Oberhasli

The Oberhasli is a dairy goat that traces back to the mountain cantons of Switzerland. It's a medium-sized animal, easily picked out by its bay to deep red coat, known as chamois, set off with black markings on the face, legs, belly and along the spine. Does typically weigh around 54 kilograms and stand close to 71 centimetres at the shoulder, with bucks running a fair bit bigger.

The breed is kept chiefly for milk. Yield sits in the moderate range for a dairy goat, but the milk itself has a mild, sweet character that plenty of keepers prefer for drinking and for cheesemaking. Oberhasli does also mother well and cope with cooler conditions and rough ground, traits carried over from their alpine background. In Australian conditions that hardiness needs pairing with solid shade and airflow, since the breed copes with cold far better than it copes with a hot paddock in January.

Temperament is one of the breed's stand-out qualities. Oberhasli goats are generally quiet, gentle and people-focused, which makes them a sound pick for small farms, hobby blocks and 4-H style youth projects. They stay switched on to what's happening around them without being flighty or highly strung.

Who it suits

The Oberhasli suits keepers after a manageable, even-tempered dairy goat rather than the biggest possible milk cheque. Its calm handling and tolerance of cool weather suit hobby farmers, backyard cheesemakers and youth livestock programs, though in the top end and inland areas owners need to factor in solid shade and cooling for summer. Anyone chasing a large-volume commercial dairy animal, or farming in consistently hot country without good shelter, might compare it against the bigger alpine breeds first.

The Oberhasli comes from the mountainous regions of Switzerland, including the area around Bern that gives the breed its name. It belongs to the broad group of Swiss alpine dairy goats built up over generations for milk on small mountain farms. The chamois colour pattern was a constant feature of these Swiss herds.

Goats of this type were shipped out to the United States in the early 1900s. For several decades they were grouped in with other alpine imports and sometimes recorded under the general Alpine heading, which blurred the breed's own identity.

Committed breeders tracked down animals carrying the true Swiss chamois pattern and bred them on to keep the line pure. Over time the Oberhasli earned recognition as a breed in its own right rather than a colour variant of the Alpine.

The Oberhasli remains less common today than several other dairy breeds, including on the Australian dairy goat scene. Keepers who run the breed value its colour, temperament and milk quality, and herd records keep the focus on the distinctive chamois coat and black markings.

The Oberhasli has a balanced, dairy-type build: a level back, a deep body, and a well-attached udder in does. The face is straight or slightly dished, the ears stand upright and point forward, and the overall look is alert and tidy. Both does and bucks may carry horns or be disbudded, depending on how the herd is managed.

Coat and colours

The signature colour is chamois, running from a light bay through to a deep reddish brown. Defining black markings show up on the face, with two pale stripes running from above each eye to the muzzle, plus markings on the lower legs, belly and a stripe down the spine. The ears are often edged or marked in black. Bucks tend to carry more black through the coat than does. The coat is short to medium in length and sits close to the body.

The Oberhasli is known for a steady, gentle disposition. These goats are people-focused and tend to bond with whoever handles them day to day, which makes routine jobs like milking and hoof trimming a lot easier. They stay watchful of what's going on around them but rarely panic, a trait suited to open paddocks and rough country.

With family members the breed is friendly and tolerant, and it's often recommended for households with kids and for youth showing programs. Around strangers most Oberhasli goats are wary at first, then settle quickly once they've worked out there's nothing to worry about. They generally get along well with other goats and other farm animals, though pecking order and individual personality still come into play.

The breed is comparatively quiet. Oberhasli goats don't carry on as much as some dairy breeds, which counts for something where noise is an issue with neighbours. Like all goats they're curious and handy climbers, so secure fencing and things to keep them occupied help stop escapes and boredom.

Grooming

• Brush the short coat weekly to clear loose hair and check the skin underneath
• Trim hooves every 6 to 8 weeks to stop overgrowth and lameness
• Check ears, eyes and coat for parasites during routine handling
• For milking does, keep the udder and flanks clean and clipped as needed

Exercise

• Give daily access to a paddock or a large exercise yard
• Provide climbing structures, stumps or rocks to satisfy natural climbing behaviour
• Fence at least 1.2 to 1.5 metres high; goats test and climb weak points
• Rotate grazing areas to manage feed and cut down parasite load

Environment

The breed handles cold well thanks to its alpine background, but it needs dry, draught-free shelter to stay healthy through wet or windy weather. In most of Australia the bigger risk runs the other way: summer heat. Provide deep shade, well-ventilated housing (an open-sided, shaded shed beats a tin structure that traps heat), and cool, clean water kept in the shade during the hotter months, since heat stress is a bigger threat to this breed than cold ever is. Keep at least one companion goat, since Oberhasli are herd animals and do poorly kept on their own.

The base of the Oberhasli diet is forage: paddock grazing, browse, and good-quality grass or legume hay. Browse such as shrubs and leafy plants suits their natural feeding style, since goats browse rather than graze. Milking does and growing kids need extra energy and protein, usually supplied as a measured ration of dairy goat pellets or grain. Clean water needs to be on hand at all times, and milk output drops away fast when water runs short, which matters even more through a hot Australian summer.

Treats and supplements

Offer treats such as small amounts of fruit or vegetables sparingly, so they don't throw the ration out of balance. Provide loose goat minerals with the right copper and selenium levels for your region, since deficiencies are common where local soils run low, as is the case across parts of Australia. A salt source and clean water round out daily needs. Check with a vet or your local department of agriculture before adding supplements for specific health goals.

The Oberhasli is a hardy breed that copes well with cool, rugged conditions. With good management many animals live 12 to 18 years, though the productive milking life is shorter. Most health problems are the same ones that affect dairy goats generally, and they're largely preventable through routine care, sanitation and good nutrition.

Preventive care

• Book in faecal tests and drench based on the results
• Trim hooves every 6 to 8 weeks
• Keep vaccinations current on local vet advice (5-in-1 or similar clostridial cover is standard in many areas)
• Provide region-appropriate loose minerals
• Quarantine new animals before adding them to the herd

Oberhasli goats reach breeding age within their first year, though does are commonly joined once they're well grown, often around 8 to 10 months or at a solid body weight. Like most goat breeds, they're seasonal breeders, cycling mainly through the cooler months of autumn and early winter. Gestation runs about 150 days, roughly five months.

Does typically give birth to one or two kids, with twins common in mature does. The breed is known for good mothering, and does usually clean up, feed and protect their kids with little help needed. Kids are up and nursing soon after birth; making sure they get colostrum in the first hours matters for their immunity.

Kids start nibbling at forage within the first few weeks and are generally weaned by about 12 weeks, depending on whether they're dam-raised or bottle-raised. Bucks used for breeding should be picked for conformation, temperament and correct chamois markings to keep the breed's character intact.