Dairy Goat queston

[Jennsbirds]

I've heard on this forum that some dairy goats don't need to be bred to give milk. but all other sources say the opposite.

do they or don't they?

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Some goats are "maiden milkers"/have precocious udders. They will come into milk before being bred. Out of these, some can be milked for years, though sometimes on one side only. Saanens and other very milky breeds/lines are more likely to have maiden milkers pop up. Some lines are bred so heavily for milk production that even the bucks will produce milk!

in other cultures, maiden milkers are looked on a bit more favorably than they are in the US. Some breeders do not mention that they have maiden milkers in their lines, but some do. Homesteaders have a lot of use for goats that needn't be bred to produce milk.

Alternatively, some does have extended lactations, sometimes extremely extended lactations, after only one breeding.

 

[Jennsbirds]

Some goats are "maiden milkers"/have precocious udders.  They will come into milk before being bred.  Out of these, some can be milked for years, though sometimes on one side only.  Saanens and other very milky breeds/lines are more likely to have maiden milkers pop up.  Some lines are bred so heavily for milk production that even the bucks will produce milk!

in other cultures, maiden milkers are looked on a bit more favorably than they are in the US.  Some breeders do not mention that they have maiden milkers in their lines, but some do.  Homesteaders have a lot of use for goats that needn't be bred to produce milk.

Alternatively, some does have extended lactations, sometimes extremely extended lactations, after only one breeding.

Definitely a lot of use for people in the cities. Do only certain breeds have amiden milkers? Are maiden milkers hard to find in the US?

Thanks so much!

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Maiden milkers tend to show up in the heavy milking lines of heavy milking breeds. I hear about them most often with saanens, then Nubians, and then I've heard of it happening in Nigerian dwarfs, la manchas, and either alpines, toggenburg, or oberhasli...can't remember which. I would imagine some pop up in kinder goats, mini-manchas, mini-Nubians, etc.

Nubians have a lot of loud individuals within the breed (some lines are mellow and quiet), so might not be good for city living. A single goat also tends to be problematic, so best to get either another doe or a whether too.

Another option would be to do AI on a doe from a line known for extended lactations. You would not have to breed/AI every year to keep milk production, and would not need a buck on your property. You could sell any kids, and eventually replace your doe with one of her kids. Some of the mini-mancha breeders seem to have bred for that, and those would be smaller goats. Saanens tend to be quite large.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Oh, by the way, maiden milkers tend to have more watery (low in butterfat) milk from my understanding.

Did a quick search to see if I could find anyone with maiden milkers in their lines
http://www.bernese.biz/gang4.htm popped up, but I am guessing they are in the UK judging by the "u" in "humour", and the still-horned dairy goats.

I'd try asking around on backyardherds and some of the bigger goat forums like dairygoatinfo and the goat spot.

 

[Jennsbirds]

Oh, by the way, maiden milkers tend to have more watery (low in butterfat) milk from my understanding.

Did a quick search to see if I could find anyone with maiden milkers in their lines
http://www.bernese.biz/gang4.htm popped up, but I am guessing they are in the UK judging by the "u" in "humour", and the still-horned dairy goats.

I'd try asking around on backyardherds and some of the bigger goat forums like dairygoatinfo and the goat spot.

Thank you both. I wanted to get some basics here beore moving to backyardherds.

 

[diane lyman]

Yes, Maiden goats also know as virgin milkers will produce milk without being bred.
They will produce for at least 3 years continuously and I have no idea when they stop
because everything I've tried hasn't worked.
So maybe you just keep milking until she decides to quit. ??????????
Diane Lyman also known as purplelady.