Sable
Sable is a standard-sized dairy breed from Switzerland.
Registered by American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), American Goat Society (AGS).
Is Sable right for you?
About Sable
Sable is the colored counterpart of the Saanen, sharing the same high milk production and calm temperament, just in any color or combination except solid white or light cream, the one line the breed standard draws.
Average yield runs about 2,385 lb a season at 3.3 percent butterfat, essentially Saanen production in a different coat. Registrations are genuinely small, around 500 a year with ADGA, one of the association’s lower-volume breeds, though it carries no formal conservation flag.
A good option for someone who wants Saanen-level production without the all-white look, and is prepared to search a little harder for breeding stock.
How Sable compares
This breed's cited milk yield is 2,385 lb, above 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 3rd of 9 dairy breeds on milk yield. 10 more dairy breeds are in our list without a sourced figure for this.
Breeds like this one
Full record
Size
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Size class | Standard1 |
| Mature doe weight | 135 lb or more1 |
| Mature buck weight | 170 lb or more1 |
| Height at withers (doe) | 30 in or more1 |
| Height at withers (buck) | 32 in or more1 |
Appearance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Coat type | Smooth1 |
| Coat length | Short1 |
| Colors | any color but solid white or cream1 |
| Ears | Erect1 |
| Facial profile | Varies1 |
| Distinguishing features | Any color/combination except solid white or solid light cream (the colored counterpart of the Saanen), Same high milk production and calm temperament as the Saanen1 |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Patterns | Not found in our sources* |
| Horns | Not found in our sources* |
Dairy
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Average lactation yield | 2,385 lb2 |
| Lactation yield range | 1,540–3,120 lb2 |
| Butterfat | 3.3%2 |
| Protein | 2.9%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. |
Temperament and management
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Docility | Docile1 |
| Temperament tags | Docile, Calm1 |
8 more fields not found in our sources
| Handler experience level | Not found in our sources* |
| Hardiness | Not found in our sources* |
| Heat tolerance | Not found in our sources* |
| Cold tolerance | 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*
Availability
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | Not listed (The Livestock Conservancy, 2026)3 |
| Population estimate | 510 annual registrations4 |
1 more field not found in our sources
| Availability in the US | Not found in our sources* |
History and registries
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin country | Switzerland1 |
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 | High5‡ |
| Hardiness | High5‡ |
| Heat tolerance | High6‡ |
| Cold tolerance | Low7‡ |
| Browse clearing suitability | High5‡ |
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.8‡
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.5‡
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 (8)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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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