Dairy goat advice wanted!

[geareduplyn]

As far the goats go no, having two is not much more work than having one so that is not a too ambitous project. I was refering to the milk sales, the yougurt and cheese making.

My goats were free range entirely. There is a herd leader who controls everything. I my case it was a French Alpine Doe. After they were milked in the morning They would gather and the boss doe would lead them out. They would come back in about 11AM and rest until about 2PM. They would go out again at that time and return at milking time. My bucks were never allowed to leave the buck compound. I had a beautiful lawn and a huge garden that the goats could have ravaged at anytime, but the herd leader was taught to stay out of those areas. They would at times stand on the bluff above them and look, but never approached further. This was a semi famous herd, as I showed extensively and was on DHIA test for many years. My milk was, even at that time, in great demand because it was truly organic and naturally produced. I never sold it though because of the State Regulations and the penalities.

You do not need seperate stalls for the goats unless part of them are horned. The horned goats should be kept seperate from the polled goats when confined. When they are on the pasture it is OK to keep them togrther.

Something you should also consider. When you have dairy animals you are confined to the farm 365 days a year unless you have someone milking for you.

Are the goats you are getting Purebreds and what are their breeds?

 

[freemotion]

Thanks for the clarification. Your herd sounds impressive! The goats I am looking at are crosses, one is Alpine/Toggenberg, one is Boer/Saanen. Both bred to a Boer. The kids should be easy to sell here, there is a sizeable immigrant population that likes goat meat. I do, too, but the hubby (cityboy) is firm on that matter, although he did recently agree to turkeys next summer.

Yes, I know all about being confined to the farm! We already are. We have some great friends who enjoy a "country vacation" a couple of times a year when my husband and I both travel together. Otherwise, I go on business trips by myself, he holds down the fort.

My self-employment allows me time to do some of the things I enjoy, which includes staying in touch with how my grandparents did things....I cook from scratch, now I grind my wheat and cornmeal, I will dig up my soapmaking stuff from the cellar when I have goat's milk, I make everything myself that I can, and love to try new things. I bought cheesemaking supplies and books recently, then could not find a source of raw milk less than an hour and a half drive away from me. So now the goat project.

I bought a custom scythe (woman sized) last summer and mowed my pasture....loved it!

So I am no stranger to work.......but believe in research, research, research! And I highly value personal experience, so please, any more that anyone can give...much appreciated!

 

[geareduplyn]

I'm not sure that I would pay $200.00 for grade animals. Do you know anything about their milk production. In my case I had all the ADGA herd books and did a lot of research on my foundation herd. I was also very good friends with the person who owned all the original French Alpine imports. I haven't milked for some time but be careful of off flavored milk. Toggenburgs are the worst offenders with Saanens next, even though they are traditionally the best milk producers.

 

[Chirpy]

I'm agreeing, since they are grade I would have to really consider if that's the kind of money I wanted to shell out. Now, many grade milk does give more milk than purebred so it's not the milk quantity (that could be part of it - you'll want to KNOW how much milk they give) but more, what can you sell the kids for since they won't be purebred? If you've been watching Craigslist you should have a good idea on prices so you will have to make that decision.

Now, having said that... if you are sure you can sell the kids you could very possibly make up a large amount of your $400 in a few months when the kids are of age to sell. That depends on how many kids they have and what it costs you to feed them in the meantime. But, that's still money out of pocket right now.

If you are giving them a good quality grass hay and grain they should be Ok. Milk producers need a high quality diet to keep up that milk supply and their own health.

I do think you will be able to keep all four goats together but you will need a backup plan in case they don't get along... the little ones will need lots of space to be able to get away from the full size does. Having something they can get under that the large does can't get under would be beneficial.

If you chose to only get one... get the Alpine/Toggenberg as Boers aren't a milk breed so you are likely to get less milk from her. Unless, of course you decide to continue to breed the Boer mix to a Boer buck and sell the kids for meat. Oh the decisions!!

I can't address the off tasting milk on certain breeds (although I've heard that before) as I only milk Alpines and Nubians and always get wonderful tasting milk. I do know that how the milk is handled, the cleanliness of the milking equipment, how quickly the milk is gotten real cold all play a huge part in great tasting milk. Also the milk can actually get an off taste if you milk near animal stalls in the barn, in an unclean area of the barn or if you have a buck in the area. (Which I know you don't)

 

[PotterWatch]

I paid $450 for my two registered mini-manchas that were bred to a registered mini-mancha buck. I don't think I would have paid that much if one of them was part boer since that isn't a milking breed.

