Phenotypic characterization, milk yield, udder health and heat tolerance of Saanen Crossbred, Saanen, and Etawah Crossbred dairy goats under tropical farm conditions
This study provides the first integrated phenotypic and physiological characterization of Saanen Crossbred (Sapera) goats in Indonesia, revealing that while they exhibit intermediate milk yields and heat tolerance with predominantly Saanen-like dairy traits, residual Etawah influences indicate that a uniform breed standard has not yet been established.
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In the humid, sun-drenched landscapes of the tropics, raising dairy animals presents a unique biological puzzle. The animals that produce the most milk in cooler climates often struggle to cope with the heat and humidity of the equator, while the local animals that thrive in the heat often produce far less milk. Farmers in Indonesia have long relied on a local goat breed known for its hardiness, but its milk output is modest. To solve this, they began mixing these local goats with the Saanen, a famous dairy breed from Europe known for high production but poor heat tolerance. The goal was to create a hybrid that could handle the tropical sun while still producing a substantial amount of milk. However, because this mixing happened without a strict breeding plan, the resulting goats varied wildly in appearance and performance. Scientists needed to understand exactly what these mixed goats looked like, how they performed, and whether they had truly found the middle ground between heat resistance and milk production.
A team of researchers at Universitas Gadjah Mada set out to answer these questions by visiting eight dairy farms in the Yogyakarta region of Indonesia. They studied 243 lactating female goats, comparing three distinct groups: the purebred Saanen, the local Etawah Crossbred, and the mixed Saanen Crossbred, locally known as Sapera. The team did not just look at how much milk the animals produced; they measured the physical structure of the goats, examined the shape and health of their udders, and monitored how their bodies reacted to the heat of the day. They recorded details ranging from the length of the goats' ears and the shape of their heads to the circumference of their chests and the distance from their teats to the ground. They also checked for signs of udder infection and measured the goats' body temperature and breathing rates to see how well they handled the tropical climate.
The study revealed that the Saanen Crossbred is a fascinating mix of its two parents, leaning heavily toward the Saanen in the traits that matter most for milk production, while retaining some of the local goat's physical characteristics. In terms of milk, the crossbred goats produced an intermediate amount, yielding about 1,677 milliliters per day when standardized to a specific point in their lactation cycle. This was significantly more than the local Etawah Crossbred, which produced roughly 967 milliliters, but less than the purebred Saanen, which produced over 2,400 milliliters. Physically, the crossbred goats looked much like the Saanen: most had white coats, upright ears, and a round, globular udder shape that is ideal for milk storage. However, they were not perfectly uniform. A significant portion of the population still showed the drooping ears and convex head profiles typical of the local Etawah breed, and their coat colors were more varied than the pure white of the Saanen. This variation suggests that the population has not yet settled into a single, stable type because the breeding has been uncontrolled.
The researchers also found that the crossbred goats occupied a middle ground when it came to health and heat tolerance. The Saanen goats, while high producers, showed the highest signs of udder infection and the greatest struggle with the heat, indicated by higher body temperatures and faster breathing rates during the hottest part of the day. The local Etawah goats were the most heat-tolerant and had the cleanest udders, likely because their udders hung higher off the ground, keeping them away from dirt and manure. The Saanen Crossbred fell in between: they had better heat tolerance than the pure Saanen but not quite as good as the local goats, and their udder health was better than the Saanen but not as perfect as the local breed. The study concluded that while the Saanen Crossbred is a promising animal for tropical small farms, it is not yet a standardized breed. To make it a reliable resource for farmers, a formal breeding program is needed to select for the best traits—such as the high milk capacity of the Saanen and the heat resilience of the local goat—while eliminating the inconsistent physical features that currently make the population so varied.
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