# Oberhaslis ?



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Who has Obers and can tell me anything about them - for example, size, temperament, stamina for packing, packing experiences,etc. I really wanted one when I was a kid, and since I am retiring one of my goats I need to find a third goat and am considering an Oberhasli (or another Alpine or mix). My Saanens have been the sweetest temperament I've ever known (with humans). Love Saanens but want something that has a little more get up and go and mostly something that does better in the heat. Thanks


----------



## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

I see several packgoat members that use Oberhaslis.
And I have seen several craigslist ads that have larger ones.
But the ones I have seen in person are smaller to mid sized.
I have a up and coming doe. she is small. but she does do well
when I take her on hikes with my wethers. Even though she is
pregnant. I think they seem to have a lot of stamina. they are
friendly. Give nice tasting milk.
My advice is would be to avoid Baby Oberhasli's. Look for a 2yr or more wether.
That way you have a clue on size, body type, friendliness, temperament. All the things
you would look for in a packer.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks, just saw a yearling advertised, he's still a buck so he'd need castrated. The person's going to measure his height tomorrow. He looks hefty, solid. I don't know... maybe another Alpine would be better. Just curious. By the time I paid to wether him and get him tested for CAE and CL probably wouldn't be worth it. He said he's never had those diseases in his herd but he's never tested any of them for it either.


----------



## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

My pure bred Oberhasli boys are very big for the breed. You can find them, the trick like any thing is to find an exceptional breeder with excellent genetics and give them all the environmental advantage possible. The personality is for me is excellent. They have never stopped on a hike, they will figure out how to get around things on a trail and not hang up their packs. They are friendly with a lot of personality. Mine have hiked in hot, cold, rain, snow, hail, and cross rushing water. They've been at 10,000 feet in a hail storm and packed elk meat down a 2,000 foot decent off a mountain in Montana. Other wild life are at ease with them. They are a content animal and seem to stay where you put them. They have a hot wire on their fence at home and consequently repect all fences. My largest Scout is 39" at the withers and 220 lbs on the vet scale, my other 2 are 38" one being 204 lbs and one is 180 lbs. The slim boy was neutered earlier the other 2 were neutered at 4 1/2 months old. There is a thread line on this forum where someone was looking for Ober photos do a search for that thread and you may find some pictures. My breeder is in Oregon. 
IdahoNancy and the Oberpackers.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks Idaho Nancy  Yours DO sound big! This is the one I was thinking about (although his horns look weird). He was born January 2012 and he measured him and said he's 34-35 inches at the shoulder. He looks pretty hefty to me. The problem is I would have to pay to castrate him, and at this age it's expensive. The black one is for sale too and he's bigger, but the guy said skittish. The problem is I am trying to find a goat that's over a year so I don't have to wait so long (although kids are so much fun!). Therefor options seem limited.


----------



## Bwana Ken (May 9, 2011)

Nancy, you should post a photo of your goats so we can all admire them.

When we first goat into packgoats I was very interested in Obers, but my wife was leaning towards Saanens (which we eventually got) due to her fond memories of them when she was growing up. I'm happy with our goats, although I definitely think the Obers are "cooler" looking and probably have more _gumption _on the trail than our laid-back Saanens.

Ken


----------



## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

The Pack Goat Forum > General Topics > Packgoat Breeds > Need Oberhasli photos!


----------



## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

The Pack Goat Forum > General Topics > Packgoat Breeds > Need Oberhasli photos! 
Attached is the thread line with a handful of my oberhasli pictures. They are from Colleen Monahan's herd in Lacomb Oregon. I just posted my first ever You Tube video of our creek crossing memorial day weekend in Montana. It doesn't look like much but the water was ripping and hard to walk in. The goats did great. It was a day hike so only one goat was loaded. Here is the link. I hope it works.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Nancy your goats did great crossing that creek! The water was moving fast! And holy moly, those guys are BIG!!!!!


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Then there are these Ober bucks (with a Togg and Alpine) that were bottle raised and are friendly and just over two. Again, it's so hard to find a wether of that age around here (with horns, since mine have them).