 

[freemotion]

Oh, off flavors? I thought that came from what they ate (surprised about your browsers) and running with a stinky buck. Shows what I know.

What are off flavors like? How bad? Yikes.

Here in Western MA goats are hard to find, and very expensive. I found my pygmy cross, an accidental breeding, for a bargain from a breeder at $150. She was for company for the rescued pygmy cross after my other rescue succumbed to the effects of her previous neglect (after hundreds in vet bills, of course.) Both were company for the retired horse, so breed and producing capacity didn't matter.

I will have to drive 5 hours each way for these two does, anything I can find here is at least $350, and maybe not even bred or experienced with milking. I don't plan on doing any breeding other than for freshening, so to me, purebred doesn't matter. There is a market for goat meat, which I know from being asked about my pets! So the Boer mix seemed to be an advantage.

The fact that the lady kept these two as her favorites seemed like an advantage, too, as they will be pets as well as dairy animals. And that they have both been milked for a season, as I have never milked, although I am generally a quick study, and with over a decade as a massage therapist, I have good hands, strong but gentle.

Sooo......

 

[hollyk]

I can't give a lot of specific dairy goat advice, as I am looking for a purebred Saanen right now. However, I have had meat goats for a long time and we show them. We have a 1 acre goat pasture and keep 6 goats as a herd. I feed a small ration in the spring, summer and fall. Right now in winter with only a little forage availble- we are feeding 100lbs/week. Of course, I live in East Texas, basically mild winters and good rain all year. My goats come running whenever they see me. There is no trouble catching them. They do have shelter available at all times- but they rarely use it. Goats really have little requirements. Milking however, does have requirements and that has been addressed very well by someone with good experience. I would get both goats, I have seen boer crosses with dairy and those girls produce milk! I would not pay the full $200.00 for each if I was taking both. I would also ask a lot of questions about how much she was getting per day from each goat and ask about the due date. Beware of the term "exposed" to a buck. I learned the hard way that this really means " there was a buck in the pasture and we really have no clue as when she was bred or if she is bred."

I think you are on to a great thing!

 

[freemotion]

Just did a scrounge count....you know, you check all pockets, bags, drawers where you might stash a $20, etc, and came up with $398. I have about 3 quarts in the change jar, too, so now I can say I have the cash for both. But being a pragmatic person....and a passionate one, too.....the war within continues. The gas tank tends to empy out, too, so one must be a bit practical.

More input, please!

 

[Chirpy]

Oh yup, I totally forget to add that what a goat eats can completely change the flavor of their milk. Most people who milk keep their milk does in an enclosure where they give all the feed so they can keep a constant flavor to their milk. That, again, is personal preference. I talked with a lady near me that has ND's and she breeds them for fall birthing so she can let them graze all summer and not have a feed bill. She doesn't milk them through the summer so she doesn't care what they eat. Since large dairy breeds don't come into heat all year it's harder (possibly impossible) to do that with them.

It sure sounds to me like you've done an excellent job of researching and asking the right questions. I think you should go for it and get one or both of these does.

If you change your mind later about one or both, it sounds like you could probably sell them for the same as you pay or at least close since they seem to be so hard to find in your area.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[freemotion]

Just got an e-mail, the Boer cross just had her baby, a Boer-looking doeling. So she is off the market, the lady does not want the newborn moved. Sounds like a loving goat owner to me. But now I am disappointed, but looks like my decision is made. The Alpine/Togg it is.

I actually only just started feeding hay to my little pet goats about a week ago, as they were still getting plenty from the 2 acres, and here in New England, grass grows in the fall, sometimes quite late. They are both quite pudgie, and get no grain. I figure a pregnant or lactating doe would do well with pasture if I supplement with grain and maybe alfalfa pellets until hay feeding season comes. My vet has reprimanded me for the fatness of my pygmies, but with the older horse's needs coming first, it was impossible to reduce their intake. The horse would panic when separated from them. So my thought is to grain the dairy goat when milking, and maybe put her on the stand with grain twice a day while pregnant and dry just so she can eat without the Princesses Chunk interfering.

Still enjoying the experiences, though, and advice, keep it coming. If I want two later, I guess I can always keep a doeling from the mama. By then, I will be an experienced milker!