Saanen
Welcome to the Saanen information page.
We will be updating this page regularly as new photos and articles are sent in. Please come back and see us.
There are currently five
Breeds of dairy goat available in New
Zealand. They are the Alpine/British Alpine, Saanen, Sable, Nubian/Anglo Nubian and Toggenburg.
If you would like to purchase a Saanen goat then check out our
members page.
For more pictures of Saanens have a look at our Saanen photo album.
Breed Standard
Saanen
General Appearance
Attractive dairy type, alert and revealing vigour. Showing femininity in does and masculinity in bucks
and harmonious blending and correlation of parts.
Head
Head of medium length and well balanced on neck. Facial line dished or straight. Skull broad between
eyes. Polled or neatly disbudded. Eyes large and bright. Pricked ears of medium size and carried well
above the horizontal. Well developed muzzle. Open nostrils.
Neck
Does long and fine blending smoothly into shoulders. Bucks well proportioned and strong.
Backline
Strong, straight and horizontal from withers to hips.
Forequarters
Lean high withers. Set well into shoulders which should blend firmly into body. Chest wide and deep in
bucks showing medium width and depth in does.
Body
Long deep and wedge shaped. Proportionate to height. Ribs well sprung.
Hindquarters
Gradual slope from hips to tail. Good width between hips and thurls. Rump long and broad and strong.
Pinbones wide and prominent.
Legs
Forelegs straight and parallel viewed from front and side. Hind legs strong and parallel viewed from
rear. Hocks slightly bent when seen from the side. Hocks well apart. Pasterns short and strong.
Hooves sound and well shaped.
Udder
Showing good capacity and shape. Attached over a wide area. High and broad at rear. Strong at sides.
Blending into the abdomen. Floor of udder slightly cleft. Softly textured. Skin colour tan.
Teats
Of adequate size for ease of milking. Well attached at lowest point of udder. Distinct from udder. Set
well apart. Pointing down and slightly forward.
Rudimentary teats
(Bucks) Two. Set wide apart. Slightly to the fore and sides of the scrotum. Of good size but not
overdeveloped.
Testicles
Well developed. Evenly balanced. Scrotum not unduly divided. Carrying two testicles.
Height
(At withers) Does 81cm. Bucks 94cm.
Coat
Short and smooth. Bucks may have a longer coat.
Colour
Coat either white or cream.
Differing from ideal (found and recognised)
Horns, slightly raised bridge to nose. Uneven tassels. Longer hair along back and down the quarters.
Wry tail.
Faults
Lack of dairy quality. Lack of milking capacity. Lack of masculinity in bucks. Size differing
substantially from the ideal. Uneven gait. Low set ears. Roach or sway back. Weak or narrow chest.
Shallow body. Steeply sloping rump. Close hocks. Dropped pasterns. Poor feet. Splayed toes.
Fleshly, pendulous or slightly divided udder. Pocket in udder. Small, thin, large, bulbous, ill-defined or
unbalanced teats. Divided, uneven or unduly pendulous scrotum. Excessively raised bridge to nose.
Pink skin. Coat even biscuit colour as distinct from cream.
Disqualification
Wry face. Obviously overshot or undershot lower jaw. Pendulous ears. Double or supernumerary
teats. Supernumerary orifices. Undescended testicles in bucks or one testicle only. Colour other than
white, cream or even biscuit tinge. Dark spots larger than 20mm in diameter at registration. Intersex.
