Conservation status At risk Country of origin Turkey Use Milk, Meat Rank Breed | Other names Abkhasian, Abkhazskaya Distribution NE Turkey Higher classification Goat | |
Horn status Males horned, females usually hornless Similar Maltese goat, Damascus goat, Angora goat | ||
The Abaza is an indigenous breed of goat from north-east Turkey. They are used for dairying, but also have relatively good meat production. Due to its small population size, there is a high degree of inbreeding within this breed, placing it "at risk".
Their hair is short, soft and pinkish-white in colour, with coloured markings around the mouth, eyes and on the legs. The males have long, flat, scimitar-shaped horns, while the females are usually polled.
As dairy goats, this breed has well-developed udders, and an average lactation yield of around 200 kilograms (440 lb). The milk produced from Abaza goats is used to create Abaza cheese, a nationally and internationally renowned semi-hard, lightly salted cheese.
References
Abaza goat Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA