Alpine goats are unique animals that can easily survive in regions with harsh climates. Goats of this breed have many advantages, including they are unpretentious in care, do not require special knowledge in breeding, have a calm disposition.
History and origin
Alpine goats are believed to come from the French historical region of Savoy, located at the foot of the Alps and partially right in the Alps. But this area connects at the same time the borders of three states - France, Italy and Switzerland, which is why some scientists are convinced that the Swiss breeders made a considerable contribution when breeding the breed.
From the beginning of the 20th century, French farmers began to breed actively. There is a version that before this breed was cultivated only in the Savoy region, or in the adjacent cantons of Switzerland. Only in 1930 in France they created the first pedigree book of the alpine goat, which described the external and productive qualities of the animal. But even ten years before that, the first 22 goats came to North America, where they managed to breed the American type. All alpine goats that are bred today in the United States are considered the descendants of these 22 individuals.
Over the next decades, alpine goats became popular in Europe and North America. Today, breeding animals make up more than 90% of the goat population.
Alpine goats in Russia
Alpine goats became famous in Russia, due to its high productive qualities, unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention. With a minimal contribution to the business, the farmer will be able to get a good profit when selling dairy and meat products.
By buying an animal you need to be careful, after having previously found a nursery or farm with positive reviews. You will also need to try milk, assess the general condition of the farm, study the conditions of keeping and the number of livestock.
Features and Exterior
Most often in Russia there are alpine goats, corresponding to the American and French description of the breed. The animals have a proportional body, elongated, narrow with a strong skeleton. The body rests on short stable legs with a marked withers. The goats have an outstanding ridge, voluminous deep chest. The mass of the female varies between 60-63 kg, the weight at the withers reaches 75-85 cm. The weight of the male is 75-78 kg, height 80-90 cm.
Alpine goats predominate with a straight back with an inclined, narrow and short croup, a voluminous udder with regular-shaped nipples. Animals have a small head located on a short neck. Goats have a flattened muzzle, erect, short ears. On the head are hard, short, oval horns, set upright and bent to the back. The tail of alpine goats is long with hair, massive hooves. The body is covered with short, smooth hair.
The color of alpine goats is diverse, in one litter there may be white, gray, brown goats. Standards of different countries describe several options for the main colors:
- Kunavar. In the goat, the front part is painted in black, the back part is white.
- White neck Such specimens are most often found in Russia. Goats have a white neck and shoulders. Black or gray hair is present on the main body and head. A characteristic feature is a dark or black stripe running along the outside of the legs from the knees to the hooves.
- Paid. These are animals with a mottled or spotted color.
- Red neck The tint from the neck and shoulders from the brownish-red smoothly goes to the croup in black or dark brown.
- Sandgow. On the main black background there are white marks.
- Bay or chamois. The main shade is red, brick or ocher. The head and neck are strewn with black marks. The legs are black. A dark strip is located along the ridge.
- Magpies or magpies. Animals with this color have a white head, and on the main background there are colored marks.
There are many more color variations where one, two, three colors are present.
About the nature of the animal
Alpine goats have a calm disposition. These are independent, good-natured animals, thanks to which the breeder does not particularly need to interfere in their way of life. Goats get along well with other animals, including goats of other breeds. But in this case it is necessary that the “neighbors” are not aggressive.
Alpine animals are active, hardy animals that can travel considerable distances in search of food. Goats like to run on a pasture, frolic. These qualities save them from a problem like obesity.
What is the productivity of goats?
Alpine goats are a milk group of breeds. Animals are valued for big milk yield, the absence of an unpleasant smell in milk, a long lactation period, high quality dairy products, easy milking.
For a year, one female produces about one and a half tons of dairy products per year. The maximum volume of milk yield per year for animal champions is 2.2 tons. The average daily productivity is 4.5 liters. Milk is characterized by a high content of nutrients: 3.5% fat, 3.1% protein.
Dairy products are dominated by a sweetish flavor, so it is allowed to use it for baby food. Also at home, cheese and cottage cheese are prepared from milk.
Conditions of detention
Although the alpine goats can withstand cold climates, it is recommended to keep them in a warm room in winter, which will not reduce the productivity of animals. Humidity in the room is kept at 40-60%. There are 4 square meters per goat. m square. For a female with offspring, a stall must be protected.
