For those of you with milk goats....

[Chatychick]

The only [probelm with Mini Nubians or Mini LaManchas is or any other type of Mini large dairy breed is the rebreeding as they can throw the larger type gene and you can have problems with it. I have some Mini Alpines and havent rebred them as I have read about the problems and nope not for me. I Nigerian dwarf goats and they kidd well and not many problems and are good milkers too. Either you want a large breed or a small 1 and you really dont want a mix as like I said the genetics can cause more problems when you cross breed them. You dont want a doe that is a Mini Nubian to throw a regular size Nubian as it wouldnt be good and you just never know. This is just my opinion I personally would go with 1 or the other. I love my full size LaMancha doe as she is so easy to milk and very laid back. The Nigerians are the same too but shorter and harder on my back to milk. I guess its just personal preference as to what you will be wanting. Yes the price is good but just look for a doe that has larger bones and good hocks as if the hocks tend to turn is she can have more kidding problems. I have learned this the hard way. Good luck with your choice.

 

[highmountainchick]

OK here is a really dumb question, I have never had a cow or a goat so I have absolutely no idea about larger animals but can you have a milk goat produce milk that is not pregnant? Do they have to carry kids to produce milk?

 

[MissPrissy]

Just like with a human - a goat will not begin producing milk until it has been freshened (impregnated), just before birth her milk starts to come in. Some goats will milk for more than one year (mine did for over 2 yrs) without needing to be 'freshened' again. If not milked out everyday (by you or a baby) those cells stop making milk and will not start making milk again until she is freshened.

 

[k0xxx]

As a non-goat owner, it would seem to me that as a means of saving money, milking goats would not be cost effective for most people. However, if you were in a position where most, if not all, of their feed was already being produced by you (say, in an actual farm environment) then the costs would be less of a burden.

A garden world be more effective for most people in cutting costs and possibly a few chickens that could be fed on forage and garden waste. Then use the money saved for your regular milk purchases.

However, as many have pointed out, having a home source of fresh, chemical free milk may be well worth the additional time and costs.

Just my two cents.

Mark

 

[MissPrissy]

Trust me. It is NOT in any way cheaper to raise your own milk if you look at it simply as milk. However, the trade off for fresh milk, chemical free, wholesome, for my kids and my family table it is worth it with no other consideration.

When you add in skills such as cheesemaking, culturing buttermilk, sourcream, yogurt, butter, etc - You win hands down. When I am milking 2 gallons a day from 1 goat and can produce 99% of our dairy needs for my kitchen I can easily stock my pantry/freezer/fridge with $1000's of dollars worth of products for the cost of a few bags of feed. I have plenty of pasture and foraging. The cost would actually be even much less but to have excellent milk without the goat suffering physically from milk production they MUST have sources of grains and extra nutritents. My goats get vegetable treats as well feed treats that supplement their normal feed and foraging.

 

[greyfields]

Oh yeah. I've easily eaten hundreds of dollars worth of goat cheese and milk since starting to milk ourselves. I'm a greedy gut. Nice, pure food makes me happy.

 

[Chirpy]

I do believe everyone above has covered this really well. I just wanted to respond to your question about having only one goat.

Goats are VERY social and NEED to have another goat for company. So, you should plan on having at least two.

 

[penelope77]

i figured up my cost for my one nigerian milker and i save money. i milk her twice a day and haven't had to buy milk from the store at all. she gets sweet feed (i don't normally say that cause some people get angry), alfalfa pellets, black oil sunflower seeds, free choice hay, free choice loose mineral, baking soda, and anything else around here. if you can get them on pasture that's great. i'm getting two more milkers so i can have yogurt and cheese too and to fill the gaps when they are dry for the last two months of pregnancy etc. one thing i found helpful is to ask the people where you might purchase from what they are feeding. everyone will tell you something different.. a great goat place if you haven't already been is http://fiascofarm.com/ there is alot of info there about feed and such.

 

[mangled]

Wow, thanks for all the wonderful information. I need to learn a LOT more before we go any further. My husband works with a lady who has goats, and she sold him on the idea, and now he's like, let's just go get one!

So, regular LaMancha or Nubian seems the way to go, and at least two. And I would need a male.

Do you all have your bucks de-horned?

Em

 

[MissPrissy]

You can rent a male for mating time. You don't have to keep one. If your place is smallish - males really are nasty during breeding season and they stink. 2 does or a doe and wether is a nice combo.