Alpine Breed Profile

The Alpine Dairy Goat is also referred to as the French Alpine and registration papers for this dairy goat use both designations and they are synonymous. The Alpine dairy goat is a medium to large size animal, alertly graceful, with erect ears, offering all colors and combinations of colors with distinction and individuality of appearance.
They are hardy, adaptable animals that thrive in any climate while maintaining good health and excellent production. The hair is medium to short. The face is straight. A Roman nose, Toggenburg color and markings, or all-white is discriminated against. Alpine colors are described by using the following terms:

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  COU BLANC (coo blanc) - literally "white neck" white front quarters and black hindquarters with black or gray markings on the head.
  
  
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  COU CLAIR (coo clair) - literally "clear neck" front quarters are tan, saffron, off-white, or shading to gray with black hindquarters.
  
  
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  COU NOIR (coo nwah) - literally "black neck" black front quarters and white hindquarters.
  
  
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  SUNDGAU (sundgow) - black with white markings such as underbody, facial stripes, etc.
  
  
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  PIED - spotted or mottled.
  
  
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  CHAMOISEE (shamwahzay) - brown or bay characteristic markings are black face, dorsal stripe, feet and legs, and sometimes a martingale running over the withers and down to the chest. Spelling for male is chamoise.
  
  
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  TWO-TONE CHAMOISEE - light front quarters with brown or gray hindquarters. This is not a cou blanc or cou clair as these terms are reserved for animals with black hindquarters.
  
  
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  BROKEN CHAMOISEE - a solid chamoisee broken with another color by being banded or splashed, etc.
  

Any variation in the above patterns broken with white should be described as a broken pattern such as a broken cou blanc.