The Poitou goat (French: Chèvre Poitevine) is a dairy goat breed from western France. With a history dating back to 1800,[1] the breed is named for the Poitou historic province. Poitou goats are known for their use in goat milk cheese production,[2] though they are an endangered breed,[3] and at one point were down to just 600 breeding animals.[4] Poitou goats have a distinctive appearance: tall and with long, shaggy hair, they are black-brown with white marks on the head and neck, while the underbelly and legs are white.[5][6]

A Poitou goat

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Poitevine/France", DAD-IS, retrieved July 28, 2013
  2. ^ Brent Zimmerman (1 February 2012), Get Your Goat: How to Keep Happy, Healthy Goats in Your Backyard, Wherever You Live, Quarry Books, p. 34, ISBN 978-1-61058-187-5
  3. ^ Beate D. Scherf, ed. (2000), World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity (3rd ed.), Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, p. 217
  4. ^ C. Danchin-Burge; E. Verrier (2008), "What future for the rare French goat breeds? Some answers thanks to a pedigree analysis on three breeds" (PDF), 59th European Association for Animal Production meeting, Commission on Animal Genetics
  5. ^ "Poitou", Breeds of Livestock, Oklahoma State University, retrieved July 18, 2013
  6. ^ Graham R. Duncanson (2012), Veterinary Treatment of Sheep and Goats, CABI, p. 49, ISBN 978-1-78064-004-4
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