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03-14-2023, 10:29 AM
I love my Alpine/Nubian crosses! I have to disagree with Charlie Horse about Alpine feet. I tend to find Alpine foot and leg conformation lacking. (Not as bad as Saanens, but worse than most other breeds.) Alpines can be light on bone and have splayed toes and thin hoof walls. Saanens are the kings of brittle, splayed hooves and weak pasterns. However, breeders who have been concentrating on improving feet and legs can buck the trend and turn out goats with really nice conformation. It's important to be aware of this problem when looking at any goat, but especially Saanens and Alpines. The problem sometimes doesn't present itself until the goat reaches maturity and his body weight increases.
The Nubian breed typically has consistently good feet and legs, with strong, well-formed hooves and thick, tough hoof walls. However, they are more commonly post-legged in the back than Swiss breeds in my experience. They can also have the opposite problem in the pasterns and be too upright, which is less of a problem than pasterns that are overly angled (weak), but it's still not ideal. Nubians are typically quite mild-mannered in the pen and like to snuggle with each other. This makes for a very tranquil goat herd, but that lack of passion can also translate to laziness on the trail. Nubians are generally less athletic than Alpines, but they also tend to have more stamina and a stronger build. This is why I like crossing Nubians with Swiss breeds (especially Alpines). Nubians add strength, good leg conformation, and a sweet temperament while Alpines add a good work ethic, athleticism, extra boldness and curiosity, and a softer voice. I don't think Nubian wethers talk more, but their voices are about 10x louder and more obnoxious when they do talk. Of course, crossing breeds does not always get you the best of both worlds. Sometimes you end up with a goat that exemplifies the worst of both breeds! But nevertheless, I have been overall quite pleased with my crosses.
I've rarely seen a Togg with bad feet, but they can be one of the more aloof breeds. I hear they are hard workers but less likely to be your buddy than other breeds. Everyone who has Obers seems to love them. I hope someday to add more Ober to my herd genetics. I got a trace amount of Ober (and Saanen) when I bought my bucks, Buda and Pest, in 2021. My herd also has a small amount of Saanen in it through my goat Lilly, who was 1/2 Saanen. That makes my star packgoat, Finn 1/4 Saanen. I currently have a lot of white in my herd tracing back to Tigerlily, who was Finn's daughter.
The Nubian breed typically has consistently good feet and legs, with strong, well-formed hooves and thick, tough hoof walls. However, they are more commonly post-legged in the back than Swiss breeds in my experience. They can also have the opposite problem in the pasterns and be too upright, which is less of a problem than pasterns that are overly angled (weak), but it's still not ideal. Nubians are typically quite mild-mannered in the pen and like to snuggle with each other. This makes for a very tranquil goat herd, but that lack of passion can also translate to laziness on the trail. Nubians are generally less athletic than Alpines, but they also tend to have more stamina and a stronger build. This is why I like crossing Nubians with Swiss breeds (especially Alpines). Nubians add strength, good leg conformation, and a sweet temperament while Alpines add a good work ethic, athleticism, extra boldness and curiosity, and a softer voice. I don't think Nubian wethers talk more, but their voices are about 10x louder and more obnoxious when they do talk. Of course, crossing breeds does not always get you the best of both worlds. Sometimes you end up with a goat that exemplifies the worst of both breeds! But nevertheless, I have been overall quite pleased with my crosses.
I've rarely seen a Togg with bad feet, but they can be one of the more aloof breeds. I hear they are hard workers but less likely to be your buddy than other breeds. Everyone who has Obers seems to love them. I hope someday to add more Ober to my herd genetics. I got a trace amount of Ober (and Saanen) when I bought my bucks, Buda and Pest, in 2021. My herd also has a small amount of Saanen in it through my goat Lilly, who was 1/2 Saanen. That makes my star packgoat, Finn 1/4 Saanen. I currently have a lot of white in my herd tracing back to Tigerlily, who was Finn's daughter.