Breed Profile: Alpine Goat

Not Just World Class Dairy Goats, They Make Excellent Pack Goats Too!

April 25, 2022Tamsin CooperGoat Breeds

Reading Time: 7 minutes

The Alpine is a dairy goat of international renown, present in commercial systems worldwide. Although many modern Swiss breeds are technically Alpine dairy goats developed in particular regions of the Alps, the breed known as the Alpine goat or French Alpine goat was initially developed in France. While few male goats find a role in the dairy industry, wethers are now finding their niche in human society. Their physical and social traits (large and strong build, agility, trainability, and acceptance of human companionship) make them valued trekking companions. They can even learn to carry packs if trained while young.

Origin and History of the Alpine Goat

Origin

The Alpine type originated in the Alps in Europe, where they’ve resided for thousands of years. Goats would’ve arrived with pastoral migrants from the Middle East around 6,000 years ago. Indeed, archaeological evidence has dated farming communities in Greece and the Balkans from around 6,500 years ago from where they moved northwards over the following 2,000 years. Prehistoric leather clothing containing goat DNA discovered in the Italian Alps on the Austrian border was dated at around 5,300 years old. Another piece of goat leather from the Swiss Alps was dated at around 4,200 years old. As domestic goats derive from wild species from the Middle East, these samples must come from domesticated herds.

alpine-goats-in-the-alps — Alpine dairy goats of various colors in the Alps. Left to right: Sundgau, two shades of Chamoisée, and Cou blanc. Photo credit: Othmar Sigris from Pixabay.

The Alps provide many steep pastures that are inaccessible to the majority of livestock. However, goats’ hard and flexible hooves allowed them to adapt rapidly to the terrain and become important production animals for rural communities.

Breed Development

The isolation of valleys afforded by the mountains encouraged local differences to arise, which were further encouraged by selective breeding according to personal taste. Swiss farmers practiced selective breeding for dairy qualities early on so that Swiss lines became renowned Europe-wide during the 1800s. Alpine types became differentiated into separate breeds known by their locality or color, for example, Saanen, Toggenburg, Chamoisée des Alpes, and Grisons or Graubünden. These have gone on to become the internationally distributed Swiss breeds we know today.

chamoisee-alpine-goats — Author’s own Chamoisée Alpine does in France. Author’s photo.

In France, Alpines are native to the Savoie Alps, where they still occur in a wide variety of colors. In the early 1900s, Chamoisée-colored Alpine goats were developed for milk production. This line spread over the country and is the most popular in the dairy industry today. Those lines that remained in Alpine villages became a rare breed that’s now protected under the breed definition Chèvre des Savoie. They still occur in many colors and retain hardy traits for mountain conditions.

Alpine Goats in America and Worldwide

Alpine goats weren’t new to America in the 1900s. When the original colonists arrived from Europe from the 1500s onward, they brought their locally bred goats with them. As well as the Spanish goats colonizing southern regions, native goats arrived from the Mediterranean, Alpine, and North European regions. Early American dairy goats were an amalgam of these types until the dairy imports of the early 1900s.

The World’s Fair in St. Louis required exhibitors to present individuals of registered pedigree. This encouraged breeders to import dairy goats. Their initial choices were the famous Swiss breeds Toggenburg and Saanen, which were then crossed with American goats to produce offspring registered as “grade Alpine.” Goats were imported from other Alpine countries, including 18 does and 3 bucks from the Savoie region of France. Their ancestors are registered in the United States as Purebred Alpine, also known as French Alpine. In the 1950s, British Alpines were imported and registered as Sundgau Alpines in the United States.

sundgau-alpine-doe — Sundgau Alpine at Pure Luck Farm, Texas. Photo credit: “Maternity Ward Alpine” by dixie wells from Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0.

British Alpines descended from various Alpine breeds, probably including those originating in Sundgau in Alsace, France, and Grisons, in Switzerland, where goats of this coloring were common. A black doe with white markings of unknown breed featured prominently and was crossed with Toggenburg and British goats, the latter likely containing some Nubian blood.

