# Is there any Alpine or Saanen in this goat?



## villager (Sep 8, 2010)

I have a small herd of goats, either local or local x Boer crosses. We look after our goats fairly well, and are now beginning to have triplets being born. That is a real nuisance, because with the milk that the mothers produce the kids do not grow as fast as we would like. Another villager has a male goat which he was told, when he purchased it, is a Saanen x Alpine cross. We have absolutely no experience here of any breed other than local or Boer, so we do not know whether or not he was told the truth.

From the photos, can anyone tell me if there is any Saanen or Alpine in the animal?

I am planning to breed my females to his male, to try to produce female offspring with bigger udders, and hopefully be able to raise their kids faster.

Thanks


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

yep you've definitely got yourself a dairy breed buck there! the saanen is obvious due to the white colour and sticking up ears. others here might be able to say if he is part alpine. you can try to.manipulate the number of.kids your does have by reducing or restricting their feed, especially grain if you feed them grain, for a.month prior to mating and during the mating period.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

What a handsome boy!


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Yup, definitely saanen. Some of them like to grow "trousers"on the back legs like that,i dont know if alpines do too.either way, hes definitely got dairy in him.


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Looks like a Saanen to me :thumb: What a handsome buck :drool: I don't think he has any Alpine though. Alpines can't be white.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

I would say he could be a saanen or saanen/Alpine cross. Pure Alpines may not be white but crosses can be.
I had a a Saanen cross doe that was almost completely white except for a small strip of brown on her neck.
He could have more saanen blood than any other breed.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I think he looks very Saanen like, but really, I don't think by a few photos we could give you a for sure answer what he is. I didn't even know they had Saanens or Alpines in Africa!


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Lost Prairie said:


> Looks like a Saanen to me :thumb: What a handsome buck :drool: I don't think he has any Alpine though. Alpines can't be white.


Those two kids on the left side of my sig are half saanen and half alpine-not a trace of color on them.


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## villager (Sep 8, 2010)

Thanks for those useful replies. I realise that from three photos it is impossible to give the definite proportions of the breeds which have gone into making-up that male. However, I have got the answer which I was hoping for, which is that there is at least some dairy in him.

It is always difficult here to find out the origins of an animal, because nothing is written down, and people are not really sure what they are being asked, or how to answer a question. For example, I have what I believe is a pure Boer male, but that is always incorrectly referred to here as a "hybrid".
*
KW Farms: "I didn't even know they had Saanens or Alpines in Africa!"* The vast majority of goats here are of local breed, which is an unimproved mix from around this part of Africa. In the past, Government or NGOs have imported improved breeds such as Boer and Saanen, to distribute to selected villagers. My perception is that these projects have petered out, at least where I am. One reason could be that the improved breeds need better management, compared to the hardier locals, and do not survive for long under village conditions. A few years ago, three of us bought Boer males (unseen) from a Government farm. When they arrived, they looked in poor condition (likely due to bad management, and perhaps inbreeding), and within a matter of months mine was the sole survivor. He was underweight compared to my local kids of the same age, and it was only with good management that he slowly improved and grew to be bigger than local males. Our record now for his offspring is a weigh just under 4 kg (8¾ lbs), which I think is merely average for your US Boers.

Boer mixed into local has good potential here as meat goats. There is virtually no interest in milk goats, and I am a bit surprised to have found that male, and so conveniently close by.

*Keren: "manipulating the number of kids"* I would be a teeny bit worried about trying that, just in case I manipulated potential twins into a singleton. We do feed grain, in the form of maize chaff, but only about ¼ kg (½ lb) per day, the rest of their feed is from a couple of daily browsing sessions on leaves and grasses which they find on my plot.


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