THE CHARACTERISTICS OF COAT COLOR OF SANDOMIERSKA GOATS

The Sandomierska goat is one of three native breeds of goats living in Poland. A characteristic feature of Sandomierska goats is their colorful coat. Currently, four types of coat color are distinguished: gray-piebald, black-piebald, brown-piebald and three-colored. The color of the skin and fur is one of the forms of adaptation to relevant climate, because the thermoregulatory reaction varies depending on the color of the coat. Therefore, the aim of the study is to analyze the frequency of types of coat color in Sandomierska goats, and the general characterization of goat hair. Both sexes of the Sandomierska goat are dominated by black-piebald color. The least common color is brown-piebald. In turn, the three-colored coat was identified only in females registered in breed registry. The hair analyzed showed the presence of an intermittent, fragmented and a spongy medulla. Hair scale pattern are regular and unregular wave with rippled scales margin in Sandomierska goats.