Appenzell

From northeastern Switzerland, the Appenzell or Appenzeller goat is a white dairy breed tied to the canton of Appenzell and nearby alpine districts. It is medium sized, generally hornless in many lines, and carries a longer white coat than the short-haired Saanen, with which it can be confused at a glance. The breed was shaped for mountain farms where goats moved between village housing and summer pasture, producing milk for household use and local cheese making.

Modern Appenzell goats are kept in Swiss conservation and dairy herds, and numbers are modest compared with larger international breeds. Their longer coat benefits from periodic grooming, especially before housing or shows, but management is otherwise the familiar dairy-goat routine of clean bedding, quality hay, browse or pasture, and careful hoof care on steep ground. Buyers outside Switzerland should confirm background through reliable herd records, because white dairy goats may look similar while carrying very different breeding histories.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Brown, Brown and White, Buckskin, Chamois (Dark Brown), Chamoisee, Chamois (Light Brown), Cou Blanc, Cou Clair, Cream, Dark Brown with White Points, Fawn, Gold, Light Tan with White Points, Medium Brown with White Points, Moonspotted, Pinto, Red, Red and White, Roan, Spotted, Sundgau, Swiss Marked, Tan, Traditional Swiss Markings on Brown Base, White