calling all goat owners!

[Kesta]

ok. i am considering seriously about getting a milking goat. i know i need to find one who has already given birth to milk it but i have some other questions. do u need to get it a companion so it doesnt get lonely? do they make a lot of noise? does goats milk taste good? can u make goat butter too? lol please i need some answers before we can decide whether or not to get the goat.
thanks,
Kesta

 

[TXmom]

I have 2 Boer goats, not for milking. Yes, they need friends...a single goat would be very lonely. I have 2 wethers and they still want ME around them all the time. I've thought about getting more so they won't be lonely, but at least they have each other.

I think mine are pretty noisy...they call for me all the time. If they hear me walking in the house, they scream MAAAAAAAAAA MAAAAAAA until I go out and pay attention to them. They also scream MAAAAAAAAAAAAAA when I get in the car and leave. And several other times during the day.

I have heard that goat milk is good, and I've heard you can make butter, cheese, yogurt, etc. with it. You might need special equipment to do that, like cream separaters or something.

 

[ksalvagno]

I would suggest going over to www.backyardherds.com and looking over the posts there. If you get a milking goat, keep in mind you HAVE to milk twice a day, seven days a week until you dry them off before breeding them again. They absolutely need a buddy too. The rest of your questions can be answered over at BYH.

Good luck with your goat search!

 

[Kesta]

ok. so if i were to get a different kind of goat like say, a pygmy goat, could i still milk them and just get less milk?

 

[ksalvagno]

Yes, you can get milk from a pygmy. There are a couple breeders over on BYH that milk pygmies.

 

[Kesta]

ok thats good. now are they just as noisy as a regular goat? i cant have too much noise because i am in a residentia area.

 

[ksalvagno]

Yes, they are. I have heard that the smaller goats are noisier than the larger goats. I have Nigerian Dwarfs. They do Baaa if they think I'm out there and not paying attention to them. When they don't know I'm there, they are quiet. But I live in the country so the noise doesn't bother people.

When you first bring them home, they will baaaa constantly until they get used to your place.

 

[mekasmom]

All goats are noisy. All breeds of goats can be milked but some make more milk and are easier to milk than others. That is why they are considered milk breeds. And all breeds of goats should be kept in groups rather than alone. They are very noisy alone and constantly get out and wander.

Goats milk has a stronger taste than cow's milk.

 

[Blackbird]

Goat milk can have a variety of flavors depending on breed, butterfat content, feed, and handling. For best taste, after milking into clean stainless steel (or glass) and strained, milk should be refrigerated. If you keep a buck with a milking doe, the milk can have an unpleasant 'bucky' flavour in breeding season, so most people keep their bucks and does seperate. Our first milking doe, a Nubian, gave milk that tasted exactly like cow milk. Our dairy cow friends couldn't even taste the difference. Our others give milk with a slightly different taste, but still very good.

I would suggest trying some goat milk that has been handled correctly before getting a dairy goat.

 

[Smoky73]

I would try to find someone who has goats so you can try the milk first before you get one. I heard that goats milk needs to be very cold to taste good...I personally have never tried it, I hate milkiing. I have a few Toggenburgs and they are terrible screamers at every movement from the house. Of course, they are also teaching the others to do it too now. I hate hiding from my animals.....

They see you and they scream like your skinning them alive!