It is equally important to monitor the cleanliness of the room, it must be dry and the floors insulated, because the weak point of goats is the legs. It will be possible to provide greater comfort if nailed beds at a low height, where animals can climb. Alpine goats do not predominate with a specific smell, but it is better to keep the goats-producers in a separate room.
In summer, it is advisable to let goats go on a pasture in a pasture. But if this is not possible, it is allowed to feed the animals with fresh herbs and in a stable.
Feeding
In the summer, goats walk in the pasture, and pasture is considered the ideal food for them. At this time, alpine goats should be fed green feed, sometimes give them food waste. If the farmer is engaged in the cultivation of vegetables and other plants, it is perfectly acceptable to feed the animals with chopped weeds. Goats are prone to nibbling tree branches. Experienced breeders recommend the inclusion of salt in the diet - in the wild goats are looking for it on the rocks.
In winter, goats of this breed are given hay. Animals enjoy consuming vegetables and root crops. Also, in the cold period, mineral supplements and chalk should be present in the diet. It is recommended to give food three times a day at the same time. First goats are fed with a combined feed, then succulent feed, then coarse. It is permissible to mix feed with thick or liquid porridge, but do not boil it with boiling water, otherwise the feed will lose all the necessary vitamins and useful additives.
The breeder must necessarily include combined and concentrated feed, cereals in the diet. Change water as often as possible so that it is always clean and fresh - this directly affects the quality of milking. Tanks for food and drink should always be clean.
The farmer needs to carefully monitor his diet. Alpine goats are forbidden to feed birch branches, as they can cause the development of various diseases. It is important to feed pregnant females in a balanced manner, because nutrition is the key to good and healthy offspring.
Breeding
The advantage of this breed is that during childbirth it is not necessary to be present to a person - goats give birth to offspring without any difficulties. If you cross an animal with goats of other breeds, you can get strong, hardy kids with excellent performance in the future and having a special color. The goat independently feeds and educates kids.
Pregnancy and lambing
Pregnancy in Alpine goats lasts about 5 months (145-155 days). A month and a half before delivery, to ensure intensive nutrition of the fetus, the goat is stopped milking. 10-15 days before the appearance of the kids, the farmer will need to treat the birthplace with 5% creolin or lime milk. Also, the shed is covered with straw, protected from drafts. It is allowed in good weather to release pregnant goats for fenced walking.
Before lambing, a pregnant goat begins to behave uneasily, often lies down and jumps up, piteously bleats. An approaching birth is evidenced by a markedly increased udder. Lambing occurs quickly, easily. The second and subsequent kids are born immediately after the appearance of the first baby or with a short break.
Baby Care
In a newborn kid, it is required to clean the sinuses, mouth, eyes of mucus, then attach it to the mother so that she licks it or wipe it clean with clean napkins. The umbilical cord is cut in the kids, the tip is greased with iodine, laid on a warm, dry litter in the same stall with a goat.
After childbirth, it is necessary to milk the alpine goats in order to avoid the inflammatory process. After 1-1.5 hours after the appearance of the last kid, the goat is poured warm water. In the early days, mother goats are fed exclusively with high-quality hay, warm mash of bran or flour, and fresh grass. After three days, it is allowed to diversify the diet with silos, root crops, bran. The first three days the goats are milked 4 times a day before feeding the kids. On the 2nd month, three goats are milked per day.
After birth, the kids are viable, rarely sick. The survival rate of young alpine goats is high. Alpine goats are good mothers caring for their offspring.
Diseases and their prevention
Alpine goats are valued for good health and increased resistance to various diseases. Although they rarely get sick, they can encounter such underlying diseases:
- moniesiosis;
- anthrax;
- bruises, injuries, injuries;
- coenurosis;
- tympany;
- fasciosis;
- pneumonia of the lungs;
- dermatitis, scabies;
- brucellosis;
- anaerobic dysentery of young animals or diarrhea in kids;
- bradzot;
- paratyphoid;
- enterotoxemia;
- infectious mastitis;
- hoof.
The acute form of the disease is accompanied by an increase in temperature - more than 39.5 degrees. Usually goats lose their appetite, breathing quickens. Sick goats must be isolated and called to the veterinarian. To prevent anthrax, smallpox, foot and mouth disease vaccination of animals will help. It is important to disinfect the premises in a timely manner, monitor the cleanliness of drinking bowls, equipment.
Where can I buy?
