian is an all-purpose and versatile goat but is not a high producer.
- The British Alpine is a beautiful goat and a high producer and is a excellent goat for the small-scale producer.
- The British Toggenburg is an affectionate goat that also produces a lot of milk and can be kept by the hobbyist as well as the specialist dairy farmer.
- The British Saanen is a white, docile goat with excellent milking characteristics and is the preferred choice of the specialist Dairy farmer.
If a goat is the result of a cross between any of these improved breeds it is considered a good dairy goat even though it isn’t “pure bred”. These goats display all the characteristics of the improved milk breeds and sometimes may even look like a pure breed. In fact the world champion milk producer is the result of a cross between a British Saanen and a British Toggenburg
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