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Keeping and breeding goats is so exciting that it cannot but addictive. Many people start a goat initially in order to provide ecologically clean and very healthy milk to their children with some health problems. But then, having become attached to these intelligent and beautiful animals, they cannot help expanding their herd, until they have to think about changing their place of residence in order to feed and maintain the desired number of goats. Choosing a breed is always interesting to try something new with some interesting characteristics and qualities. The Toggenburg breed of goats is one of the most interesting dairy breeds that are found in the world, both in terms of their appearance and characteristics. It's a pity that in our country this breed is not very well known, although there are plenty of reasons for its wide distribution.
History of the breed
This breed originates from Switzerland, like many other dairy goats. It got its name from the Toggenburg valley of the same name in the highlands in Switzerland. Toggenburg goats are one of the oldest dairy breeds in the world, as the herdbook has been kept since 1890! This breed was obtained by crossing local Swiss goats with various representatives from other countries and regions.
They became interested in the Toggenburg goat in other countries and began to actively export animals in order to breed them in their homeland. Naturally, there have been some modifications in the breed, in England and the USA, for example, the Toggenburg goat has a much higher height and short hair. As a result, today there are such varieties as the British Toggenburg (common in England and the USA), the noble Toggenburg (common in Switzerland), and Thuringian forest (common in Germany). It is also known that Czech brown was also obtained on the basis of the Toggenburg breed.
Toggenburgs were also imported to Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, even before the First World War. These goats got to the territory of the Leningrad region and their further fate is completely unknown. Until now, in the Leningrad and neighboring regions, you can find goats that resemble Toggenburgs in color.
Description of the breed
In general, it can be said that the Toggenburg goats are smaller in size than other common dairy breeds: Zaanen, Alpine, Nubian. The breed standard is considered quite strict: the height at the withers for goats must be at least 66 cm, and for goats - at least 71 cm.The weight, respectively, for goats should be at least 54 kg, and for goats - at least 72 kg.
The color is the main distinguishing feature of the breed: the bulk of the body is covered with wool of all shades of brown - from yellowish fawn to dark chocolate. In the front of the muzzle there is a white or light spot, which then turns into two almost parallel stripes, stretching behind the ears of the goat. The lowermost part of the legs is also white. The pelvis is of the same color at the back around the tail.
The coat can be long or short, but it is very soft, delicate, silky. It is often longer on the back, along the ridge and on the hips.
The ears are erect, rather narrow and small. The neck is quite long and graceful. The body looks very harmonious and even graceful. The legs are strong, long, the back is straight.The udder is very well developed.
Characteristics of the Toggenburg breed
Goats of this breed are distinguished by their endurance, good adaptability to various conditions of detention, only they treat the heat worse than the cold.
The lactation period lasts on average about 260 - 280 days. During this period, the Toggenburg goat can produce from 700 to 1000 liters of milk, the average fat content of which is about 4%. There are also known cases when in some goats of this breed the fat content of milk reached 8%. It is believed that Toggenburg goat milk is ideal for making cheese.
Toggenburg goats have a fairly high fertility, they can bear from 1 to 4 kids every 8-9 months. Only under normal conditions, such a regime is quite harmful for the goat's body, which wears out quickly. Therefore, it is better not to let the goat kitten more often than once a year.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
All over the world, the Toggenburg breed of goats has become widespread due to its following advantages:
- They have a beautiful and stately appearance with a very pleasant to the touch wool, so much so that in some countries goats of this breed are kept on wool.
- They are resistant to cold climates and easily adapt to low temperatures.
- They have rather high milk yield, which do not change depending on the season - for example, they do not decrease in winter.
- Feel good in mountainous areas.
- They have good fertility indicators.
- They have a calm character, are very affectionate to the owner and are unusually smart.
The disadvantages of the breed include the fact that the taste of the milk they produce is significantly influenced by the composition and quality of the feed that are at the disposal of the goat.
Therefore, it is very important that the goat regularly receives the necessary supplements in the form of minerals and vitamins, as well as the content of chalk and salt in its daily diet is strictly necessary.
Sables
Since the main distinguishing feature of the Toggenburg breed is its peculiar color, many goats with a similar or very similar color can be called Toggenburg unscrupulous breeders.
But there is also a special kind of Zaanen breed called sable.
Many goat breeders familiar with the Saanen breed know that their coat is white. But both of these breeds, the Saanen and Toggenburg, have related roots in Switzerland, and therefore may also contain related genes that are responsible for one or another trait. Goats of the Saanen breed have a recessive gene, the role of which is reduced to the appearance of offspring colored in any color except white. These colored descendants of Zaanenok are called sable. Today they are even recognized as a separate breed in some countries of the world. And in our country, many breeders are happy to breed sables. But the problem is that among them quite often babies are born, in color they are completely indistinguishable from Toggenburgs.
Maintenance and care
The Toggenburg goat, as already noted above, does not tolerate heat very well, but it adapts remarkably to the cold. Therefore, it is best to keep it in the middle zone and even further north. In winter, thanks to sufficient wool, goats can be kept in a well-insulated barn without additional heating. Although it is desirable that the temperature in the stalls in winter does not drop below + 5 ° C.Each goat should have its own stall with a wooden lounger. It is best to arrange the floor with concrete with a slight slope for waste drainage; it must be covered with straw, which must be changed regularly. Goats cannot stand dampness, so good ventilation in the goat's house is imperative.
In summer, during the grazing period, goats only need sufficient area for grazing, fresh water for drinking and regular feeding in the form of minerals and vitamins (chalk and salt are required). In winter, animals need to be provided with a sufficient amount of high-quality hay, a variety of root crops, brooms of various tree species, as well as grain additives, which can be up to 1 kg per day per head.
Thus, if you want to have a good dairy goat with a beautiful appearance and balanced character, adapted to our cold climate, then you should take a closer look at the Toggenburg breed.
