From the drought-resistant Galla goat breed, native to Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia, to the smaller, pet-friendly Nigerian Dwarf Goats, and larger dairy breeds like Alpine and Saanen goats known for their excellent milk production, raising goats offers diverse benefits depending on their purpose.
With the rising consumer demand for goat milk due to its nutritional benefits, dairy goat farming is becoming an increasingly popular and lucrative venture for farmers in East Africa.
Among the many dairy goat breeds in the region, three stand out as the most common and significant: Saanen, Alpine, and Toggenburg. This article focuses on the Alpine breed, which has been carefully developed through breeding, selection, and culling by livestock experts. The choice of breed largely depends on local climatic conditions, as each is suited to specific environments.
In Kenya, Alpine goats are primarily found in the Central and Eastern highlands, particularly in Nyeri and Meru districts, where annual rainfall ranges from 701 to 1800 mm and temperatures average between 19.5˚C and 24.5˚C.
The Alpine goat breed originated in Britain in 1903 through crossbreeding local goats with Alpine goats imported from Switzerland. Named after the Alps mountain range, these goats are medium to large in size and come in a variety of coat colors, including shades of grey, brown, black, red, and buff. Both male and female goats have a pronounced mane and may or may not have horns.
Alpine goats are hardy, adaptable animals that thrive in diverse climates, making them ideal for farmers concerned about production costs. They are also excellent foragers with strong jumping abilities.
A study published in the Open Journal of Animal Sciences notes that Alpine goats are typically zero-grazed, and their kidding season is not synchronized, depending on pasture conditions. Farmers are advised to mate does when they have reached two-thirds of their final weight to ensure proper growth and avoid complications like stunted growth, reduced lifespan, or low milk production.
Alpine goats typically produce up to 3.5 kg of milk per day in the first two months of lactation. Milk yield peaks 35 days after kidding and then gradually declines. However, with proper feeding and milking practices, does can continue producing milk for 3 to 10 months. Research from 2014 among Alpine dairy farmers in central Kenya found that goats kidding between November and December produced the highest milk yields, followed by those kidding from January to March, and lastly those kidding from May to July.
Daily milk yields range from 2.5 to 4 liters, depending on management practices. Farmers are encouraged to let kids suckle from their mothers, as suckled does tend to produce more milk.
Alpine goats perform well under low-input farming conditions, adapting easily and producing good milk yields when fed with locally available resources. Female goats typically weigh around 60 kg and stand 70-76 cm tall at maturity, with an average lactation yield of 922.5 kg of milk or 4.5 kg per day, with a butterfat content of 3.6%. Bucks, on the other hand, weigh 65-80 kg and reach a height of 80-90 cm when mature.
