The Oberhasli, also known until 1987 as the Swiss Alpine, is a very old breed of dairy goat from the eponymous district

Oberhasli

Oberhasli may refer to:* Oberhasli, a historical region in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Berne, Switzerland* Oberhasli District, a former district* Oberhasli , a breed of goat named after the Bernese district...

 of the Canton of Berne

Canton of Berne

The Canton of Bern is the second largest of the 26 Swiss cantons by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it borders the Canton of Jura and the Canton of Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the Canton of Neuchâtel, the Canton of Fribourg and Vaud. To the south...

 in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. Oberhaslis are a standardized color breed, with warm reddish brown accented with a black dorsal stripe, legs, belly, and face. Occasionally a black Oberhasli appears as a result of recessive genes. The American Dairy Goat Association

American Dairy Goat Association

The American Dairy Goat Association or ADGA is a United States not-for-profit corporation dedicated to dairy goats. Its purpose is to promote the dairy goat industry, by providing and circulating sound information about goats and goats' milk; maintaining and publishing herd books and production...

 (ADGA) considers black does acceptable and will allow them to be registered, but black bucks cannot be registered. The breed is about two inches smaller than the other standard-sized (nonminiature) breeds. Their temperament tends to be quiet and sweet natured, but alert, with vocalizing similar to the other Swiss-origin breeds. Does can be pushy with other does around feeding time, and in mixed breed herds will likely become herd queen. The Oberhasli record for milk production is recorded as 4,655 pounds of milk in one year.

This breed is still relatively rare in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It was first imported in 1906, but these particular imported goats did not remain purely Oberhaslis. In 1936, a Dr. H. O. Pence imported five purebred Oberhaslis to the United States, from which all purebred Oberhasli in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 are descended. In 1978, Oberhaslis were accepted as a breed by the ADGA. Because of its rarity and close similarity in type to the multi-coloured French Alpine goat, the Oberhasli registrations were lumped with the American Alpines. A small number of them were kept pure with records intact, and the breed was kept alive in America almost single-handedly by Esther Oman, a breeder in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

The Oberhasli breed is growing in popularity at goat shows (competitions based on selection of animals on the basis of body conformation), as their docile nature is appreciated, along with the fine color, described as being 'like the wood on the back of a violin'. Contestants in showmanship classes are discovering the color is easier to keep clean than pure white animals.

This breed is a good choice for the person who wants dairy goats for milk, from hardy thrifty animals, who appreciates the vivid rust-red coloration, wants something slightly out of the ordinary, and likes the Swiss-type head (upright ears).