Saanen

The Saanen goat is a Swiss breed named after the Saanen valley in Switzerland. They are renowned for their high milk production and are popular in many parts of the world, including South Africa.

The colour of the Saanen is white with no markings, although black spots on the nose, eyelids and ears are an advantage in differing from the undesirable albino. The only drawback to the fair-skinned Saanen is that the harsh South African sun causes skin carcinomas of the udder, while the Toggenburg and British Alpine do not have this problem.

The present-day Saanen in South Africa originated from one male and one female imported from Germany in 1923, as well as from other importations from Switzerland, England and Germany between 1923 and 1976. These goats had been bred by careful selection for many centuries in their country of origin but, unfortunately, no official attempt was made to keep them pure in South Africa.

In 1947 when a Mr PR du Preez wanted to make a fresh start with registered goats. The only breeder with registered goats at the time owned only two females. Mr. du Preez bought one of them and had to import a male from England to serve this female, as there were no others available. From 1958 to 1985, the SA Stud Book and livestock Improvement Association (SASBLIA) registered 2388 Saanen females and 530 Saanen males, whilst 139 females and 42 males were registered from 1985 to 1991.

Toggenburg

The Toggenburg goat is another Swiss breed known for its high milk production. Similarly, to the Saanen goat, the Toggenburg breed was introduced to various parts of the world, including South Africa, due to its excellent dairy qualities. The Toggenburg breed’s origins can be traced back to the Toggenburg Valley in Switzerland. It is one of the oldest known dairy goat breeds, with a history dating back to the 1600s.

The Toggenburg’s colour may vary from fawn to dark chocolate with white marking similar to those of the British Alpine. The pure Toggenburg was developed in Switzerland, while the British Toggenburg was bred in Britain; indicating that other blood lines may have been introduced to the pure Toggenburg imported from Switzerland to Britain.

Pure Toggenburgs came to South Africa early in the 20th century, but none were registered here. Some good milkers were the result of crossbreeding with South African type milch goats originating from the pure Saanen importations of 1900 to 1914. For almost 20 years no Toggenburgs were registered in South Africa and all the old bloodstock disappeared. In 1951, Mr WH Morris of Cape Town imported a pure Toggenburg male and two females in kid from Switzerland. From 1934 to 1951 two pure Toggenburg females and 18 males were registered directly, while from 1959 to 1985 the Society applied for the registration of 167 females and 58 males.

British Alpine

The British Alpine goat, also known simply as the Alpine goat, is a breed that originated in the French Alps. The breed was developed in the UK by crossing French Alpine goats with British goats, and it is known for its good milk production and adaptability to various climates.

The body of the British Alpine goat is black with white markings. White facial stripes stretch from above the eyes to the muzzle, while the edges and tips of ears, legs from the hocks and knees downwards, and both sides of the tail are also white. The contrasting colour markings make this breed striking in appearance. Breeders in South Africa fancied the black-and-white goats bred by a Mrs Abbey in England. An attempt was made by enthusiast in and around Johannesburg to copy the image of the British Alpine, by interbreeding dark brown Toggenburgs.

South Africa’s first black-and-white Swiss–type male was born in August 1923 and registered with the then SA Stud Book Association. Breeders contemplated importing British Alpine goats, but a joint consignment destined for the Government and the Society was stopped in 1924 due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England. Although the hopes of would-be breeders were shattered by this event, a small appendix herd was kept in and around Johannesburg. The owners propagated the breed by showing them at Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth and entering them for milking competitions. Between 1924 and 1934 six females and three males, all of them bred from excellent milkers, were imported. The rest is history.

British Alpine

The British Alpine goat, also known simply as the Alpine goat, is a breed that originated in the French Alps. The breed was developed in the UK by crossing French Alpine goats with British goats, and it is known for its good milk production and adaptability to various climates.

The body of the British Alpine goat is black with white markings. White facial stripes stretch from above the eyes to the muzzle, while the edges and tips of ears, legs from the hocks and knees downwards, and both sides of the tail are also white. The contrasting colour markings make this breed striking in appearance. Breeders in South Africa fancied the black-and-white goats bred by a Mrs Abbey in England. An attempt was made by enthusiast in and around Johannesburg to copy the image of the British Alpine, by interbreeding dark brown Toggenburgs.

South Africa’s first black-and-white Swiss–type male was born in August 1923 and registered with the then SA Stud Book Association. Breeders contemplated importing British Alpine goats, but a joint consignment destined for the Government and the Society was stopped in 1924 due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England. Although the hopes of would-be breeders were shattered by this event, a small appendix herd was kept in and around Johannesburg. The owners propagated the breed by showing them at Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth and entering them for milking competitions. Between 1924 and 1934 six females and three males, all of them bred from excellent milkers, were imported. The rest is history.

*The Thüringer Waldziege, dark brown in colour, was created by crossing a well-pigmented French black buck with Toggenburgs. This cross was then known as Thüringer Toggenburgs. The Thüringer Waldziege are very hardy goats that were able to adapt and survive in very difficult conditions, cold winters, high rainfall in the forest.

**The Harzziege was mainly used by the miners as the “poor man’s cow” The Harzziege was a pale brown, short-haired goat with a light-coloured belly and a black dorsal stripe on the back. It was a robust and very hardy goat with very good resistance to disease.

***The Erzgebirgziege originated from different variations of grey-blue, black and brindled goats. These goats were again crossed with colored breeds from Switzerland. From this tiling, a pale brown goat emerged with a black dorsal stripe, black belly and black legs. The Erzgebirgziege differs little from the colored French goat but was smaller and had a lower milk production. The Erzgebirgziege were increasingly crossed with the French goats to obtain higher milk production.

Bunte Deutsche Edelziege

The Bunte Deutsche Edelziege, also known as the German Colored Milk Goat, is a dairy goat breed that originated in Germany. These goats are known for their colorful coats, good milk production, high fertility and resilience, especially in harsh conditions.

In 1928, the numbers of goats in Germany decreased greatly. The German Milk Goat Breeders Society then decided to place all colored goats under one name, viz; Bunte Deutsche Edelziege (BDE), to obtain a larger gene pool. The Bunte Deutsche Edelziege was bred in Germany mainly from three groups of dairy goats namely the Thüringer Waldziege* (forest goat), Harzziege** and the Erzgebirgziege.***

The BDE therefore does not have a fixed definitive color pattern. It can vary from light brown, pale brown, gray-brown to dark rusty brown. They have a black or dark brown dorsal stripe on the back (from the neck to the tail). The skin of the BDE (under the hair) is black and is therefore very well pigmented. The legs and belly vary from light to black.

*The Thüringer Waldziege, dark brown in colour, was created by crossing a well-pigmented French black buck with Toggenburgs. This cross was then known as Thüringer Toggenburgs. The Thüringer Waldziege are very hardy goats that were able to adapt and survive in very difficult conditions, cold winters, high rainfall in the forest.

**The Harzziege was mainly used by the miners as the “poor man’s cow” The Harzziege was a pale brown, short-haired goat with a light-coloured belly and a black dorsal stripe on the back. It was a robust and very hardy goat with very good resistance to disease.

***The Erzgebirgziege originated from different variations of grey-blue, black and brindled goats. These goats were again crossed with colored breeds from Switzerland. From this tiling, a pale brown goat emerged with a black dorsal stripe, black belly and black legs. The Erzgebirgziege differs little from the colored French goat but was smaller and had a lower milk production. The Erzgebirgziege were increasingly crossed with the French goats to obtain higher milk production.