Conservation Status

The Alpine goat has been exported worldwide with many countries registering thousands of individuals, and at least 90,000 registered in France. Therefore, the breed is not endangered.

Characteristics of the Alpine Goat

Description

Alpines are medium to large animals with long bodies and a graceful form. The udder is large, well-formed, and firmly attached. The facial profile is long and straight or slightly concave. The coat is short to medium in length and a light beard may be present. The neck frequently has wattles. The horns sweep upward and backward.

cou-blanc-clair-alpine-goats — Cou blanc and Cou clair Alpines at Pure Luck Farm, Texas. Photo credit: “Alpines in the Maternity Ward” by dixie wells from Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0.

Color

Any color pattern can arise. Originally Alpines could appear in white or Toggenburg colors, but this is now discouraged. Some of the most common alpine goat colors have French names and are listed below. A pronunciation guide is in parentheses after the name.

Cou blanc (coo blong): (meaning white neck) white forequarters, black hindquarters, and black facial markings (in Switzerland this is called paon, which means peacock);
Cou clair (coo clare): (meaning pale neck) pale brown or gray forequarters, black hindquarters, and black facial markings;
Cou noir (coo nwah): (meaning black neck) black forequarters, white hindquarters, and white facial markings;
Sundgau (sung-gow): (named for a region in France) black with white facial stripes, lower legs, and rump below the tail;
Chamoisée (sham-wah-zay): (meaning chamois-colored) brown (there are various shades; the tone may vary even on the same animal), often with a black stripe along the spine, black leg markings, black or white belly, and black and/or white facial markings;
Two-tone Chamoisée: Brown or gray with paler forequarters, often with black markings along the spine, face, and legs;
Pied: color has white patches or is spotted or speckled;
Broken: the above patterns are sometimes broken with large white areas;
Black.

broken-and-pied-colors — Broken Chamoisée and Pied patterns. Photo credit: ArmbrustAnna from Pixabay.

Weight

Adult does are at least 135 pounds (61 kg); bucks at least 170 pounds (77 kg).

Height to Withers

Adult does are at least 30 inches (76 cm); bucks at least 32 inches (81 cm).

Temperament

Alpines are generally alert, curious, and friendly, although sometimes independent and stubborn.

chamoisee-nursing-females — Different tones of Chamoisée Alpine nursing Sundgau kids in France. Author’s photo.

Adaptability

Having evolved in temperate mountain ranges, Alpines tolerate heat and cold well. However, they aren’t suited to humid conditions. Their hooves are perfect for moving across hard surfaces, such as rocks, gravel, and concrete, but they readily suffer from hoof rot in damp or muddy soil. Evolved to browse mountain vegetation, they cope poorly with internal parasites. American Alpines are hardier than Purebreds due to the influence of locally adapted genes and hybrid vigor.

Biodiversity

While selective breeding has reduced genetic diversity in goats developed for the industry, the number of different “breeds” developed from the Alpine source preserves different variations. The small foundation of Purebred Alpines in the United States preserves a very limited gene pool, but crossing with American dairy goats to produce “grade” animals and American Alpines has given hybrid vigor to the breed. American Alpines are larger, sturdier animals with higher yields than purebreds. Judicious selection practices have seen the American population improve in vigor and productivity over the last 50 years.

cou-blanc-wether-packing — A trained Alpine wether makes an excellent pack goat in Alberta. Photo credit: Lazarus000 From Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0.

Productivity of the Alpine Goat

Popular Use

Does are popular as dairy goats, especially for commercial production. Wethers make good pack goats as they’re large, strong, good walkers, and train readily.

Yield Averages

American does produce 87 to 665 gallons of milk (average 316 gallons/1196 liters) over 275 to 305 days, averaging 3.3% fat and 2.9% protein. In France, the national average is 243 gallons (920 liters), as does may be smaller in size.

Does readily provide a long lactation of several years, requiring less frequent kidding. Kids mature early, but does should reach 80 pounds (36 kg) before they breed. However, they can become fertile from 4 to 5 months old. Does normally have a single kid the first kidding, then two or more subsequently.