Alpine goat
The Alpine is a medium to large dairy goat with upright ears, a straight face and a short coat that comes in almost any colour or pattern. Does stand at least 30 in and weigh at least 135 lb. It is one of the two heaviest-milking breeds in the United States: recorded does averaged 3,037 lb a lactation in 2025, at about 3.3 to 3.5% butterfat. The breed is known as hardy and adaptable to any climate.
- Temperament
- Curious, Friendly
- Cold tolerance
- Heat tolerance
Is the Alpine right for you?
Good fit if
- You want a lot of milk. Recorded Alpines averaged 3,037 lb a lactation in 2025, level with the Saanen and well ahead of the Nubian's 1,860 lb
- You want milk through the year. The breed club says Alpines can milk through for one to three years between kiddings
- You want a hardy goat for a mixed climate. The association says the breed thrives in any climate
- You like variety. Alpines come in many colours and patterns
Poor fit if
- You want the richest milk. Butterfat is about 3.3 to 3.5%, against 4.9% for the Nubian and 6.4% for the Nigerian Dwarf in Penn State's table
- You want a small goat. Does stand at least 30 in and weigh 135 lb or more
- You want meaty kids. Cornell says Alpine kids turn lean and leggy as they grow
Appearance and varieties
The Alpine is a medium to large dairy goat with upright ears, a straight face and medium to short hair. The association's minimums are 30 in and 135 lb for does and 32 in and 170 lb for bucks. Oklahoma State describes it as larger, rangier and more variable in size than the Swiss breeds.
No single colour was fixed when the breed was developed; size and production were stressed instead. The breed club calls it the only breed with upright ears that comes in all colours and combinations. The patterns have French names, such as cou blanc for a white front and black rear and chamoisee for brown with black trim.
Three things are discriminated against: a Roman nose, Toggenburg colour and markings, and an all-white coat. Bucks usually have a ridge of longer hair along the spine and a pronounced beard.1103
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| Cou Blanc | "White neck": white front quarters and black hindquarters, with black or grey markings on the head.103 |
| Cou Clair | "Clear neck": front quarters tan, saffron, off-white or shading to grey, with black hindquarters.103 |
| Cou Noir | "Black neck": black front quarters and white hindquarters.103 |
| Sundgau | Black with white markings such as the underbody and facial stripes.103 |
| Pied | Spotted or mottled.10 |
| Chamoisee | Brown or bay with a black face, dorsal stripe, feet and legs, and sometimes a black band over the withers and down to the chest.103 |
| Two-tone Chamoisee | Light front quarters with brown or grey hindquarters.103 |
| Broken | Any of the patterns above broken with white, such as a broken cou blanc.103 |
Temperament and handling
The breed club describes Alpines as exceptionally hardy, curious and friendly, and as alertly graceful.
Registration papers mark each goat as French or American. A French, or purebred, Alpine traces only to the goats imported from France. An American Alpine comes from crossing with other breeds and breeding back up with registered Alpine bucks. The two are shown in the same division and neither has an advantage.710
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Milk per lactation | 3,037 lb on average; 1,180–6,010 lb across recorded does4 | 236 Alpine lactations in the association's 2025 breed averages. |
| Butterfat | 3.3–3.5%56 | 3.3% in Penn State's table of 2019 milk records; 3.5% in Cornell's 1998 table. |
| Milk protein | 2.9%5 | 2019 milk records. |
| Milking through | One to three years between kiddings7 | The breed club says Alpines can keep producing that long, which gives milk year round. |
| Kids | 1–3 a year5 | Penn State's figure for dairy goats in general, after a gestation of 145–155 days. |
| Meat | Big kids at birth that turn lean and leggy2 | Cornell's comparison: good for the Easter kid market, less fleshy later than Nubian or LaMancha kids. |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
For dairy goats Purdue recommends 20 to 25 sq ft of enclosed housing a goat, plus 50 sq ft of exercise yard, behind a woven-wire or electric fence at least 4 ft high. Cornell's minimum is 12 to 15 sq ft of shed floor per doe when she also has a yard.