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Correct me if I am wrong, but that first picture of the "ober", is not an ober. That black line around the neck is totally incorrect according to breed standards. Now I maybe wrong as I have never owned an ober but I am pretty sure that is an ober cross.

Any obers I have ever seen look like Nancy's. Though I do know there is a recessive gene that throws totally black colored obers.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Nevermind, I consulted an expert (my other half) and was told I was wrong  That is a common enough ober color patter. Especially on a male ober. Which makes sense seeing how 95% of all obers i have seen have been Does.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Yeah, I checked on the black color last night because I'd never heard of it but it's true. I doubt I'll get any of them because it'll cost more to castrate than to buy. Anyhow, I'll still have the two although the yearling (aka Darius  can't pack yet. The right 3rd goat will come along eventually!


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

A vet who uses the birdizzo shouldnt charge more then around 100.00 for an adult boy. Just had 5 boys done today at 3 months old (at the request of a buyer) and I only get charged 50 per. Even when I had Legion and Darius done it was only 50 bucks and they were 5 and 4 months old.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

The vet here quoted me 140 dollars for burdizzio, so I'm going to opt out of trying to get that goat - the goats in the last pick all sold last night... Said goodbye to my big Saanen today... can't say I haven't been crying :/ He cried too and tried to dragged the new owner after me when I walked away... Sad day.


----------



## Bwana Ken (May 9, 2011)

Are they using a canoe as a feed trough? LOL!

Anyway, my vet told me that they would only use the burdizzo up to a certain ago due to the problem of getting a good clamp on a buck whose ...uhhhh... "bag" was too large. I had mine (my goats) done at 4 months old and was told that if I'd waited a few more weeks they wouldn't have been able to use that method.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

The tool comes in a few different sizes to cover bigger goats. The two main companies that used to make em both sold out so now they are a bit tough to get your hands on though.


----------



## rifleman (May 28, 2013)

I had my two year old buck "done." Yes, I should have probably done it sooner, but I was hoping to keep him intact and breed him. He was fine with me, but started getting a little territorial with people he didn't know. Getting the snip completely fixed the problem. Anyway, he was pretty well endowed, so they did the removal surgically. The procedure, including the anaesthesia, was only $60. Moral of the story- if they're telling you $140, get another opinion. One caveat though; goats are particularly touchy with anaesthesia. It's very easy for them to overheat or also to aspirate when they're "under," so find a vet that knows goats. When my boy was under, he was under constant supervision with damp towels and a fan to keep him cool and also with a tube to drain saliva so that he wouldn't aspirate. 

As far as your original question goes, I love Oberhasli (not Oberhaslis). They're not quite as docile as what I've seen of a Saanen, but pretty close. They also look cool. I find myself wanting to shout commands in German though, which they don't seem to respond to.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

San Francisco Bay Area. It's a bloody rip off to have ANYTHING done here... I want out but stuck here for now.


----------



## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

We have an ober, Forest, and just love everything about him. He's actually ober/saanan and is the sweetest guy. He's not too big and this will be the first year actually packing any weight on him, but he has more energy then our other boys. He never has to be told no....well, almost never Would like to have more in the future with a bit more size to 'em. Here's his Christmas photo, bow, smile and all!


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

LOL that is not a happy smile  Thats a Im going to get you back kinda smile.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

He's so cute!!!


----------



## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

Well..that was the deal. I provide housing and feed and they pack and put on the annual Christmas prop Oh, and they do get me back!


----------



## DarklingFarm (May 30, 2011)

I got an Ober specifically because they had reputation for having nice personalities and for being willing. Mine is definitely on the small size, but what she lacks in clearence, she sure makes up for with being willing. The first time I put a saddle on her she acted like she'd worn it all her life. We put in a 5 mile hike like we were long seasoned travellers and she happilly followed me over logs, across waterways over and under whatever was in our path. We've done several hikes now, and once I even brought her Ober/Alpine daughter (she didn't wear a pack but was just as willing) and another alpine/nubian doe that I have, that whined and threw tantrums and was a little princess tenderfoot the whole way (and almost got left in the woods for cougar bait.)  
With weight on Penny was just as willing as with bare saddle and I have to say... in my opinion... some Obers might be on the small side but wow, I couldn't ask for anything more as a pack companion.


