Breeding Programm for the Witzenhäuser Landscape Goat

The Department of International Animal Husbandry has been engaged in the development of a breeding programme for the Witzenhaeuser Landscape Goat since 1995. The idea was to breed a goat specific for the conservation of biotopes.

Breeding goals:

- high breeding capacity of does

- robust animals, i.e. characteristic traits for extensive grazing

- good kid carcasses and meat quality

- good management, i.e. good twig and bark browsing

The Witzenhäuser Landscape Goat (WLZ) is the crossbred of the Boer goat (high meat capacity), German Alpine goat (good milk capacity) and Cashmere goat (good fibre and robust characteristics).  

The current research is concerned with the end breed from this breeding programme. In comparison with Cashmere goats traits like management capacity, endo and ectoparasites infestation and breeding capacity among others are to be documented.