Pyrenean goat

The Pyrenean goat is a breed of goat native to the Pyrenees in France. The Pyrenean goat is of medium size, measuring 75 to 85 centimetres (33 in) at the withers and weighing around 50 kilograms (110 lb). It has long hair, typically brown or black, sometimes with white patches. This breed has inhabited the Pyrenees for centuries and was historically associated with cattle and sheep herds, providing milk to shepherds. With the modernization of livestock farming, the breed nearly went extinct in the second half of the 20th century. However, interest in the breed has been revived since the 1990s, and its population has been increasing due to the efforts of regional conservation organizations and, since 2004, the Pyrenean Goat Breed Association, which oversees the breed's preservation program. Two types of farming systems are observed: suckling systems and dairy systems. Suckling systems produce kids for slaughter, typically around Easter, with kids weighing approximately 15 kilograms (33 lb). Dairy systems milk the goats after early weaning of the kids at two months, using the milk, which has adequate butterfat and protein levels, to produce cheese, such as crottin or Tomme des Pyrénées. The kids are not particularly well-conformed, and milk production per goat is significantly lower than that of specialized breeds. However, the Pyrenean goat is highly rustic, capable of thriving on poor vegetation in harsh climatic conditions. It helps maintain open landscapes by preventing overgrowth.