DOMESTIC GOAT'S BREEDS
Domestic goats present in America and Australia were imported from Europe, Asia and Africa. The principal African domestic goats are: the Nubia goat, the Maltese goat and the African dwarf goat. The Nubia goat (or the goat of High Egypt) produces a lot of milk with an elevated lipidic content: it has got short, silk and reddish fur. The ears are hanging, it is 60-70 cm tall and weighs 40 kg. The Maltese goat has got brown spotted white fur, short on the head; it may have small horns and it can be more than 70 cm tall and weighs 50 kg. This goat produces about 6 litres of milk daily. For its provenience the Nubia goat can be considered an African goat, but because of the diffusion area is included in the European goats. The African dwarf goat isn't over 45 cm of height and weighs 25 kg; it has got short and thin horns. Its production of milk is very scarce. The fur is chamois-like and has different colours. The Asian domestic goats have got a fur suitable for weaving, generally they have got horns. They also have got a medium height. The most important are the Angora goat and the Kashmir goat. The Angora goat has got white fur, with thin and long hair underneath. Which is used for weaving very thin cloths. This goat produces light milk and it's also present in the United States and in Africa. It comes from Turkey. The Kashmir goat has got big fur and this can be white, brown or ash grey; it lives on the Himalaia Mountains. From its soft fur can be obtained voluable yarns. In the mountain area on the boundary between Spain and France is diffused the Pirenei goat, which is appreciated for its fur, too it has generally got long and curving horns. In France are present: the Alp goat and the Poitou goat. In Spain there is the Murcia goat, it has got short fur that can be of different colours. This goat usually has got horns and an elegant body. The Murcia goat is famous for its prolificity. Among other Spain goat there are the Castiglia goat and the Granada goat. The European domestic goats are also divided into "Alto Vallese" goat, the "Chamois-like" Alp goat, the Saaen's goat and the Toggenburg goat (the later coming from the Canton of "St. Gallen" and "Bern Oberland"). In the area of production of "robiola" cheese are present goat breeds that come from other countries and one autochtonal. The two imported breeds are the Saaen goat and the "Chamois -like" Alp goat. The Saaen goat is known for the quantity and the quality (poor in lipids) of milk prodeced. But this goat doesn't grow very well in the "robiola" area. The "Chamois- like" Alp goat has goat a medium lenght fur, it produces a lot of milk and is the favourite for the breeding, because there are subraces without horns. The autochtonal breed is the Roccaverano goat, a rustic goat fit for grazing; it produces milk rich in lipids and perfect for the production of the "robiola" cheese. The Roccaverano goat has a medium size and the male weighs ranges from 65 to 75 kg and the female weighs from 50 to 55 Kg. Its fur can be of different colours (white, bèige, black, brown or white spotted) short or long. The head is thin with medium lenghts almost horizontal ears; it usually hasn't got horn in males and females. Two white lines that start over the eyes and reach the lips are frequent. The quantity of milk produced is less than the other two breeds but this animal is more resistent to deseases. The Roccaverano goat is an animal in danger of extinction, infact the number of reproducers goes from 100 to 1000. Since 1995 the number of animal doubled in few years. The problem of the Roccaverano goat is the difficulty in selecting a pure breed, because in the past it was a crossbred.

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