Russian White Goat Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Russian White goat is known to be one of the best breeds for a farm. They have a calm even temperament, give loads of very nutritious milk and are quite a low maintenance friendly breed that is easy to handle.

They are, as their name suggests, a breed that originated in Russia and is quite prized there for their dairy producing abilities and the fact that they can breed more than once a year.

Russian White Goat Quick Profile Overview

Beautiful white Russian goats that produce large amounts of milk nearly all year round if they are bred more than once in a year.
Country of Origin:	Russia
Other Names:	Russkaya belaya (Russian), Russian Dairy goat, Improved Northern Russian Goat and Russian White Dairy goat.
Breed Size:	Medium
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Main Purpose:	Milk and sometimes skin
Can be used for	Breeding, Milk, Pets, Skin
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Temperament:	Active but calm and well behaved and friendly
Good with Kids?	They are not really a breed that is meant to be near children
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Ideal Environment:	They are very adaptive to most environments being bred to withstand the harsh variations of the Russian terrain.
Ideal Climate:	They can withstand extremely cold to very hot climates
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Common
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Goat?	Yes, they can make a good starter goat for the homesteader or farmers looking to branch into goat farming
Goat Associations:	No known goat associations
Goat Clubs:	No known goat breeders clubs
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Russian White goat is of medium stature with a small narrow head, medium length sturdy legs and full body.
Color(s):	White There are no color variations on the white coat of this goat breed
Goat⇒	Doe	buck
Breed Weight:	60 kg’s	75 kg’s
Breed Height:	About 80 cm at withers	About 90 cm at withers
Hair:	Medium length, thick and coarse	Medium length, thick and coarse
Ears:	Tubular and erect flicked forward	Tubular and erect flicked forward
Horns:	They are medium length and curl backwards	They are medium length and curl backwards
Matures at age:	5 to 15 months	3 to 15 months
Puberty Age:	4 to 10 months	4 to 9 months
Breeding Age:	18 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	1 Breeding cycle	Cover 20 to 30 does in 1 season

DOE BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION

The Russian White doe can breed twice a year and have more kids than most other goat breed does
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 12 to 36 hours Ave. 21 days/18 to 24 days
Gestation Period:	Usually around 148 to 155 day but most are 150 days
Kids:	1 to 4 some per litter there have even been instances of this breed producing a litter of 6 kids
Good Mothers?	They will tend to and nurture their young until they are weaned
Lactation Period:	Usually around 250 to 284 days. Most common is 284 days
Milk Quality:	They produce 500 to 600 liters of milk per year. Their milk is high in butterfat and protein content making it ideal for cheese making.
Milking Level:	They have full udders positioned for easy milking
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GOOD TO KNOW

Some tidbits and bod that are good and handy to know about the Russian White breed of goat
Where to buy them:	It is best to check with the various American goat societies such as the American Dairy Goat Association and the American Goat Federation about this breed. Links to both these associations can be found at the end of this article. There is no information about where to buy these goats that are readily available.
Agility:	They are very agile, nimble and quick little goats
Interact with other animals:	They do not mind sharing their space or mingling with other animals on their farms/homesteads.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

They are one of the most popular goat breeds in Russia and can be found on a lot of farms throughout various regions of the country.

They have a high-fat content of 4.2 to 5.3 % and a protein content of around 3% in their milk. Making their milk good for uses such as yogurt, cream, butter and cheese.

The Russian White is not known for its fiber production as their hair is quite coarse and can be brittle

Their skin has been used for leather production and is known for its very high quality

HISTORY

Russian farmers have been raising dairy goats for centuries. Most of these goats have a lot of influence from goats that were imported from all over Asia.

The Russian White goat was developed from selective breeding of Toggenburg and Saanan goats believed to have been imported to Russia from Switzerland. These goats were then bred with various another goat breeds native to the USSR.

The Russian White goat is mostly found in the Yaroslavi, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow areas of Russia.

A medium sized breed that coat is white and is used for its nutritious milk and at times its skin which produces some of the finest leather.
They are hardy and adaptable to the most extreme weather conditions having been specifically bred to withstand the harsh Russian climates of extremely cold winters and very hot summers.