White Shorthaired goat is a breed of domestic goat from the Czech Republic. It is a dairy goat breed and raised mainly for milk production. The White Shorthaired goat is the result of selective breeding of native Czech landrace goats crossed with Saanen goats from Switzerland.
The landrace which were improved by crossing with Saanens in the early 1900s, was not uniform in color, mostly light-brown to white. The White Shorthaired goat was recognized as a separate goat breed in 1954-1955, and it is now found throughout the Czech Republic.
The breed is also known as Bilà Kratkosrsta Koza. Total population of this breed is numbering some 35,000, with 97 percent of animals held in smallhold.
Although after the World War II their number was about 1.5 million (according to Breeds of Livestock, Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University).
Today the breed is mainly raised as a dairy goat breed for milk production. Read more information about this goat breed below.
White Shorthaired Goat Characteristics
The White Shorthaired goat is a medium sized animal. It has similarities to the Saanen goat in appearance. The appearance of this goat is typical for milk goats, strong but fine boned, deep and long in body and long legged.
They are pure white in color, shorthaired without any colored hair. Some strains maintain the characteristic Saanen’s black spots on the skin of the nose, eyelids, udders and sometimes belly.
These goats have upright ears, and most of them are hornless (about 75-80 percent), with the pollness fixed through systematic selection.
Average height of the White Shorthaired bucks is 75-85cm, and 72-80 for the does. The bucks on average weight about 68-86 kg, and the does weight about 54-68 kg. Photo from Mendelu.
Uses
White Shorthaired goat is among the good milk producing dairy goat breeds. The breed is mainly used for milk production. It is also suitable for commercial dairy goat farming business.
Special Considerations
The White Shorthaired goat is calm and gentle in nature like the Saanen goats. They are usually friendly and are of good behavior. The does are pretty good milk producers, with the average reaching 770 kg of milk per 300 days lactation (as an average of 1994-1998).
Some goats also produce more, good animals raised in small household may reach even 1360 kg of milk. Milk of this breed contain 3.7 percent of fat and 2.75 percent of protein.
The average prolificacy is 190%, while 1% of recorded births are quadruplets. However, review full breed profile of this breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | White Shorthaired |
| Other Name | Also known as Bilà Kratkosrsta Koza. |
| Breed Purpose | Milk |
| Breed Size | Medium |
| Buck | About 68-86 kg |
| Doe | About 54-68 kg |
| Horns | Usually hornless (75-80 percent) |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Coat Color | White |
| Good for Stall Fed | No |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | Czech Republic |
