Valais Blackneck

Swiss breed of goat

Valais Blackneck

Conservation status|

* FAO (2007):
*      Europe: not at risk[1]: 138
*      Italy: critical[1]: 68
*      Switzerland: endangered-maintained[1]: 113
* DAD-IS (2025):
*      Austria: at risk/critical[2]
*      Germany: at risk/critical[3]
*      Italy: at risk/critical[4]
*      Switzerland: at risk/endangered-maintained[2]

Other names|

* Walliser Schwarzhalsziege
* Gletschergeiss
* Col Noir du Valais
* Chèvre des Glaciers
* Race de Viège
* Vallesana
* Vallese

Country of origin|

* Switzerland[5]
* Austria[2]
* Germany[3]
* Italy[4]
* Netherlands[6]

Distribution| mainly in the Valais
Standard|

* OZIV (Switzerland, in German)
* SZZV (Switzerland, in German)
* MIPAAF (Italy, in Italian)

Use|

* meat
* milk
* vegetation management

Traits
Weight|

* Male:

minimum 75 kg[7]

* Female:

minimum 55 kg[7]

Height|

* Male:

85 cm[7]

* Female:

75 cm[7]

Skin colour| often pale
Coat| black foreparts, white hindparts
Hair colour| black, white
Face colour| black
Horn status| horned in both sexes

* Goat
* Capra aegagrus hircus

Engraving of a Valais Blackneck from the Journal des Eleveurs, 1905

The Valais Blackneck is a Swiss breed of domestic goat from the canton of Valais. It has a distinctive colouring, black from the nose to behind the shoulder and white from there to the tail.

It is distributed in southern Switzerland – the largest concentration is in the area of Visp (Viège) – and in neighbouring areas of northern Italy; it is present in modest numbers in Austria and Germany. It is known by many names, including German: Walliser Schwarzhalsziege or Gletschergeiss; French: Col Noir du Valais, Chèvre des Glaciers or Race de Viège; and Italian: Vallesana or Vallese.

## History

[edit]

The Walliser Schwarzhalsziege is a traditional breed of the Swiss canton of Valais. A herd-book was established in 1920.[5]

Within Italy, the Vallesana is raised in the provinces of Verbania and Vercelli.[8] It is one of the forty-three autochthonous Italian goat breeds of limited distribution for which a herd-book is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep- and goat-breeders.[9][10]

At the end of 2013 the total numbers for the breed were 3000–3400 in Switzerland and either 191[11] or 446[4] in Italy. In 2012 Austria reported 100–300 head[2] and Germany 429.[3]

## Characteristics

[edit]

The Valais Blackneck is of medium size; nannies stand on average 75 cm at the withers, with a body weight of at least 55 kg, billies are on average about 10 cm taller and weigh no less than 75 kg.[7] The colouring of the coat is distinctive: coal black from the nose to behind the shoulder and snow white from there to the tail; the division between the two colours is clearly defined, and should be within ±3 cm of the point where the last rib meets the spine.[12] The fore hooves are black, the hind ones pale.[12] The coat hair is long and the skin is fine;[12] horns are present in both sexes, as is a black beard; the horns are larger in billies.[7]

The English Bagot is similarly coloured, and has been thought to derive from this breed by descent from one presented to Richard II of England in 1387;[13]: 420  DNA studies have shown that the Bagot originated in Spain.[14]: 360

## Use

[edit]

The Valais Blackneck is reared principally for its meat;[14]: 415  it is not usually milked.[15] The milk yield is approximately 500 kg per lactation.[14]: 415  The pelts may be used to make leather goods.[14]: 360

The goats are also used for vegetation management: they move freely on steep mountain terrain, which they help to keep clear of excess scrub vegetation.[12][5]

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valais Blackneck Goat.

