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Nubian goat colors

Find Nubian color names and markings, with pictures, descriptive words and the features to check. Mini Nubians can use this guide too.

Updated · How it works and sources

What color is my goat?Predict kid colors
Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown coloring.

Brown

A solid coat. Look for any tan before calling a goat black; brown coats have brown in place of black.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown 50% to 100%; may also give Black up to 50% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown black and tan coloring.

Brown black and tan

A dark body with tan on the belly, throat, face and legs.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown black and tan 25% to 100%; may also give Black and tan up to 50%, Brown up to 50%, Black up to 25% (up to 75% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a brown buckskin Nubian doe: brown cape and leg markings over a tan body and belly, with a tan break at each hind hock.

Brown buckskin

Check the dark cape, a usually light belly and light lower legs with dark front marks; white can hide the belly. Rare in Nubians (2 of 101 records).

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown buckskin 25% to 100%; may also give Buckskin up to 50%, Brown up to 50%, Black up to 25% (up to 75% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown chamoisee (bay) coloring.

Brown chamoisee

Check the dark belly, lower legs and dorsal stripe.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown chamoisee 25% to 100%; may also give Chamoisee up to 50%, Brown up to 50%, Black up to 25% (up to 75% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with red, tan or gold coloring.

Red, tan or gold

Tan across the whole goat, from pale cream to deeper red. Shade alone does not establish what pattern a goat can hide.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Red, tan or gold 50% to 100%; may also give Black up to 50%, Black and tan up to 50%, Brown black and tan up to 50%, Buckskin up to 50%, Chamoisee up to 50%, Brown up to 50%, Brown buckskin up to 50%, Brown chamoisee up to 50%, Brown swiss up to 50%, Swiss up to 50% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown swiss coloring.

Brown swiss

Check the dark belly and light muzzle, with pale facial stripes and lower legs; a pale belly suggests sundgau. Rare in Nubians (2 of 101 records).

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown swiss 25% to 100%; may also give Brown up to 50%, Swiss up to 50%, Black up to 25% (up to 75% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with black and tan buckskin coloring.

Black and tan buckskin

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Black and tan 50%; Buckskin 50%

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with black and tan chamoisee coloring.

Black and tan chamoisee

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Black and tan 50%; Chamoisee 50%

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown black and tan buckskin coloring.

Brown black and tan buckskin

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown black and tan 25% to 50%; Brown buckskin 25% to 50%; may also give Black and tan up to 25%, Buckskin up to 25% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown black and tan chamoisee coloring.

Brown black and tan chamoisee

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown black and tan 25% to 50%; Brown chamoisee 25% to 50%; may also give Black and tan up to 25%, Chamoisee up to 25% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with buckskin chamoisee coloring.

Buckskin chamoisee

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Buckskin 50%; Chamoisee 50%

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with black and tan swiss coloring.

Black and tan swiss

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Black and tan 50%; Swiss 50%

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown black and tan swiss coloring.

Brown black and tan swiss

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown black and tan 25% to 50%; Brown swiss 25% to 50%; may also give Black and tan up to 25%, Swiss up to 25% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown buckskin chamoisee coloring.

Brown buckskin chamoisee

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown buckskin 25% to 50%; Brown chamoisee 25% to 50%; may also give Buckskin up to 25%, Chamoisee up to 25% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown buckskin swiss coloring.

Brown buckskin swiss

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown buckskin 25% to 50%; Brown swiss 25% to 50%; may also give Buckskin up to 25%, Swiss up to 25% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with brown chamoisee swiss coloring.

Brown chamoisee swiss

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Brown chamoisee 25% to 50%; Brown swiss 25% to 50%; may also give Chamoisee up to 25%, Swiss up to 25% (up to 50% in total)

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with buckskin swiss coloring.

Buckskin swiss

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Buckskin 50%; Swiss 50%

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a Nubian doe with chamoisee swiss coloring.

Chamoisee swiss

The named patterns combine their tan regions. A Swiss partner adds pale trim rather than replacing the other body pattern; gold covers Swiss.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Bred to a black goat: Chamoisee 50%; Swiss 50%

Use as doe Use as buck

Illustration of a black and white spotted Nubian doe.

Black and white spotted

Random white patches over the base. White can hide the belly and other features; its amount is not predicted.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

White amount is not calculated. Choose the base color under the white to see kid colors.

Choose the underlying color

Illustration of a red and white spotted Nubian doe.

Tan and white spotted

Random white patches over the base. White can hide the belly and other features; its amount is not predicted.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

White amount is not calculated. Choose the base color under the white to see kid colors.

Choose the underlying color

Illustration of a red Nubian doe with cream and tan moonspots.

Moonspots on red

Look for pale or tan spots rather than white; adult spots can fade and tiny ones get missed. Moonspots do not show inside a white patch.

ADGA: no single term

Is this my goat?

Choose the base coat in the calculator to see kid colors and the available marking or trait odds.

Choose the underlying color

Illustrations of a typical Nubian with each color, not photos of DNA-tested goats; the closest picture is not proof of a goat's color.

Color illustration shown with natural horns. Horn status is entered separately.

What to check

Buckskin, chamoisee or black?
Illustration of a Nubian doe with buckskin coloring.
Buckskin
Illustration of a Nubian doe with chamoisee (bay) coloring.
Chamoisee

A buckskin usually has a light belly and light lower legs with dark marks down the front; a chamoisee usually has a dark belly and dark lower legs. White markings, chocolate, a coat that darkens with age, combination colors and lighting can hide the difference.

