Saanen

About...
Saanen goats are a white or cream-colored breed of goat, named for the Saanen valley in Switzerland.[1 ] Saanens are the largest of the goat dairy breeds. Does typically weigh 150 lb (68 kg) or more, with bucks weighing over 200 lb (91 kg). The Saanen breed also produces the most milk on average, and tends to have a lower butterfat content, about 2.5%–3.0%. A Saanen nanny produces around an average of 1 gallon (3.8 litres) a day.

Just as Alpines, they are commonly used for commercial milking.

The Saanen temperament is, as a rule, calm and mild mannered; breeders have been known to refer to them as living marshmallows.They are, indeed, extremely docile in most cases. Saanen goats are easier for children to handle, and are popular in the showmanship classes due to their calm nature. They typically breed every year, producing one or two kids.

The Sable Saanen is not a crossbreed, but is a recessive expression of color derived from the white Saanen. Sables can vary in color from beige through black, with almost any color but pure white (which would be a white Saanen). Sables are accepted as a breed in their own right in some dairy goat breed clubs, but not in others.[2 ]

Regardless of color, the Saanen breed is large and big-boned, but graceful and refined in bone, the ears are erect, and the nose is straight or dished. Both does and bucks usually have beards unless trimmed for a show.They normally also have horns (as do most other breeds), unless dehorned (aka 'debudded') at birth. debudded adult maleOrganizations for the preservation and advancement of the Saanen breed in the U.S.A. include the National Saanen Breeders Association and the American Goat Society

Saanen goats have been used in hunger relief programs by Heifer International as gifts because of their ease of care and productivity.

Saanen goats appear on Farmville, a Facebook game