Oberhasli
Oberhaslis are calm enough for a first-time owner, yet rare enough that conservationists track their recovery.
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Registered by American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), American Goat Society (AGS).
Is Oberhasli right for you?
About Oberhasli
Oberhaslis are calm enough that novice handlers are specifically pointed toward this breed, a rich red bay goat with black facial stripes and leg markings, a “chamois” pattern that is its clearest visual signature, originally from the Brienzer region of Switzerland.
Milk production sits in the middle of the standard dairy breeds here, averaging around 1,995 lb a season at about 3.7 percent butterfat. The Livestock Conservancy lists Oberhasli as recovering, one of the few dairy breeds here with a formal conservation designation, even as it remains a genuinely easy, even-tempered goat to own.
It prefers cool, temperate conditions over heat, so a hot, humid climate is worth weighing against the breed’s Swiss mountain origins before committing. Registrations run modest, around 1,500 a year, so finding stock may take more looking than it would for the more common breeds on this list.
A calm, capable starter dairy goat for someone in the right climate, not the breed for hot, humid ground.
How Oberhasli compares
This breed's cited milk yield is 1,995 lb, below the median of 2,237 lb for the 9 dairy breeds with a sourced figure.
Not enough sourced data to compare this breed's doe weight to the all-breed median. 17 of 28 breeds in our list have a sourced doe weight.
Ranked 7th of 9 dairy breeds on milk yield. 10 more dairy breeds are in our list without a sourced figure for this.
Often confused with, and breeds like this one
Full record
Size
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Size class | Standard1 |
| Mature doe weight | 120 lb or more1 |
| Mature buck weight | 150 lb or more1 |
| Height at withers (doe) | 28 in or more1 |
| Height at withers (buck) | 30 in or more1 |
Appearance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Coat type | Smooth1 |
| Coat length | Short1 |
| Colors | bay, black1 |
| Patterns | chamois (black facial/dorsal stripes)1 |
| Ears | Erect1 |
| Facial profile | Varies1 |
| Distinguishing features | Rich red bay 'chamois' color with black facial stripes and leg markings, Calm, quiet disposition1 |
1 more field not found in our sources
| Horns | Not found in our sources* |
Dairy
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Average lactation yield | 1,995 lb2 |
| Lactation yield range | 1,120–3,050 lb2 |
| Butterfat | 3.7%2 |
| Protein | 3%2 |
| Milking temperament | Docile1 |
1 more field not found in our sources
| Lactation length | Not found in our sources* |
Fiber
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Fiber type | None1 |
| Annual fleece yield | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Fiber diameter | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Staple length | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Shearings per year | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Down percentage | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
Breeding
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Litter size | 1–4 kids3 |
3 more fields not found in our sources
| Breeding season | Not found in our sources* |
| Age at first breeding | Not found in our sources* |
| Weight at first breeding | Not found in our sources* |
Temperament and management
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Docility | Docile1 |
| Temperament tags | Docile, Calm1 |
| Handler experience level | Good for a first-timer4 |
| Heat tolerance | Low4 |
| Cold tolerance | High4 |
5 more fields not found in our sources
| Hardiness | Not found in our sources* |
| Parasite resistance | Not found in our sources* |
| Browse clearing suitability | Not found in our sources* |
Housing: Not found in our sources*
Fencing: Not found in our sources*
Health and lifespan
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Common health issues | infection in damp/humid weather3 |
Availability
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | Recovering (The Livestock Conservancy, 2026)5 |
| Population estimate | 1,526 annual registrations6 |
1 more field not found in our sources
| Availability in the US | Not found in our sources* |
History and registries
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin country | Switzerland7 |
About goats generally
The facts below are stated by extension and veterinary sources for goats as a species, not for this breed specifically, shown separately from the breed's own cited record above.
| Fencing / escape difficulty | High8‡ |
| Hardiness | High8‡ |
| Heat tolerance | High9‡ |
| Cold tolerance | Low10‡ |
| Browse clearing suitability | High8‡ |
Housing: Goats generally don't need elaborate housing -- a simple three-sided structure that blocks wind and rain is enough, at roughly 15 square feet of bedded space per animal. The real hazard is cold, damp drafts rather than fresh air itself: sustained drafty, wet-cold conditions can quickly bring on pneumonia and scours in young kids more than in adult stock.11‡
Fencing: Goats are notorious escape artists, so fencing built for cattle or sheep usually isn't enough. A multi-strand, electrified high-tensile fence with hot wires worked into the first, third and top strands is the standard effective approach; plain woven wire works too, but needs an extra interior electric strand to stop goats climbing on it or catching their heads and horns in the mesh.8‡
See our guides on how many goats to keep and how much space each one needs.
‡ Facts marked with a double dagger are about goats generally, not specifically this breed. See "About goats generally" above.
Sources (11)
- ADGA Breed Standards · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Penn State Extension, Dairy Goat Production (Table 2, 2019 DHIR data) · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 2019)
- Oberhasli Goat - The Livestock Conservancy · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-07
- Heritage Goat Breed Comparison Chart - The Livestock Conservancy · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Conservation Priority List - The Livestock Conservancy · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 2026)
- ADGA 2024 Annual Report · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 2024)
- AGS Breed Standards · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Meat Goat Production | Penn State Extension · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Nutritional Requirements of Goats | Merck Veterinary Manual · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Shelter, Fencing and Predator Control Needs on Pasture | Langston Ag Research · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Goat Housing and Facilities | Penn State Extension (Meat Goat Production and Management Home Study Course) · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
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