Can someone please explain milking and breeding goats???

[Willow's Meadow]

I thought that you had to breed a goat once to get them to start producing milk. But then I read that you have to breed them every year to get them to keep producing milk. And that you have to dry them up or something every year. How long do you dry them up for??? What time of year do you breed them??? Do they keep producing milk for you while their pregnant???

 

[dutchhollow]

Most goats will have to be bred every year, most dry them off for the last three months of the pregnancy, so milk 8 months. That said I had a saanen that milked for three years and I once milked her daughter for two before breeding her. If you want to milk through, saanens are your best bet (not just based on my expierience)

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Quote:
Ditto
Saanens are what most goat dairies use. We had a Nubian when I was a kid that would milk for 2 years at a time. My current Oberhaslis need to be freshened every year so far. Benefit of this is if you have good stock doe kids can go for a decent amount and if you are not queazy about eating wethers they are quite yummy.

 

[dutchhollow]

saw I missed a question, most dairy goats are bred in the fall for spring kids (boers breed year round), if you have two does you can stagger the breeding a few months so you always have one in milk.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Quote:
You're not the only one. I missed it to.
Breeding season can start as early as Sept and I don't breed after Dec but I have heard of some who do.