Australian Melaan

The Australian Melaan is an Australian dairy goat breed or breed section defined by its black coat and dairy character. Melaan comes from a word for black, and the type is generally expected to be solid black or nearly so while still showing the length, udder capacity, and productivity wanted in a milking goat. It is less widely known internationally than Saanen or Toggenburg goats, but it has a clearer identity than a casual color label.

Breeding Australian Melaans should not reduce the goal to coat color alone. Milking ability, udder attachment, teat placement, feet, temperament on the stand, and longevity all matter in a useful dairy herd. Black coats can absorb heat, so shade and water are important in warm Australian districts. Records of milk yield, kidding ease, and family lines help breeders improve the population while keeping the visual type recognizable. Buyers should ask whether animals are registered or simply black dairy-cross goats.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Black with Minor White Markings on Face, Black with Minor White Markings on Legs, Black with White Points, Brown, Brown and White, Buckskin, Chamoisee, Cou Blanc, Cou Clair, Cream, Fawn, Gold, Moonspotted, Pinto, Pure Black, Red, Red and White, Roan, Spotted, Sundgau, Swiss Marked, Tan, White