Types of Dairy Goats

While not as popular in the U.S., throughout the rest of the world more people drink goat's milk than cow's milk. Goat's milk is nutritionally similar to cow's milk, but is easier for many people to digest because it contains smaller fat globules. Unlike cow's milk, goat's milk does not have to be homogenized. Of all types of livestock, goats are probably the most intelligent and form strong emotional bonds human caretakers, according to the Dairy Goat Fact Book. The American Dairy Goat Association recognizes six types of dairy goats: Alpines, LaManchas, Nubians, Oberhaslis, Saanens and Toggenburgs. Each type of dairy goat has a distinct look, size and personality.

  1. The Alpine Dairy Goat

    • A popular breed of dairy goat, the Alpine is considered a Swiss breed but also has French influences in its origins. This breed of dairy goat is adaptable to any climate. A medium- to large-sized goat, the Alpine is a good milk producer; a doe can produce 3 or more quarts of milk a day over its 10-month lactation period. There are varieties of the Alpine breed so it can be any color or combination of colors.

    The LaMancha Dairy Goat

    • The LaMancha breed originated in California and is considered a North American dairy goat, although its ancestors are believed to be of Spanish origin. This goat breed is distinguished by its very small ears; called gopher or elf ears. The LaMancha is a medium-sized, hardy goat that can withstand severe weather extremes found in areas like Newfoundland and other parts of Canada. One LaMancha doe can produce 3 quarts of milk a day over its 10-month lactation period. Any solid color or color combination is acceptable for this breed.

    The Nubian Dairy Goat

    • The Nubian was developed as a dual-purpose animal, to provide both milk and meat. Swiss and English does were bred to bucks from India, Ethiopia and Egypt to give the breed its features; a Roman nose and pendulous ears. The Nubian is more tolerant of heat and cold than most breeds, making it the most popular breed of dairy goat in North America today. Nubians are prolific breeders and often have multiple births, producing three or four kids at a time. They are less prolific milk producers than some breeds --- a doe produces about 2 ½ quarts of milk a day over the 10-month lactation period --- but they are favored by purveyors of goat meat because they have a meatier carcass than most other goats. They can be of any solid color or combination of colors.

    The Oberhasli Dairy Goat

    • This Swiss breed is small- to medium-sized and distinguished by its chamois coloring. The Oberhasli goat is bred for quality not quantity. The coloring of this particular breed is critical to protecting the purity of the breed and must be specific to standards, which require the base color to be a light to deep reddish brown --- the darker the better --- with very specific black marking patterns around the head, face, ears, legs, back and belly. Does can be all black, but chamois coloring is preferred for both bucks and does. Overhasli goats are rare and generally produce less milk than most other breeds.

    The Saanen Dairy Goat

    • Commonly referred to as the Holstein of the goat world due to their abundant milk production, the Saanen dairy goat is the most common breed found in commercial dairies. They have a very large udder capacity and when bred for milk can produce large quantities each day. They are one of the largest goat breeds and are all white in color with amiable personalities.

    The Toggenburg Dairy Goat

    • This shaggy-coated breed is usually shorter than other dairy goat breeds and has a very distinctive color and markings; Toggenburg goats are light to chocolate brown with white lower legs and ears with white markings on the face. This breed is popular because of its long lactation periods, resulting in high milk production. This breed tends to be more high-strung and rambunctious in personality than other breeds and can be challenging to handle.