In Russia, there are no state pedigree reproducers for alpine goats. All representatives of the breed are kept in private households. Stud books and notes are kept by goat enthusiasts. When buying a thoroughbred animal, it is recommended to visit the attracted breeders, examine the herd and the conditions in which the goats are kept. It is advisable to try the taste of the product, only then make a purchasing decision.
Thoroughbred goats are acquired not for the sake of a beautiful appearance, but because of the high productive indicators inherent in the chosen breed. It is very difficult to buy a purebred alpine breed of goats in Russia. Females are able to transfer color to their offspring, due to which many unscrupulous farmers earn this by crossing ordinary goats with a thoroughbred male, and passing offspring as purebred kids.
Also dishonest livestock breeders can cross close relatives, which negatively affects the offspring. Those who purchase such animals, in the end, complain about the unpleasant taste of milk and small amounts of milk yield.
There are some factors to consider when buying an animal:
- The presence of many kids of different ages in the herd indicates that the goat is often covered, which can adversely affect the health of the animal. Conscientious farms ensure that thoroughbred goats are covered once a year.
- When there is no milk for sale on the farm, it’s worth considering. Often this is an indicator of low-quality dairy products.
- When keeping thoroughbred and outbred goats on the farm, the buyer should clarify "why?" After all, it makes no sense to keep outbred goats, practically not giving milk, but in need of decent nutrition.
- Real breeders of breeding animals will always find answers to all questions of interest, they themselves will tell everyone about pets, because they are proud of it. Unscrupulous breeders, by contrast, will evade questions, citing strong employment.
Many farmers know that a true thoroughbred Alpine goat is expensive. If the animal is willing to sell half the price, the future owners should be wary. Breeding requires considerable financial investments: buying animals, keeping and caring, feeding fodder, veterinary examinations, vaccination, etc.
Advantages and disadvantages of an alpine goat
Alpine goats have many advantages. First of all, the animal is widespread in France, where industrial goat breeding is quite well developed. The main advantages of goats, for which they are appreciated by farmers, are:
- Calm disposition. Almost all breeders who breed this breed claim that animals have a peaceful, friendly character. Goats are obedient, do no harm, do not create any problems for the owner.
- Cold tolerance. Due to the fact that the goat of the alpine breed hails from the mountain alpine region, it was originally adapted for life in harsh climates. This allows you to breed animals in any mountainous area, in the northern regions, where goats of another breed can freeze.
- High milk yield. Alpine goat gives good amounts of dairy products rich in nutrients. With an average lactation rate of 800 liters, the breed is excellent for industrial milk breeding.
But this breed has several significant disadvantages, they should be taken into account before breeding:
- High price. Alpine goats are still not so popular in Russia, which is why the cost of young animals in nurseries is just off scale.
- Sensitivity to water quality. This feature of goats of this breed requires attention and responsibility from the owner.
Reviews of breeders
There are not many reviews on the Internet today, the reason is the difficulty in acquiring thoroughbred goats in our country. But those who were lucky enough to get such pets, speak positively about this breed.
Anastasia, 34 years old, farmer. Alpine goats attracted me not only in appearance, but also in their curiosity, calm disposition, desire to frolic and ride. They look elegant, and high productivity is just something. After the first lambing, two goats gave 400 liters of milk. Dairy products have an amazing taste, which is equally important - there is no "goat smell". I prepare cottage cheese and cheese from milk, sell it, and not a single buyer has complained.
Marat, 48 years old, breeder. I saw alpine goats at the exhibition, I decided to purchase, although my goal was to purchase Zaanen goats. I liked that the goats are beautiful, behave calmly during milking, are not aggressive.In winter I keep them in a warm barn, during this period the milk yield indicators do not decrease and remain at the same level. I bought two goats, 2 years old. They give a lot of milk - enough not only for themselves, but also for sale.
Anna, 44 years old, breeder.Near our house, beautiful goats walked on the pasture, as it later turned out to be an alpine breed. I liked them so much that I was simply eager to take care of them. So gradually over a dozen goats divorced in our yard. I sell milk, many perceive it as cow - the products have the taste of ice cream, but it has no smell. The goats have never been sick. The content does not require special investments, the main thing is to feed the goats well, then they will give a lot of milk.
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Alpine goats are animals that are undemanding in need of organization of minimal conditions. It is easy to cope with them, they behave appropriately, they are very active. Even a novice farmer is able to breed goats of this breed, there are practically no difficulties.
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