Sable Breed Standard                                                                                                           The Sable dairy goat is medium to large in size with rugged bone and plenty of vigor. Does should be feminine, however, and not coarse. Their hair is short; ears should be erect and alertly carried, preferable pointing forward. The face should be straight or dished.         The sable may be any color or combination of colors, solid or patterned, EXCEPT solid white or solid light cream.

Just what is a Sable goat?

 Sables come in many colors and combinations and have been a part of the Saanen heritage for as long as there have been Saanens. The first Sables in the US arrived on the same ship with the first Saanens and have been here ever since. They are the result of the pairing of two recessive genes, one from the sire and one from the dam. If an animal has only one of these genes, the animal is white, but if the animal has two, one from each parent, then a colored coat is the result. Since the colored genetics were brought in with the original Saanen imports, this will continue to happen as long as people are breeding Saanens.

But… there is a lot more to the story! Don’t miss the history pages under ‘About Sables’ for some very entertaining reading.