The white short-haired goat is a breed of domestic goat from the Czech Republic. It is a breed of dairy goat, bred primarily for milk production. The short-haired white goat is the result of selective breeding of local Czech goats crossed with Saanen goats from Switzerland.
Landraces that were improved by crossing with Saanens in the early 1900s were not uniform in color, mostly light brown to white. The White Shorthair was recognized as a separate goat breed in 1954-1955 and is now found throughout the Czech Republic.
The breed is also known as the Bila short-haired goat. The total population of this breed is about 35,000, 97 percent of the animals are kept in small home gardens.
Although after World War II their number was about 1.5 million (according to the “Cattle Breeds” of the Department of Animal Science of Oklahoma State University).
Today, this breed is primarily bred as a breed of dairy goat for milk production. Learn more about this breed of goats below.
Characteristics of the short-haired white goat
The short-haired white goat is a medium-sized animal. In appearance, it resembles the Saanen goat. The appearance of this goat is typical of dairy goats, strong but with fine bones, a deep and long body and long legs.
They are pure white, short-haired, undyed. Some strains retain the characteristic Saanen black spots on the skin of the nose, eyelids, udders and sometimes on the belly.
These goats have erect ears and most of them are polled (about 75-80%), and the error is corrected by systematic selection.
The average height of white short-haired goats is 75-85 cm, and that of females is 72-80 cm, males weigh on average about 68-86 kg, and females about 54-68 kg. Photo by Mendelu.
Advantages
The short-haired white goat is one of the good breeds of dairy goats. The breed is mainly used for milk production. It is also suitable for the commercial breeding of dairy goats.
Special Considerations
The short-haired white goat has a calm and gentle character, like the Saanen goats. They are generally friendly and well mannered. They are fairly good milk producers: they produce an average of 770 kg of milk per 300 days of lactation (average 1994-1998).
Some goats also produce more, good animals raised on a small farm can even produce 1360 kg of milk. The milk of this breed contains 3.7% fat and 2.75% protein.
The average fertility is 190%, while 1% of registered births are for four. However, check out the full profile of this breed in the following table.
Breed name | white shorthair |
another name | Also known as Bilà Kratkosrsta Koza. |
Purpose of the breed | Milk |
Breed size | medium |
Dollar | About 68-86kg |
doe | About 54-68kg |
horns | Usually polled (75-80%) |
climatic tolerance | All climates |
coat color | White |
Suitable for Stall Fed | Not |
scarcity | general |
Country/place of origin | Czech Republic |