Photo Credit – Mary Tyler, Jordan, American Jewell Farm
Animals should be robust in appearance and of good dairy type with a triple wedge. Bucks should be masculine and Does feminine. They should be well proportioned, well blended and not coarse. Their coat should be soft with short to medium length hair and of any colour or pattern and their skin should be tan or black.
At 4 years of age, does should be a maximum of 57cm and a minimum of 43cm. Bucks a maximum of 60cm and minimum of 43cm.
The back should be straight, strong & horizontal. The body should be long, possess the triple dairy wedge and good spring of rib and length to height ratio. Withers that are fine and move strongly into the shoulders are desirable. Bucks should possess deep and wide forequarters while Does should have medium width and depth. The hindquarters should have a gradual fall from the hips to the tail and there should be good width between the hips that flare out to the thurls. The rump should be level across the thurls.
The udder should have a broad attachment that is high at the rear and forward to at least the front of the hip bones. It should be evenly divided with no pocket and not pendulous. It should have a strong medial ligament with sides that are well attached to the inner thighs. The skin texture should be soft with black or tan skin and the udder should posess good capacity. Teats should be clearly distinct from udder, two only and one orifice only in each teat. Teat placement to be at bottom of udder and in middle of each udder half. Teat size should be adequate for ease of hand or machine milking.
Images : American Diary Goat Society
