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Our first two goats at GoatWorld. "Caboom & Rocky", registered French Alpines
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Description
The French-Alpine is a breed of goat that originated in the Alps. The goats of Alpine breed that were brought to the United States from France where they had been selected for much greater uniformity, size, and production than was true of the goats that were taken from Switzerland to France.
Size and production rather than color pattern have been stressed in the development of the French-Alpine. No distinct color has been established, and it may range from pure white through shades of fawn, gray, brown, black, red, bluff, piebald, or various shadings or combinations of these colors. Both sexes are generally short haired, but bucks usually have a roach of long hair along the spine. The beard of males is also quite pronounced. The ears in the Alpine should be of medium size, fine textured, and preferably erect.
The French-Alpine is a larger and more rangy goat and more variable in size than are the Swiss breeds. Mature females should stand not less than 30 inches at the withers and should weigh not less than 135 pounds. Males should stand from 34 to 40 inches at the withers and should weigh not less than 170 pounds. French-Alpine females are excellent milkers and usually have large, well-shaped udders with well-placed teats of desirable shape.
The French-alpine is also referred to as the Alpine Dairy goat and registration papers for this dairy goat use both designations and they are synonymous. These are hardy, adaptable animals that thrive in any climate while maintaining good health and excellent production. The face is straight. A roman nose, Toggenburg color and markings, or all-white is discriminated against. Alpine colors are described by using the following terms:
- Cou Blanc - literally "white neck" - white front quarters and black hindquarters with black or gray markings on the head.
- Cou Clair - literally "clear neck" - front quarters are tan, saffron, off-white, or shading to gray with black hindquarters.
- Cou Noir - literally "black neck" - black front quarters and white hindquarters.
- Sundgau - black with white markings such as underbody, facial stripes, etc. Chamoisee - brown or bay - characteristics are black face, dorsal stripe, feet & legs and sometimes a martingale running over the withers and down to the chest. Spelling for the male is chamoise.
- Two-Tone Chamoisee - light front quarters with brown or gray hindquarters. This is not a cou blanc or cou clair as these terms are reserved for animals with black hindquarters.
- Pied - spotted or mottled.
- Broken Chamoisee - a solid chamoisee broken with another color by being banded, splashed, etc.
- Any variation in the above patterns broken with white should be described as a broken pattern such as a broken cou blanc.
Reference
OSU Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science
Livestockpedia
Briggs, Hilton M and D.M. Briggs. 1980. Modern Breeds of Livestock. Forth Edition, MacMillan Company
American Dairy Goat Association, PO Box 865, Spindale, NC 28160. Phone: 704-286-3801
About the author:
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About the author: Gary Pfalzbot is a Service Connected Disabled Veteran and the web master of GoatWorld as well as some other web sites. He has raised goats over the years, been involved with 4-H (as a young boy) and currently resides in Colorado where he and his wife Pam raise a few breeds of goats and other animals, and primarily author the GoatWorld web site to continue to inform, educate, and promote the industry.
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