A three-sided shed open to the south is enough in many places. What matters is that it is dry, well ventilated and free of drafts.
Purdue puts the comfort zone for dairy goats at 55 to 70 °F and says milk yield and feed intake fall off above 80 °F, so the aim is to keep them cool in summer; it recommends open windows for ventilation and air movement.911
Feed
Penn State's advice for dairy goats is that hay, pasture and browse should make up most of the diet. Does in milk need grain as well; for high producers, which many Alpines are, it suggests 1 lb of grain for every 2.5 to 3 lb of milk. Too much grain with too little fibre upsets the rumen and lowers the fat in the milk.
Forage rarely has enough minerals, so offer a goat mineral mix. Most products made for sheep do not contain enough copper for goats. Clean water must always be within reach; Penn State calls it essential for milk production and herd health.5
Health
We found no health problems that the sources tie to this breed in particular; the association says it keeps good health in any climate. Penn State names parasites as the biggest health concern for any goat, and mastitis, an udder infection, as a major one for dairy goats. Clean, dry bedding, good ventilation and clean milking habits are its first defences.
It also advises asking a vet about screening tests before you buy, because caseous lymphadenitis, CAE and Johne's disease spread by contact or through milk.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. Work with a vet who treats goats, or ask your county extension office.51
Where to buy
We could not open two dated breeder pages with prices, so we don't quote a range.
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alpines International Club | Breed club | The national club for the breed, founded in 1958 |
| Caprine Delight (Room-to-Grow Alpine Dairy Goats), Gettysburg, Pennsylvania | Breeder | Buck and doe kids for sale in spring; no prices on the listing, which was last updated on 15 October 2025 |
Similar breeds
History
The breed originated in the Alps. The Alpines brought to the United States came from France, where breeders had selected them for more uniformity, size and production than the goats originally taken from Switzerland to France. That is why the breed is also called the French Alpine; registration papers use both names.
The Alpines International Club was founded in 1958 to develop, preserve and promote the breed. In 2019 the American Dairy Goat Association registered 6,153 Alpines.37
Common questions
How big do Alpine goats get?
The American Dairy Goat Association gives minimums, not a range: does at least 30 in tall and 135 lb, bucks at least 32 in and 170 lb.1
How much milk does an Alpine goat give?
The association's 2025 breed average was 3,037 lb a lactation, with recorded does ranging from 1,180 to 6,010 lb. Only the Saanen, at 3,051 lb, averaged more.4
What is the butterfat in Alpine goat milk?
About 3.3 to 3.5%. Penn State's table of 2019 records gives 3.3% fat and 2.9% protein; Cornell's 1998 table gives 3.5% fat.56
What colours do Alpine goats come in?
Many. The named patterns are cou blanc, cou clair, cou noir, sundgau, pied, chamoisee, two-tone chamoisee and broken versions of each. All-white and Toggenburg colouring are discriminated against.10
What is the difference between a French Alpine and an American Alpine?
Ancestry. A French Alpine traces only to the goats imported from France. An American Alpine has other breeds in its background and was bred back up with registered Alpine bucks. Both are shown as Alpines.10
Where do Alpine goats come from?
The Alps. The goats brought to the United States came from France, where they had been selected for size and production.3
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- American Dairy Goat Association, Breed Standards.
- Cornell University, New York State 4-H, Goat Fact Sheets: Meat Goat Breeds.
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Alpine Goats (archived copy).
- American Dairy Goat Association, Breed Averages: DHIR Breed Averages, 2025 Lactations.
- Penn State Extension, Dairy Goat Production.
- Cornell University, New York State 4-H, Goat Fact Sheets: Dairy Goat Breeds.
- Alpines International Club, Welcome: Alpines in the United States.
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- Purdue University Department of Animal Sciences, Housing for Dairy Goats.
- Alpines International Club, Alpine Breed Standards.
- Cornell University, New York State 4-H, Goat Fact Sheets: Goat Facilities.
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