Presentation of

ERSIA France Alpine Goats

Presentation of the breed and key figures :

The ALPINE, The most common breed in France (60% of the females registered at the Official Milk Control organisation), is an animal of average size; the females are the good milk yielders. It is a goat with closecropped hair, often towed colour. Rustic, the Alpine breed is well adapted to both off-grazing production system and pasture. This breed is exported with success in various areas in Africa, in the Middle-East and in Asia

Population (Capri-IA 2006 / FCL 2007) Controlled population Number of first inseminations Milking performances (FGE data) Days in Milk Average milk yield Fat Protein

141 911 44 800 271 days 796 kg 37.2 g/kg 32.3 g/kg

The Advantages of
Performances Number of goats Days in Milk Average Milk Production Protein Fat

ERSIA FRANCE Alpines :

Goats ot the GENE-PLUS Selection Basis 68 790 290 days 892 kg 32.1 g/kg 37.1 g/kg Dams of Bucks 600 293 days 1 155 kg 34.4 g/kg 39.3 g/kg

ERSIA FRANCE 19 bd Nomino 35740 PACE

Thanks to our partnership with the National Selection Organisation CAPGENES, our selection scheme based on Progeny Testing is unique and is considered as the most efficient and reliable system worldwide. CAPGENES leads the National Selection Program in which take part 1 000 goat breeders and nearly 170 000 Genes+ goats registered in the Official Milk Control Organisation. A double selection objective: Milk and Type The objectives of selection program consist in improving the dairy production both qualitatively and in quantity, the functional morphology of the goats and their reproductive qualities: fertility, prolificacy, rusticity, precocity. The selection criteria are the quality of milk, the quantity and percentage of protein and fat. These criteria are gathered in an economic synthetic index (caprine combined Index: ICC) adapted to the French technical - economic conditions. Concerning the Type results, information is treated through a national database covering more than 150 000 goats controlled on 22 morphological posts: gauge, members, udder and teats. The Composite Type Index (IMC) gathers these results. The Selection program is based on : Progeny testing of bucks chosen on pedigree. The bucks are indexed according to the results of their daughters (30 with 50 per male) Large diffusion of genetic progress through natural mating by bucks issued from Artificial Insemination (AI) as a complement to semen from AI Bucks The 70 000 inseminations carried out each year allows to Progeny test in farms 70 bucks (retained among those tested in the Individual Control Station), a unique program worldwide. The data collected on the farms is used by the INRA to calculate indexes according to multi-criteria BLUP animal model. Only the goats presenting the best indexes are approved for the AI (40 goats per year). AI allowed goat breeders in France to add 100 kg to the average dairy production per goat in 8 years..

ERSIA France Genetics : Trustworthy Genetics

This genetic progress is available to international goat breeders thanks to exports of semen and embryos, result of the close cooperation between CAPGENES and SERSIA FRANCE.
Several crossings between Alpine or Saanen goats and local breeds of foreign countries made it possible to highlight an improvement of the dairy performances of the goats crossbreds but also an increase the speed of growth of the kids Example of crossing of the Alpine goats on the Rwanda meat breed (young males) Birth weight Weight at 30 days ADG (g/d) Local breed F1 Local F1 Difference Local 3,2 3,1 5,1 7,5 +47% 63

F1 149

Difference +137%

In Vietnam, crossing realized between the Bach Tao dairy breed and the Saanen and Alpine produced animals with definitely higher growth rates than the Bach Tao. The ADG was higher by 35 to 45 %.

ERSIA FRANCE 19 bd Nomino 35740 PACE