The Altai Mountain goat is a breed of goat raised for wool production. The breed was created in the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region of the former Soviet Union. It was developed between 1944 and 1982 on collective farms of this area.
The Altai Mountain goat is mainly kept on pasture all the year round. It is the result of Don goat used for improvement of the local goats.
Total population of this goat increased from 7,700 in 1970 to 9,900 in 1983. And cashmere production rose from 2600 to 3840 kg. Read more information about this goat breed below.
Altai Mountain Goat Characteristics
Altai Mountain goat is a medium sized animal. It is uniform in color, size, conformation and wool production. The breed is mainly black or gray in color.
Both bucks and does usually have horns. They are superior to local goats in live weight and wool production (5-10 kg more weight and 3-4 times more wool production).
Average live body weight of the Altai Mountain bucks is about 65-70 kg. And the does on average weight about 41-44 kg. Photo from vancats.ru and info from ansi.okstate.edu
Uses
These goats are mainly raised for wool production. But their meat is of good qualities and they are able to fatten rapidly during a short summer period. So they can also be good for meat production along with the production of wool.
Special Considerations
Altai Mountain goat is very hardy and usually very active. The breed is noted for strong constitution and adaptability to the severe conditions of extensive husbandry in the highlands.
The wool of this breed has high technical qualities. And the wool is valuable commodity for light industry. Their guard hair is black and true wool dark grey.
Wool content in the fleece of this breed is about 65-70 percent. And average wool production is about 600-900 grams for bucks, and about 450-600 grams for does. Review full breed profile of this breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | Altai Mountain |
| Other Name | Russian: Gornoaltaiiskaya |
| Breed Purpose | Wool |
| Breed Size | Medium |
| Buck | About 65-70 kg |
| Doe | About 41-44 kg |
| Horns | Yes |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Coat Color | Black or Grey |
| Good for Stall Fed | Not Sure |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | Altai Republic |