1. ^ a b c Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to: The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
2. ^ a b c d Breed data sheet: Walliser Schwarzhalsziege / Austria (Goat). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2025.
3. ^ a b c Breed data sheet: Walliser Schwarzhals-Ziege / Germany (Goat). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2025.
4. ^ a b c Breed data sheet: Vallesana/Italy. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2025.
5. ^ a b c Breed data sheet: Walliser Schwarzhalsziege / Switzerland (Goat). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2025.
6. ^ Transboundary breed: Valais Blackneck. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2025.
7. ^ a b c d e f Walliser Schwarzhaslziege (in German). Oberwalliser Ziegenzuchtverband. Archived 14 May 2021.
8. ^ Norme tecniche della popolazione caprina "Capra Vallesana": standard della razza (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia. Archived 23 September 2015.
9. ^ Strutture Zootecniche (Dec. 2009/712/CE - Allegato 2 - Capitolo 2) (in Italian). Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali. Section I (e). Archived 4 May 2014.
10. ^ Le razze ovine e caprine in Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Ufficio centrale libri genealogici e registri anagrafici razze ovine e caprine. Archived 21 September 2013.
11. ^ Consistenze Provinciali della Razza 92 Vallesana Anno 2013 (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia: Banca dati. Archived 3 March 2016.
12. ^ a b c d Walliser Schwarzhalsziege (7) (in German). Zollikofen: Schweizerischer Ziegenzuchtverband/Fédération suisse d'élevage caprin/Federazione svizzera d'allevamento caprino. Archived 11 February 2025.
13. ^ Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon (2008). Atlante delle razze autoctone: Bovini, equini, ovicaprini, suini allevati in Italia (in Italian). Milan: Edagricole. ISBN 9788850652594.
14. ^ a b c d Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
15. ^ Walliser Schwarzhalsziege (in German). Zollikofen: Schweizerischer Ziegenzuchtverband/Fédération suisse d'élevage caprin/Federazione svizzera d'allevamento caprino. Archived 28 April 2025.

* v
* t
* e

Goat breeds of Switzerland

* Appenzell goat
* Capra Grigia
* Chamois Coloured goat
* Grisons Striped
* Grüenochte Geiss
* Kupferhalsziege
* Nera Verzasca
* Peacock goat
* Saanen
* Simplongeiss
* Stiefelgeiss
* Toggenburg
* Valais Blackneck
* Zürcher Ziege (extinct)

* v
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Goat breeds of Italy

* These are the principal goat breeds considered in Italy to be wholly or partly of Italian origin; inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Italian.

* Alpina Comune
* Argentata dell'Etna
* Aspromontana
* Bianca Monticellana
* Bionda dell'Adamello
* Bormina
* Camosciata delle Alpi
* Capestrina
* Capra di Livo
* Capra di Potenza
* Caserta
* Ciavenesca
* Cilentana Fulva
* Cilentana Grigia
* Cilentana Nera
* Ciociara Grigia
* Derivata di Siria
* Di L'Aquila
* Di Teramo
* Fasana or Colombina
* Fiurina
* Foggiana
* Frisa Valtellinese or Frontalasca
* Garfagnina
* Garganica
* Girgentana
* Grigia Lucana
* Grigia Molisana
* Istriana
* Jonica
* Lariana
* Maltese
* Messinese
* Montecristo
* Napoletana
* Nera Rustica
* Nicastrese
* Orobica
* Passeirer Gebirgsziege or Passiria
* Pedula
* Pezzata Mòchena
* Pezzata Rossa
* Pomellata
* Roccaverano
* Rossa Mediterranea
* Rustica di Calabria
* Salerno
* Sarda
* Sarda Primitiva
* Sciara
* Screziata
* Selvatica di Galite
* Selvatica di Joura
* Selvatica Samotracia
* Sempione
* Tavolara
* Valdostana or Chamoisée valdôtaine
* Valfortorina
* Valgerola
* Valle dei Mocheni
* Valle del Chiese
* Valle di Fiemme
* Vallesana
* Valnerina
* Verzaschese

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