Saanen purebred goats are famous for their high productivity. These hornless, white animals produce 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 period of economic use is 8-10 years.
Breeding history
Saanen goats belong to the Alpine variety.They were bred in Switzerland in the Saanenthal Valley, which is why they are sometimes called Saanenthal. For several centuries, Swiss breeders selected the most productive dairy goats for further breeding. Local breeds took part in the selection. 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 produce 3-6 liters of milk per day. Soon the Saanen breed began to be specially bred for sale to other countries.
During the years of the USSR they were forgotten, but were 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 for breeding and improving local individuals.
Description and characteristics of Saanen goats
The main distinguishing features of this breed are the absence of horns, white color, and a large spherical udder. The body of the Saanen goat has the proportions characteristic of a dairy variety. It is trapezoidal, that is, expanding towards the back. The animal has a large belly, a barrel-shaped body, and clearly visible hunger 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 upward or horizontally.
The head is light, graceful, polled, that is, hornless. 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 light, with slit-like pupils.The udder of dairy goats is large, spherical, pulled towards the stomach. The nipples are oblong and stick out in different directions. The udder protrudes beyond the hind legs, that is, it has a “reserve”. Its skin is thin and pinkish. The udder is covered with light hairs.
The coat is short, without undercoat, but thick and close-lying. The color is white, sometimes yellow-white Saanen goats are found. Height at the withers is 75-95 cm, body length is 1-1.2 meters. Males are larger than females and have a goatee. 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 per day.
The main pros and cons of the breed
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 (Switzerland). Delicious cheeses are made from the milk of these animals. There are many of them in Great Britain, France, and Germany. The Saanen breed is known and raised in the USA, Australia and some African countries.
These goats are found in Ukraine, Moldova and the European part of Russia. The Saanen breed is usually crossed with local animals to improve productivity.
Nuances of maintenance and care rules
A separate room must be allocated for keeping goats.One individual should have about 4 square meters of area. Dairy goats are vulnerable to drafts and dampness. The barn should be warm (all year round from 12 to 20 degrees Celsius), dry and clean.
A ventilation system can be installed in the room. In winter, the barn is insulated or infrared heaters are turned on. It is advisable to build goat room made of wood, no more than 2.5 meters high. The attic can be used to store straw.
The room should have a manger for hay, feeders for grain and vegetables and drinking bowls (buckets) for water. Goats are fed (in stalls) twice or thrice a day. From spring to autumn, animals are grazed on pasture. At lunchtime they are driven into a stall. Females are milked 2-3 times a day in special stalls. It is advisable to keep the goats separately from the female 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 waste does not flow under the animal.
Animal diet
The health of goats and their productivity depend on the quality and quantity of feed. Animals should not starve or overeat. The menu is tailored to the age of the goats. The diet of adults should contain succulent 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, compound feed, chaff, chaff). The main thing is to maintain proportions.
Representatives of the Saanen breed should eat 4-6 kg of fresh grass per day. In summer it is recommended to graze them on pasture.Additionally, you can give salt and grated vegetables (carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin), and beet tops. If animals are grazing in a meadow, it is recommended to ensure that they do not eat poisonous or soapy plants. In between feedings, give water (up to 5 liters at a time). They 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 health of goats. This product can cause ketosis (a dangerous disease). It is advisable to give representatives of the Saanen breed 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.
Breeding Saanen goats
When 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 usually covered in the fall so that kids are born in the spring, and in the summer the young animals are taken out to pasture. Pregnancy lasts only 5 months. The first time a goat begins to milk is after lambing. Usually 1-2 cubs are born. Until 3 months of age, goat kids are kept under their mother. To prolong lactation, animals are covered every year.
During pregnancy, milking females are released, that is, they stop milking. Grain and succulent feed (silage) are excluded from their diet. They give less water. They are fed legume and cereal hay. To prevent pathologies in fetal development, 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 silage, vegetables and always high-quality hay.To replenish the body with useful substances, females and small goats are given injections of pharmaceutical vitamins.
Diseases, treatment and prevention
Representatives of the Saanen breed have excellent immunity. They only get sick if they are not properly maintained or have inadequate nutrition. In cold weather, goats can catch a cold, so it is recommended to keep them indoors all winter, up to above-zero temperatures.
Dairying females can develop udder mastitis if they are not milked properly or kept on dirty, wet bedding. Excess water, grains, legumes and soap grasses, as well as grazing in wet weather can lead to stomach problems. Vaccination saves you from infectious diseases. Goat kids (at 3 months) are vaccinated against anthrax, brucellosis, smallpox, rabies, foot-and-mouth disease, and parasites.
What is the price?
Saanen goats can be purchased for $200-$1000. The price depends on the purity of the breed. The pedigree of animals is determined by their appearance and milk yield. It is advisable not to buy goats older than 7 years. This is the age limit for their economic use. Peak productivity occurs at 4-5 years of age. They keep them for up to 8-10 years.
