Saanen Goat

This is a white goat, which gets its name from the Saanen valley in Switzerland, where selective breeding of dairy goats has taken place for several hundred years.The Saanens in the UK started with an importation of goats from Holland in 1922, and these had an enormous influence on the development of British goats.Since 1922, there have been importation of goats from Switzerland in 1965, semen from Switzerland in 1993 and goats from Holland in 1997/98.The goats have a short fine coat and supple skin and a distinctly feminine head, which may be straight or dished. There are relatively few Saanens in the UK, but they have a quiet nature, can milk well and have qualities used with great advantage in improving British Saanens.