considered one of the first animals domesticated by humans. Bred today goat breeds have a dairy, meat, wool and downy orientation. Also in the world there are many intermediate species that allow livestock breeders to achieve high productivity from a herd in two or three directions. Breeds of dairy, meat and dairy and meat and wool specialization are most popular with Russian owners of private farmsteads and farms, and more than half of the total livestock is raised to produce milk.
Photos and descriptions of the goat breeds that have received the greatest popularity in the country will help beginner breeders to navigate the existing diversity and more balanced approach to the composition of their own goat herd.
The Zaanen goat breed
The Zaanen goat breed is known to be the European leader in popularity and productivity, known as the area in the Swiss Alps, where it was bred. Switzerland has become the birthplace of several famous goat breeds, which is not surprising. The region with a favorable climate and juicy grass seems to be created for dairy farming, but the mountainous terrain is not always suitable for grazing the main supplier of milk - cows. Therefore, fast-growing, unpretentious, and behind a tuft of grass, the goats, easily climbing on the most inaccessible swings, became a boon for many Swiss peasants.
Zaanenskaya goat breed was born as a result of national selection. Large, from 50 to 90 kg in weight, hardy animals show excellent dairy performance. The females are extremely fertile, and the goatlings born to the world are strong and overwhelmingly viable. If the average weight of a baby at birth is 1.5–3 kg, then by the year a goat or goat weighs 10 times more.
During the year, an adult female gives about 650 liters of milk with a fat content of about 4%.Lactation lasts up to 300 days.
And the Russian goats of the Zaanensky breed came almost a hundred years ago. During this time, the animals confirmed their unpretentiousness, easy adaptability to different climatic conditions and the highest milk productivity. Based on the best representatives of this breed of goats, numerous breed lines and new breeds were obtained.
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However, even this long-known variety of people is able to give surprises. White goats of the Zaanen breed sometimes appear gray or brown goatlings. This phenomenon is associated with the manifestation of a recessive gene, which carriers are some purebreds. Such goats are no less productive than their white mothers, but they are not always taken for breeding.
Goats of the Toggenburg breed.
. Another old Swiss breed of goats was named after the canton of Toggenburg, where it was formed and maintained historically from the XVIII century. Milk Toggenburg goat for the past time gave rise to several European breeds. And her blood is in the livestock of Russian, British and Czech goats.
If you compare animals of this breed of goats with Zaanensky, the latter are much larger. For example, the weight of the Toggenburg goat is 60 kg, and its relatives from Zaanenthal are 15-30 kg heavier. The color of the goats is predominantly brown in various shades with white markings on the legs, ears and head.
The described Swiss animals are breeds of unscented dairy goats, which is important for getting not only useful, but really tasty products.
Toggenburg goat breed shows decent milk production. Goat for 260 - 300 days of lactation per year can produce up to 1000 liters of milk.
Russian white breed of goats
One of the most popular goat breeds in Russia, derived from Zaanensky animals, was Russian White. Representatives of this variety almost always have white color, large size, excellent fecundity and high milk yield. For a year the goat is milked up to 300 days, giving at the same time up to 500 liters of milk with fat content up to 5%.Goats are predominantly horny. The hair of animals is short, hard, almost devoid of undercoat.
Anglo-Nubian goats
Angle-Nubian goats can represent the direction of the meat and dairy. Ancient, historically formed on the rocky deserts of Northern Sudan, the breed has been used by locals from time immemorial as universal and extremely unpretentious. The interest of Europeans for the first time was shown by the French and British colonialists.
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Therefore, seeing the description or photo of the Nubian goat breed, you need to know that we are obviously talking about modern Anglo-Nubian animals. As a result of crossing unpretentious African goats with productive British individuals, a new species was obtained. Anglo-Nubian goats have an unusual appearance, large size and interesting meat and dairy data.
Hornbills, with hanging ears, females can grow up to 80 kg, and the same large males - up to 130 kg. The height of an adult goat often reaches 90 cm at the withers.
Animals are unpretentious to the type and composition of feed, while giving up to 800 liters of very fat milk per year. Raw materials suitable for drinking and making lactic acid, curd and cheese products contain up to 8% fat.
Cameroon dwarf goats
Small goats from Cameroon are becoming common not only in their homeland, but also in several European countries due to their modest size, record unpretentiousness and decent quality of milk and meat. If you believe the legend, then in the Old World dwarf goats got on the ships of fishermen and pirates. The animals were so non-capricious that they easily endured months-long voyages, besides providing the crew with milk and fresh meat.
Today, the popularity of animals is supported by the fact that it is a breed of odorless dairy goats. Has no unpleasant taste and meat of goats of this breed.
Alpine goat breed
The alpine regions of European countries have historically developed their own varieties of dairy, meat and dairy goats. All these animals are notable for their quick adaptation to new conditions, unpretentiousness, high productivity and gracefulness characteristic of rocks. At the beginning of the last century, American breeders set themselves the goal of obtaining a breed of goats, combining all the positive aspects of the alpine population of domestic goats.
According to the photo and descriptions of the alpine goat breed, animals from Switzerland, France, Italy and other countries of the continent took part in its formation. As a result, goats received a vast array of genes, expressed, for example, in the motley color of babies born to alpine goats.
Boer Goats
Today, goats are raised not only for the sake of milk and wool, but for meat. Such breeds are easily recognizable by well-developed muscles, stronger bones. An example is the Boer goats that were exported from southern Africa about a hundred years ago.
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The weight of an adult goat of this breed reaches 130 kg, the female is 30–35 kg lighter. In appearance, the Boer breed has many similarities with another African species - Anglo-Nubian goats. 
Modern Boer goats are fast-growing, distinguished by high growth rate and endurance. They rarely get sick and, most importantly, have extremely tasty meat, without the slightest sign of a characteristic odor.
Brown Czech Goat
The history of the Czech goat breed goes back about a century, although it was granted its official status only in the 70s of the last century. The producers of the best alpine species took part in the creation of Czech goats. The result of breeding work exceeded all expectations. Animals of this picky, hardy breed of goats quickly rebuilt from one diet to another, can be on the pasture for a long time and easily tolerate long transitions in mountainous areas.
The Czech goat reaches a weight of 50 kg, the males are one and a half times heavier. For a year, the yield of such a goat reaches 800 liters. At the same time, the milk does not have an unpleasant odor or taste, and with a fat content of about 3.5% it has a thick texture and a high content of lactose.
Angora goats
Although Angora goats are considered one of the smallest members of the genus, they are valued on a par with other popular varieties. This ancient breed comes from the Middle East, from Turkey and Kurdistan. Animals accustomed to the mountainous dramatically changing climate are covered with thin long hair with a wave-like curled hair. The weight of adults, depending on gender, ranges from 35 to 55 kg. Both goats and goats have horns.
Wool is famous for its brilliance, fiber strength and quality. The main color of this breed is goat - white. This wool is the most valuable, although you can see gray and even black Angora goats.
Interesting about the Boer breed goats - video
