I've been reading COUNTRYSIDE magazine from cover to cover for about two years now and, like many of the people who write articles for this magazine, I have always thought it would be fun to share a few lines about what makes me love being out of the city, in the country and working harder than I ever worked when I was a "professional person."

When we moved to the country in October of 1994, my husband, Andy, thought I would want a horse. I grew up around horses and had had horses most of my life. I said "Oh, maybe someday but I'd really like a goat." Andy was very surprised. "A goat! What do you want with a goat?" I said, "I want babies in the spring."

One day Andy stopped by the feed store and there was the cutest little goat he'd ever seen (not that he had seen all that many goats, but...) He thought she looked more like a deer than a goat. He came to get me to show me this cute little goat.

Oberhasli Swiss dairy goats

We went, we looked, we bought. She was so cute and so friendly and tame. We were in love. That was Daisy Mae.

We bought her on June 1, 1995. We didn't know much about goats so we went to the library and checked out every goat book they had and read them from cover to cover. By that time we knew a little more, but we wanted to meet people who knew a lot about goats so we went to the Clackamas County Fair. There we met several people who raised and showed Oberhasli, including Dale and Loita Coleback.

When we attended the Oregon State Fair I volunteered to help Loita show her animals. I had shown fat steers as a teenager in Wheatland, Wyoming, so a show ring wasn't completely foreign to me, but I needed coaching on what to do with a goat.

We joined the Northwest Oregon Dairy Goat Association, the Northwest Oberhasli Breeders Association, and the American Dairy Goat Association. We have educated ourselves so we can raise quality dairy goats and care for them properly.

We have grown a bit since June of 1995. We now have 10 Oberhasli. We had eight kids in the spring of 1996 and 11 in '97. It makes it worth the work just to see those babies hopping!

Why Oberhasli Swiss dairy goats?

We have found them to be very hardy in this climate. They don't mind the cold temperatures and have sturdy black hooves. They are quiet (one of our requirements), they are good pack animals as well as milk producers, and they don't freak out when a stranger comes into the barn. They are a medium size and have wonderful, inquisitive personalities.

We are now very involved with this beautiful breed. We are trying to improve it by selective breeding programs and DHIA (Dairy Herd Improvement Association), a program for testing milk production, butterfat and protein percentages and improving your management. We participated in Linear Appraisal, a programthat evaluates your animals compared to a standard rather than judging one animal against another. We also show in ADGA (American Dairy Goat Association) sanctioned shows. Here your animal is judged against the other animals that are in the show ring with you.

All of these things work together to aid you in making wise choices in which animals to breed to what sire, what animals are not going to produce for you, (after all, these are dairy goats) what weak points to work on in next year's kids and just who is going to be just a pet or, if you are able, just who to get rid of.

One of the goat owners who has become a good friend is Nettie Stein. She and her husband, Terry, have several of the beautiful Oberhasli breed. She tells how her father-a cow dairyman-might have reacted to the question, "Why Oberhasli?"

Ninette Stein:
The larger question in my father's mind would have been, "Why goats? Why not cows?" If he were alive, I would patiently explain that goats are smaller, easier to handle, less expensive to feed, and more suited to brushy terrain. When he shook his head in disbelief, I'd deliver the "gotcha:" pound for pound, goats produce more milk. It's not unusual for our Oberhasli to milk 10% of their body weight every single day. That would have convinced my father, the dairy cow farmer.

The question remains: Why Oberhasli? For us, it started as a "color thing". After I'd whined for the umpteenth time that I wanted some milk goats, my husband smirkingly replied, "No goats...unless they look like deer." That sent us to a fair, where we saw a very few beautiful brown goats. Reluctantly, my husband let me drag him to see the beauties. Yes, he had to agree those Oberhasli goats looked a lot like deer. Bingo! I had him.

I began my research in earnest. Here's what I found about the Oberhasli breed:

Rarity: According to the registration records of ADGA, Obers are the least common goats in the US. That appealed to me. It meant there would be a better market for offspring, plus the personal satisfaction of owning something just a little "different."
Genetics: Anytime a breed is perpetuated from a small number of animals, there are bound to be imperfections. I was intrigued by the challenges of improving the breed.
Production: The first year official DHIA records were kept for Obers was 1992. They were dead last for total pounds of production. I felt there was a lot of potential for improvement; my father's training in feeding techniques were well-remembered. (I've been pleased to see much improvement, nationally. In just three years, Obers have risen from fifth to fourth in total milk production; butterfat percentage is second; protein is third.) Based on this research, I, myself, was convinced Oberhasli was the breed for us.

I was able to find an Oberhasli breeder who was willing to sell us a pair of doelings at a price within our budget. Goat books began to mysteriously appear on our coffee table, often marked at the section explaining housing requirements for goats. A quick survey of our 20 acres found a little shed that could be upgraded to the minimum requirements; after a few fenceposts and a few sections of cattle panels were added, we had a home for our new babies.

The day "Daffy" and "Dolly" arrived found my husband finishing the last gate for their new home. He was committed to providing adequate facilities, but was still uncertain about the whole project. By the time he and the girls had finished the gate, he was beginning to appreciate the winsome personalities possessed by all goats, but particularly Oberhasli.

After five years, our love affair with Obers continues. We appreciate their stylish beauty even more now that a small herd roams our woodlands. We're excited to see both total registration and production begin to climb, nationally. And we're excited to be part of a very viable Ober revolution here in the Northwest.

We will be happy to send a sales list so you too can own and love this beautiful breed originally from the Oberhasli-Breinser region of Switzerland. Or to join any of the above named associations just contact one of us for the address.