----------



## rifleman (May 28, 2013)

I don't mind a smaller goat for packing. You can always just use a few more if you really need that much "gear capacity." Small size is one of the reasons I use goats to begin with. If I wanted a bigger pack animal, I'd use oxen or yaks. I wouldn't hesitate a minute to get an Ober from what I've seen of them.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Well, I've got another line-up on a yearling wether from a closed herd up in Washington (there are two for sale actually, but I can only take one). She's supposed to get back to me with measurements (just to give me an idea...) but they don't look very big. She said a few of her Obers went to some outfitter and now pack on Tiger Mountain up there, wherever that is. I wish I could just have one of each breed and then decide for myself which one I like best!


----------



## DarklingFarm (May 30, 2011)

Tiger Mountain is in Issaquah, Wa. Here's some Info on the Tiger Mountain Trail if you're interested: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/tiger-mountain-trail

Here's a couple pics of my Pennelope. I think she might be on the small side, even for an Ober... and I'm just shy of 6' so she might look like a mini but she goes so good. The other pic is my trio of trouble... Pennelope (in the pack), her daughter Coco @ 1 year and the lazy whiny Nubian/alpine cross doeling that I never took back to the mountains again.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Hey thanks for the trail info, that's great! She's cute. A whiny/lazy Nubian X??  I've heard they can be. I'll be up in Washington this summer, so if you can recommend any other hiking and camping areas let me know. I love high elevations and granite rocks away from poison oak


----------



## DarklingFarm (May 30, 2011)

I spent a lot of my last summer in the Alpine Lakes area of Eastern WA helping to clear windfall and gain access again to some pretty awesome trails with lots of monster elevation gains and spectacular scenery over that way... stuff I vowed I'd come back to with my goats and leisurely enjoy some other day. I'm not sure how much of all that got burned up in the bad fires they had last year... I live on the west side and it doesn't look like I'll be doing any trail work parties and trail maintenance over that way, anymore... so I'm not sure... I've never encountered poison oak... (perhaps I am graciously lucky?) but that doesn't mean it isn't out there. I worry more about avoiding Giant Hog-weed on the East side and on the West side I concentrate on not tripping and falling into Elk Thistle or making sure I'm not backing into a patch of stinging nettles answering a nature call. 

Trails.com and of course http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes are pretty good resources for looking stuff up on line. What area are you going to be in? I have a couple of friends through my job that are extremely knowing of Pacific Northwest trails that scoot all around on foot all year 'round that I could ask... they do a lot more aggressive hiking than I have been doing.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Well, I can be anywhere in Washington and Oregon. I like the Three Sisters Wilderness in Oregon. I love high alpine lakes, so that area sounds nice, and I may even be in NE Washington anyways. Even BLM land or places I can car camp and day hike with the goats is fine, in fact since I don't have a full adult Parker now that might be better. I'm not too fond of the super dense, green rainforest areas, but pretty open to whatever  Thanks!


----------



## MorganC (Jun 25, 2013)

I am a 4-H Leader and I have two kids with Obies. They are, no joke, 3 feet tall at the withers! They are complete gentle giants though, so willing to follow you everywhere. They were bottle babies and they seem to work great. Last year, one of them and their handler won Reserve Grand Champ at the fair, they went through the entire obstacle course flawlessly! If I raised a dairy breed, I would get a bunch of them!


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Wow, that's big. I keep hearing how great they are!


----------



## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

The right genetics in the hands of the right breeder raised in an optimum environment Oberhasli goats are big enough to be very effective packgoats. I am 5' 6" and the boys in the picture are 38" at the withers, the one in the back is 39".
IdahoNancy and the Oberpackers


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

I really hope to buy an Oberhasli from that breeder someday Nancy. In another year or so I may be ready to purchase a buckling, until then, I have to stick with an older animal, and it has to be horned since mine have horns. Your goats look absolutely incredible, I have goat envy! (Although I really love my new Alpine yearling).


----------



## Bwana Ken (May 9, 2011)

Nancy, where did you get your goats? 

We are planning to pick up one more and we are strongly leaning towards it being an Ober. Since we are practically neighbors, I'm hoping that you got yours from someone in our area.

