# Saanen or Snubian



## Rechellef (May 17, 2011)

A little while ago, I posted some pics of my goats (new to the forum). However, there is one thing I have always wondered about my doeling Flurry and that is whether or not she is pure Saannen or maybe "Snubian". Her ears are enormous for her head and although they are classical airplane ears like a Saanen, their size has me wondering. Her momma was a rescue and came to us skinny and pregnant, so I have no idea who the sire is.

Here is a pic of her for opinions.


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

if she does have Nubian/Boer in her I would say only a very small amount - Snubian ears tend to droop down a lot, and hers aren't at all. Some of my Saanen babies are born with fairly large ears - but tend to grow into them as they age.

LW


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

She doesn't look even a tiny bit nubian to me! But I do love the long ears! LOL!


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

I think if there was any nubian in there that the ears would hang down a lot more and the shape of the ear would be different. I also agree that they can grow into their ears. She is a very pretty girl, I notice how wide she is already.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

My breeders just bought straws from a buck who was famed for throwing massive heads and "snubian" ears that the kids eventually grew into. Most Sabiens (don't like the word snubian, sorry. Just sounds weird to me) seem to have at least a cream color somewhere, and their faces definitely aren't very dishy, and from the looks of your girl, if she's crossed with anything, it's not a nubian.


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## SweetSaanens (Mar 6, 2011)

The Saanen in my avatar picture is 1/4 nubian. Her mother is half nubian and she doesn't have floppy ears. The Saanen gene must be strong their mother is half nubian half alpine (her mother is the other brown goat in the picture) and has had 5 Saanen looking kids (when bred to a saanen mix buck)


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I have to agree that IF there is a Nubian in there it is a very small percentage. I looked at alot of Sabien ( I like that word bettter too!) pictures as my Saanen is breed to a Nubian right now. The kids ears are wider and droop over in 99% of that mix. Those ears are very long but look Saanen to me. Guess you will have to wait til she grows up to see if her head meets her ear length! She is a very pretty girl!


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

I disagree with above posters. I just had three Nubian/Saanen (50/50) crosses born. Two were pure white, one was brown. The brown kid and one white kid have slightly wider drooped ears, the other white kid has ears like yours. Only the white kid with the droopy ears has a slight Roman face, the others have dished out faces.


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## potentialfarm (Apr 11, 2011)

Do her ears ever droop, or just stay like that always? I had a PB Nubian doe born this year, & her ears are...well...  :shocked: Everyone else has beautiful ears. I know that my buck threw this tidbit into the gene-pool, he's adios amigo now. Not just because of that, but....

Anyway, she looks like she's going to fly, and when she's upset, she looks like a bunny! :ROFL: It's really not funny, since I can never attach papers to her, but she'll make a good "backyard milker". I'll have to hide her in the backyard so no one sees her!!!


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I don't know what she is, but she sure is cute.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Amos said:


> I disagree with above posters. I just had three Nubian/Saanen (50/50) crosses born. Two were pure white, one was brown. The brown kid and one white kid have slightly wider drooped ears, the other white kid has ears like yours. Only the white kid with the droopy ears has a slight Roman face, the others have dished out faces.


I did say seem  Most of the ones I've seen have been either creamy or nowhere near Saanen color at all, and their faces were mostly straight, rather than dished (of course, my Saanen outside has a straight face, too...). It's just something I noticed from what I had seen of the crosses. TBH, if you painted 'em all white (dairy breeds, anyway), I'd still only be able to pick out the Nubians.


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## Hidden Waters Farm (Oct 3, 2010)

I purchased a few Saanen/Nubian kids that each had at least 1/4th nubian in them and they all have erect ears with Nubian flair. None had the airplane ears that I saw there at all out of 80+ Saanen/Nubian's. (they breed for milk production).


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

here are some examples of big eared Saanen kids (no Nubian in them at all!) they grew into their ears:


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Well, my saanen doe had her kids. She was bred to a Nubian, both parents are well bred for their breed. The kids came out with Nubian ears, long a droopy. One is colored like dad and the other is a cream color.

Here is a few pics of them


















I have seen baby Saanens with airplane ears and they grew into them.


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## Hidden Waters Farm (Oct 3, 2010)

I will try and snap a few pictures of the goats I was talking about within the next few days, Its currently raining.


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## Dover Farms (Oct 16, 2007)

It's possible that she is just a big eared Saanen. But don't rule out her being crossed with Nubian.

Here is a Snubian doeling we had.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

See, now her ears are not only long, but wide. Where as the goat in question has long, thin ears...like a saanen.


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