![Herd of goats Saanen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Herd_of_goats_Saanen.JPG)
The Saanen is a
Swiss breed of
domestic goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
. It takes its name from the
Saane
The Sarine (; frp, Sarena ) or Saane () is a major river of Switzerland.6th longest, 7th largest basin, see List of rivers of Switzerland It is long and has a drainage area of .
It is a tributary of the Aare.
The Sarine rises in the Bernese Al ...
ntal in the
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland ( en, Bernese Highlands, german: Berner Oberland; gsw, Bärner Oberland; french: Oberland bernois), the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern, is one of the canton's five administrative regions (in which context ...
, in the southern part of the
Canton of Bern, in western Switzerland. It is a highly productive dairy goat and is distributed in more than eighty countries worldwide.
History
The Saanen originates in the historic region of
Saanen
Saanen (french: Gessenay; Highest Alemannic: ''Saanä'') is a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1228 as ''Gi ...
(french: ) and in the neighbouring
Simmental
The Simmental ( en, Simme Valley) is an alpine valley in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It expands from Lenk to Boltigen, in a more or less south-north direction (Obersimmental), and from there to the valley exit at Wimmis near Spiez it ta ...
, both in the
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland ( en, Bernese Highlands, german: Berner Oberland; gsw, Bärner Oberland; french: Oberland bernois), the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern, is one of the canton's five administrative regions (in which context ...
, in the southern part of the
Canton of Bern, in western Switzerland.
It is reported from more than eighty countries. The total world population is reported to be over 900,000 head. Of these, some 14,000 are in Switzerland.
It has since the nineteenth century been exported to many countries of the world, and has given rise to many local sub-breeds, often through
cross-breeding
A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...
with local goats. Among these local variants are the Banat White in Romania, the British Saanen, the French Saanen, the Israeli Saanen, the Russian White, the in Germany, and the Yugoslav Saanen.
A black variant, the
Sable Saanen, was recognised as a breed in New Zealand in the 1980s.
Characteristics
The Saanen is the largest breed of Swiss goat:
billies stand about at the
withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...
and weigh a minimum of . It has white skin and a short white coat; some small pigmented areas may be tolerated. It may be horned or
hornless, and
tassels
A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric and clothing decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe.
History and use
In the Hebrew Bible, the Lord spoke to Moses instructing him to ...
may be present. The profile may be straight or somewhat concave; the ears are erect and point upwards and forwards.
Use and management
The Saanen is the most productive milk goat of Switzerland, which has the most productive milking goats in the world. Average milk yield is in a
lactation
Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process naturally occurs with all sexually mature female mammals, although it may predate mammals. The proces ...
of . The milk should have a minimum of 3.2%
fat
In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple est ...
and 2.7%
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
.
It is not well suited to
extensive management, and is usually raised
intensively. Being pale-skinned, it does not tolerate strong sun.
Notes
.
References
{{Goat breeds of Switzerland
Goat breeds
Dairy goat breeds
Goat breeds originating in Switzerland