Like Saltlick, we also need a horned goat since our others are horned.


----------



## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

Colleen Monahan is a breeder in Lacomb Oregon. She has a 2 year old for sale right now but he naturally polled (born with no horns). If you google her name with the words Oberhasli goats you will see the contributions she has made to improving his breed here in America.
IdahoNancy


----------



## Bwana Ken (May 9, 2011)

Thanks Nancy. I will look her up.

While we would prefer to get horned goats, as our adults are all horned, we might also consider a hornless one even though there is a difference of opinion on this forum about mixing horned and hornless goats in the same herd.

However, we recently bought two new kids that were, unknown to us at the time, naturally polled. They were only 6 days old when we got them and we just assumed their horns hadn't "broken through" yet. They are now 4 months old and only have little "bumps" about an inch long sticking out. 

Yesterday one of the kids was having a head-butting contest with one of the adults (who was actually being quite gentle with the youngster) and ended up with little spots of blood on his horn nubs.... not good.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Colleen told me she wouldn't sell that goat to someone with horned goats when I asked her about a week ago (bummer, I wanted him!), but she may have a buckling or two coming that she could leave the horns on if paid up front and picked up immediately, although she really prefers not to sell with horns at all due to difficulties rehoming horned goats if that becomes necessary.


----------



## MorganC (Jun 25, 2013)

I tend to wish more people where like Colleen; who won't sell to people unless certain conditions are met. But I know how you feel, going to get a animal just to find out the the breeder won't sell them to you because you already have certain conditions in place. I just heard of a lady who was giving away a Alpine doe in my area and she had each person who contacted her go through an interview like process...very interesting.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

I totally agree. She was not only looking out for the hornless goat but you as well. It could turn out to be a nightmare to mix em. Some other things we refuse sales on is pens / shelters and how many goats the person will have. If they dont have pens that dont keep the wind, wet and dogs out, then we wait on em till they do. And we never sell a single goat unless there are other goat(s) waiting. So glad you maybe able to pick some up later though


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Oh I totally agree, I think looking out for the animal's safety and care is the first consideration. I already figured I couldn't-wouldn't mix horned-no horns, but I emailed her anyhow to ask her opinion (I've seen some people do it) - and ask if she had any horned wethers. When I re-homed my big guy who couldn't pack any more, I had them remove two poisonous plants that were on the property as a condition, and purchase two other goats  He seems very happy there and I can go visit!


----------



## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

I'm really glad the lady we bought Cuzco from didn't have any buyer conditions or we'd have never been able to get him. 

As for horns, Lilly doesn't seem to know she was born without them. I watched that little gal challenge and beat one goat after another at the Rendy this weekend, all of whom were larger than she, and several of whom had horns. Either she's extra brave or extra brainless, because she also teases Cuzco and steals his food if I don't tie her up at mealtimes.


----------



## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

My Oberhasli had 2 babies on June 30th. One boy and one girl. They will have horns.
I bred her for a little milk. Plan to keep the kids on her for a bit so that if I go out of town I can
have someone to milk. LOL
ALSO: 
I have a mixed packing herd. Hornless and one horned. I really do not have problems.
The hornless just give the horned one a lot of respect. They move out of his way and he 
gets his pick of the feeders. Runs back and forth from feeder to feeder thinking the others are
getting something better. LOL
I figured they are getting their excersize.


----------



## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Maybe two unhorned against one horned  - but not two horned goats on one unhorned... not fair. I bet those kids are cute!


----------



## TOU (Aug 18, 2013)

idahonancy said:


> The right genetics in the hands of the right breeder raised in an optimum environment Oberhasli goats are big enough to be very effective packgoats. I am 5' 6" and the boys in the picture are 38" at the withers, the one in the back is 39".
> IdahoNancy and the Oberpackers


These sound and look AMAZING Nancy...very impressive.

So is Colleen breeding them with height (long leg length) specifically in mind? I really think I want kids just like yours; how young will she sell them? Bottle babies? I did a search trying to find her contact info but did not have any luck. I would like the with horns but would settle for none if they were as tall and god looking as yours. Just not sure how I would get them from there to here. (Utah)


----------

