# By comparison, are Saanens more quiet than other breeds?



## Shepherd in training (May 10, 2011)

With urban homesteading increasing in popularity, the desire for raising goats in the city is getting plenty of press.   For those of us who are thinking about having a couple of goats in our backyard barnyard, are there breeds of goats that tend to be more quiet than others (all things being equal)?  I would like to have a couple of does with the intention of milking them someday.  I have a nice big backyard (over 1000square feet penned on a quarter-acre lot).  I already have chickens with no issues from the neighbors (egg bribery works wonders, don't ya know).   I have heard that Saanens are the 'marshmallows' of the goat world.  Large milkers with gentle and (hopefully) quiet temperaments.
Anyone out there care to educate me on this one?

Many many thanks!


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## aggieterpkatie (May 11, 2011)

I don't have any firsthand experience with Saanens, but I can't say enough good things about Oberhaslis.  They are by far the quietest and mild mannered goats I've ever had! LOVE them!


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## chubbydog811 (May 11, 2011)

LOVE the Saanens. From my experience, they are the quietest goats I have ever owned. They do "yell", but it's more of a pitiful whimper than anything. They never yell loud enough that I can hear them outside of the barn if they are in - the only time I've heard them REALLY yell, was when they were giving birth  Don't say that I blame them. 
Even the babies I found are very quiet, and better behaved than the other dairy type goats I've had.
Their temperaments are awesome if you like peaceful and friendly. This is the main reason I have almost sold off all my other goats, and replaced my herd with registered Saanens 
This could be a breed in general thing - but I did find more with Saanens that they tend to be shy around new people (they are 'one owner' type goats). My goats run right up to me and my mum (and their old owners) but tend to be shy when new people come to see them.


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## lovinglife (May 11, 2011)

I loved my Saanen also, if/when we get goats again i will vote for Saanens.


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## Julie_A (May 11, 2011)

Of the Nubians, Alpines, Saanens and La Manchas we've had... La Manchas were very, very quiet. They had "small" voices when they did bleat.


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## ohiofarmgirl (May 11, 2011)

> I have heard that Saanens are the 'marshmallows' of the goat world.  Large milkers with gentle and (hopefully) quiet temperaments.


yep! thats them

however i like my la manchas better - they are more thrifty with their feed and dont mind the heat as much. also my la mancha milks more than my saanen every day. of course it depends on the individual... but still like my full sized la mancha better.

good luck!


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## MidnightChickenLover (May 17, 2011)

Saanen's are large goats. They tend to be on the quieter side, but I have one that is very loud. She's also not the brightest of the bunch either. The others are very smart, and are taught things farely quickly. I've taught them to go straight to the milking stand, and to turn their heads to the side while I pour feed into their bucket. They do give loud welcomes though, and when I show them at the fair they bawl when I walk away. They are very personable goats. I also have crosses and boers; and I see oberhaslis, lamanchas, and nubians at the fair. Boers and Nubians are the loudest. If you have a very small backyard farm, I would suggest Nigerian Dwarves, that is good ones. We have really nice ones at our fair, and they provide a very nice milk supply. Supposedly they are very sweet too. I'm not saying Saanens aren't a great choice, they are just larger stronger animals that would probably need a little more time and effort to maintain. I've never had milking problems with mine, they are also very healthy goats. My one Saanen wether is the gentlest of all creatures, and the only wether that (only saanen wether I've ever had) doesn't try to mount everything. Mine adore their heads being scratched, and I've only had to work with them about 2 weeks every year to keep things fresh in their head for I show them. If you want any more information, just ask


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## journeysend (May 17, 2011)

I know every goat is different and I have had a few different kinds, but my Oberhasli buckling has been the most quiet goat I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I think the only problem I have with him is that he was a bottle baby (his mother died from pregnancy toxemia) and he tries to jump into my arms at every chance  My Nubian buckling is horribly loud, most of my Nigerians are pretty loud and the Nubian mix I have is loud. I don't have much dairy goat experience, but with my Boers I always took every goat as an individual. One of the sweetest goats I ever owned was a Boer, but the same breed also produced one that still hates me even though she found a new owner (before I learned the wonders of dehorning). With that amount of space though, I would definately consider a Nigerian or a mini of some kind. Maybe a Mini-Oberhasli lol.


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## Hykue (May 18, 2011)

I think it's really individual-dependent more than breed-dependent.  My LaMancha is a little bit noisy (although not bad), especially when she's feeling neglected . . . and since she was a bottle baby, that's whenever I'm not with her.  My alpine is possibly the quietest goat in the history of the world.  Even when she does maa, it's so quiet that you can only hear her from up to 15 feet away most of the time.  I didn't even hear a peep from her when she touched the electric fence, and I am pretty sure it happened on a day when I was working out in the garden all day, so I wasn't more than 100 feet from the goat pen.

But it doesn't seem to be genetic - the quiet one's kids are downright yelly, and the louder one's kids are both pretty quiet, one of them almost always quiet.  I think it's a personality thing.  Just try to find quiet individuals, and realize that they're going to be a little bit noisy for a while when they're in a new place.


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## Roll farms (May 18, 2011)

I've owned nearly every breed of dairy goat.  

Obs as a rule are the quietest....hands down.  Also smaller than most Saanens.

LM would probably be my 2nd choice only for temperament / sound volume...I've never heard a 'screamer' LM.


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## jodief100 (May 18, 2011)

I have very limited experience- I own 1 milk goat.  She is the quietest of all my goats.  The others are boer, %boer (I think most have nubian in them) and kiko.  

I like her, she is very sweet and docile.  

Edited to add:  She is a LaMancha.

Thanks Roll!


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## Roll farms (May 18, 2011)

But, Jodie...what breed is she?


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## mydakota (May 21, 2011)

I am brand new here,  ( just joined this morning) and don't know a whole lot. My herd is small-- 7 Boers and 2 Saanens.  My young FF Saanen doe is just a wonderful goat.  Her milk is sweet and so is her personality.  She is giving nearly a gallon a day, is well mannered on the milk stand and is loving and sweet.  She is not loud.  I like her so much that I have contacted the breeder and am waiting on a half sister of hers to be confirmed pregnant.  As soon as she is, I am buying her. I have nothing bad to say about any other breeds, as this is the only milk goat I have ever owned, but based on Juliet, I love Saanens. I have no plans to look further, because for me, I got it right the first time.  ( different people may have different requirements though, so not saying another breed isn't right for someone else)


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## Jake (May 24, 2011)

I have had at least four breeds of goats over the years, and the Saanen is my choice over all.

Beautiful dispositions and temperament, excellent milk for drinking or cheese making,  two does cycled six mos apart can keep a good sized family in milk year around, the bucks are easy to manage, both sexes are intellignet, and the wethers make great meat, pets or for back packing.  

Few other breeds can do all of these, or as much milk and meat. The wethers make bigger back packers and are great to help on a weekend camping trip .

All that said, in your climate you would probably be better off with the LM as the Saanens dont take the heat as well as the LM, I have never had any but hear good things about them.


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## MidnightChickenLover (Jun 6, 2011)

Hykue, personaly I think my "noisy" traits  corrispond with the parents. Annabelle's kids are allways quiet and gentle, and Daisy's are obnoxious and jump up on people. lol (Talking about two Saanens)


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## Ariel301 (Jun 7, 2011)

My neighbor's Saanens don't seem too loud. 

Around here, we spell quiet "L A M A N C H A".  With the exception of one bloodline I used to have, they've all been super quiet and easy to handle.


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