Saanen goats. The Saanen breed is white in color and the largest of the dairy breeds. Does typically weigh 150 lbs or more, with bucks weighing over 200 lbs. The Saanen breed also produces the most milk (as a breed- there will be good and poor individuals in any breed) and tends to have a lower butterfat content, about 2.5%-3%. The Sannen temperament is as a rule, calm and mild mannered.

The Sable Saanen is not crossbred, but is a recessive expression of color derived from the white Saanen. Sables can vary in color from beige through black, with almost any color but pure white (which would be a white Saanen). Sables are accepted as a breed in their own right in some dairy goat breed clubs but not in others. There is a growing interest in and advocacy for Sables in the United States. This is due partly to their novelty and color appeal (not to mention the sheer waste of putting down a colored but otherwise lovely kid) but also to the fact that increasingly, white Saanens with pink skins are more prone to skin cancer and sunburn, especially when they are exported to tropical or southern climates. The pigmentation of the Sable protects them against this while retaining the very high production of the breed.

Regardless of color, the Saanen breed is large and big boned but graceful and refined in bone, the ears are erect, and the nose is straight or dished. Both does and bucks usually have beards unless trimmed up for a show, and horns, unless dehorned at birth.