What breed of goats can give the most odorless milk, TOP 15 species
Goat breeding is becoming a popular and profitable branch of agriculture. Goats provide milk, meat, wool, which are valued higher than cow and sheep. Goat meat is a dietary product with low fat content, but sometimes a specific aroma comes from it. Before starting a livestock business, you need to decide on the breed of goats, and which one gives the most odorless milk.
The best goat breeds
In goat breeding, the following areas are distinguished:
- dairy;
- meat;
- downy;
- woolen.
There is also a separate mixed industry. It combines breeds that provide several products.
Dairy
The main indicators for choosing a dairy goat are the amount of milk yield and the quality of milk. In some animals, the amount of milk dispensed depends on the conditions in which they are kept. Therefore, preference should be given to unpretentious breeds.
Toggenburg
The Swiss milking variety adapts easily to new climates.
Toggenburg goats are recognizable by their light brown color and white stripes on the face.
Alpine
The breed is distinguished by a dark color: bay with spots or dark on the body and light on the head.
Alpine goat milk is tasty but not greasy, and the lactation period is short less than seven months a year. High milk yield will be maintained, provided that there is enough salt in the diet.
Megrelian
Georgian goats graze on the mountain slopes and are large in size.
Animals grazing in the valley produce less milk than those feeding in the mountains.
Meat
Meat goats are distinguished by a rounded barrel-shaped body and a small udder. They give milk for six months of the year. But among the meat there are breeds with high milk yield, which can be attributed to the mixed meat and dairy group.
Nubian
The British variety is tall, 70 centimeters at the withers. Animals gain weight up to eighty kilograms.
Horny Nubian goats have their horns burned as children so they don't mutilate each other and other animals.
Czech brown
A popular breed for breeding in private households.
Czech brown goats adapt quickly to harsh climates.
Boer
Color, according to the standard - white with brown. Goats gain 140 kilograms of weight, and goats gain 90 kilograms. The Boer variety is improved by dairy and downy breeds.
Boer goats devour any plants uncontrollably, so they should not be allowed into the garden and flower garden.
Downy
Thoroughbred downy goats give up to seven hundred grams of down at a time. The bulk of the down is obtained from males. Females have a less dense undercoat and produce less milk than dairy breeds.
Cashmere
The species comes from the Tibetan mountains. External differences are hanging ears and compact body size.
6 kilograms of fluff are obtained from a cashmere goat, and 3 kilograms from a goat. But animals need to be sheared at a certain period - before molting.
Orenburg
The Ural breed is the most popular in Russia and Tatarstan. The down of animals is used in the production of Orenburg shawls. The color of the coat is black, red, gray.
Orenburg goats produce high-quality hair from the age of four. Seven-year-old animals are not sheared.
Wool goats
In the wool group, popular and productive varieties are also distinguished, which do not have a specific aroma.
Angora
The Turkish breed got its name due to its historical homeland - Ankara. Animals weigh little - 35-50 kilograms with an increase of 60-70 centimeters at the withers.
Angora goats produce milk with a fat content of 4% and tender, odorless meat.
Pridonskaya
The breed appeared as a result of crossing Don and Angora goats.
In the pasture, you also need to be careful that the animals do not clump together. In summer, grazing is required for at least twelve hours.
Hornless goats
Most hornless breeds belong to the dairy group.
Zaanen or zaanenthal
The German hornless variety with short or missing horns has been known since the 19th century and has a short white coat.
You can find a pure Saanen goat in breeding farms. A sign of purebredness is the complete absence of horns.
Campine
The Belgian short-haired white variety produces medium-fat milk.
Quality milk is produced by rare purebred Campines.
La Mancha
The selectively bred variety is distinguished by a variety of colors - white, gray, brown.
For one lambing, a Lamanch goat brings up to four kids, and during lactation gives 4 liters of milk per day.
Dwarf
A feature of dwarf animals is strong immunity and resistance to frost.
Cameroon
African small breed with twisted horns. Height at the withers - 50 centimeters. Cameroon goats are decorative, they are black, caramel and spotted.
Cameroon goats do well in the herd and yearn alone.
Nigerian
The breed is related to Cameroon and appeared as a result of genetic mutation under the influence of the hot African climate.
The temperature in the room with animals should not drop below 15 degrees Celsius.
Highest yielding breed
Most milk is produced by European and dwarf goats:
Breed | Annual milk yield per animal in liters |
Czech brown | 1980 |
Nubian | 1400 |
Zaanenskaya | 1000 |
Cameroon | 960 |
Megrelian | 900 |
Toggenburg | 600 |
The milk yield is determined not only by the breed and the duration of lactation, but also by nutrition. Animals should receive fresh hay, in summer - green grasses and twigs of fruit trees.
It is also necessary to provide round-the-clock access to clean water. With proper care, milk yield will be maximized.
How to make the right choice
To choose a healthy young goat, you need to pay attention to the following signs:
- elastic pear-shaped udder without hair, with thin skin, protruding veins and protruding nipples;
- square incisors, the dentition is even, without gaps;
- wide chest;
- prominent, long ribs;
- an even spine;
- shoulders and pelvis at the same level;
- pure silky wool.
Healthy animals are mobile and curious. In a high-yielding goat, the pelvis is wider than the chest, and the udder is voluminous and almost does not move when walking.
The seller is asked the following information:
- age - high milk yield is given by young individuals up to 5 years old. In older animals, the amount of milk decreases. If the owner claims that the goat is young, but it has worn-out rounded incisors and a sagging udder, in fact, the animal is 6 years old or more;
- number of lambing - the maximum milk yield is obtained after the second or third lambing.
When choosing a goat breed, it is important to take into account the climate in which it will live. Frost and heat affect milk volume. Therefore, before buying, you need to make sure that the animal can be provided with comfortable living conditions.