A very dark buckskin vs black: any tan, such as a lighter rump behind the dark cape, means a pattern goat, not black. The cape can darken over the first months; check again at about 6 months.

Cou clair vs buckskin: a light front with a black rear is cou clair; a dark front cape with a light rump is buckskin.

Combination looks: with chamoisee, buckskin or cou clair, a Swiss partner adds pale trim (generally cream to tan) rather than replacing the partner's body pattern; a chamoisee Swiss reads as a chamoisee with light lower legs and light face stripes. Gold covers Swiss.

A bezoar-looking Nigerian Dwarf: Closest: chamoisee buckskin (or buckskin). Bezoar itself has no ND records. Closest describes the look, not a measured likelihood.

Swiss or sundgau?
Illustration of a Nubian doe with swiss coloring.
Swiss

Swiss vs sundgau: check the belly first (dark = Swiss, pale = sundgau), then the muzzle (a Swiss has a light muzzle).

White can cover the pattern
Illustration of a Nubian doe with buckskin coloring.
Buckskin

White patches can hide the belly and legs. Check the colored areas and keep Not sure when the feature is covered.

Moonspots can be darker or more strongly colored on kids and fade as they mature; on adults they can look like white spots, and tiny ones get missed. They are pale or tan, not white, and they don't show inside a white patch.

Kid or adult?
Illustration of a Nubian doe with buckskin coloring.
Buckskin

A buckskin's cape can darken over the first months; check again at about 6 months.

Chocolate on gold: chocolate doesn't show on a gold coat, except in any black shading, which turns brown; a gold hiding chocolate can show it through her kids. Black can fade toward brown with sun, age or nutrition. Chocolate can also be hard to recognize in a young kid: some are born nearly black and become clearly brown over the first months.

Eyes: marbled or partly blue eyes count as blue. A light gold-brown eye is still brown; some brown-coated goats have somewhat lighter eyes.

A young kid's eye color can still change; check again when the kid is older (breeders report).

White and markings

White spotting

Illustration of a black and white spotted Nubian doe.

Pied, broken, mostly white and tri-colored describe white over a base color. The amount and placement of white are not predicted. A belt describes a white band; tools use dominance as a stated breeder and expert assumption, not a promise about its size. Schwartzal is an AGS name for a mostly white goat with a dark head.

Learn about White spotting

Moonspots

Illustration of a Nubian doe: black body with tan moonspots, long pendulous ears, Roman nose and natural horns.

Breeder and expert experience: moonspots are pale or tan, not white. They can be stronger on kids and fade, and tiny ones can be missed in adults. The gene is not mapped and no DNA test exists.

Learn about Moonspots

Roan and frosted

Illustration of a black roan Nubian doe.

Roan is white hairs mixed through the body, usually fewer on the face and lower legs. Frosted means white hairs on the ears and muzzle and can be a few easily missed hairs. Frosted has a small Nigerian Dwarf breeding study; roan has weaker evidence.

Learn about Roan and frosted

Blue eyes

Breeder and expert experience: blue eyes are described as dominant, with no published breeding counts. The gene is not mapped and no DNA test exists. Marbled or partly blue eyes count as blue; a light gold-brown eye is still brown. A young kid's eye color can change, breeders report.

Learn about Blue eyes

Health notes

Polled buck × polled doe. If the buck has one copy of polled, about 1 in 8 kids is expected to be an intersex goat: genetically female and infertile, and it can look like a doeling, a buckling or something in between. If he has two copies, about 1 in 4. If you don't know which he has, plan for 1 in 4. This assumes the polled doe is fertile (she has kidded, or a test shows one copy). Breeders usually pair a polled goat with a horned one: half the kids are polled (all of them if the polled buck has two copies), and none have polled intersex syndrome. A polled DNA test is offered in Europe (Giessen, Bern).

G6S: neither parent has a result. About 1 in 4 Nubians tested at TVMDL carried it; two carriers give about 1 in 4 affected kids. Test before breeding.

Polled and intersex syndrome G6S deficiency Scrapie resistance (PRNP) Alpha-S1 casein

Real goats with these colors

Photo of a Mini Nubian goat recorded as buckskinSugar

Recorded as 'buckskin'

Photo of a Nubian goat recorded as swiss markedAbadon

Recorded as 'swiss marked'

Frequently asked questions

Can Nubian goats be buckskin or Swiss?

Yes. Buckskin and Swiss are included in the Nubian color pool, although they were rare in the reviewed records (2 of 101 records). They are not removed merely because another color is seen more often.

Do mini Nubians use the same color names?

Mini Nubians can use the Nubian names and also show colors from Nigerian Dwarf ancestry. A closest picture is a naming aid, not proof of a genotype. Their own recorded color words stay with the goat.

Is a brown Nubian always genetically the same color?

Brown or chocolate describes the appearance. Studied goat browns include dominant and recessive forms, and a name alone does not establish which a line has. A gold coat can hide brown without showing it.

What this tool covers

  • Named colors and markings, with the registry words and the features to check.

Limits

  • Illustrations show typical appearances, not proof of a genotype. White markings, age and lighting can hide a pattern.

Sources

How it works and sources

Printed from https://creatures.com/species/goat/nubian/colors on October 26, 2026. Method and references: https://creatures.com/species/goat/nubian/colors#sources