Goat links?

[Henrietta23]

I've been searching through posts gathering goat information. I'd really love to get two dairy goats next year or the year after. We have a 3/4 acre yard with about 1/2 acre backyard. There are only three of us in the family and we don't need a ton of milk. Should we consider a miniature breed?
I do intent to visit the local fairs as we always do and ask a lot of questions.
If you have a favorite goat link with any breed info or care info I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[MissPrissy]

Most any breed, even the tiny ones for dairy use, will give you about a gallon of milk a day. So you would probably want one for milking and one as a friend to keep them out of trouble and mischeif, 2 does or a doe and a wether (castrated male). You will have to breed her once a year to keep her milking so you will have 1 or 2 (sometimes 3) babies to deal with after each kidding. You will be able to sell those after weaning.

You'll have plenty of milk from one to drink, make cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese - think of all the things you can make not have to buy and how much better they will taste!

I don't have any links. I raise big giant 150+ pound goats.

I DO want to encourage you to get the goats and enjoy what they can give you!

 

[MissPrissy]

Start looking now. Goats are kidding and people have babies they need to get rid of -espcially those with limited space raising goats like you are thinking of. With the rising cost of feeds people with alot of goats will not want to carry them through many seasons of having to feed them rations. You should be able to find one within a reasonable $$ figure. Hopefully you could find one who has been bred and milking now or with a baby in tow.

 

[helmstead]

Actually - my NDs give about a pint a day...but some of the crossbreeds (mini Nubians, for instance) give more like a quart.

If you just want milk for drinking, a mini would be ideal. If you want some left over for cheesemaking/soap making you should consider full sized goats.

My favorite sites are
www.fiascofarm.com
www.goattalk.com

 

[MissPrissy]

Wow, Kate I am very suprised by that. Up here everyone with with mini dairy goats report nearly a gallon a day. 1.5 to 2 quarts in the morning and the same at night.

My big does give a gallon in the morning and a gallon at night. 2 gallons a day requires thought with what to do with it. You learn quick. LOL

 

[zatsdeb]

http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/

http://www.thegoatspot.net

I love my milk goats, but be prepared to milk twice a day every day! I am going to start milking my milk goat angel as soon as I start to wean her girls.
so.. its like being on vacation!!!!

I love the goat milk, funny I was making biscuts and gravy and ran out of milk, so I just went out and got some fresh...!!

I also tried my hand at making butter! I pasturize the milk (heat over double boiler till 160 degrees, then put right in the fridge, 24 hours I scoop off the cream and freeze it till I get enough for butter!!!
after you make the butter you can freeze it too.

 

[helmstead]

Quote:
Maybe it's the difference between well preserved utility lines and lines more bred for size. I've noticed in a LOT of the ND herds around here - they worry alot about attachment and shape of the udder and DON'T breed for teat/orifice size or actual production. So, I find a lot of does with pretty udders, but itty bitty titties and lower production. I only have two does with good milking teats (Marybelle and Sarah) and the others will require a milking machine for my hand's sake.

Kinda like the difference between working lines and confo lines in dogs. Confo dogs usually won't have the instinct for what they were intended while working bred dogs (bred for what they were actually intended to do instead of what they look like) have something behind their eyes, too.

 

[Henrietta23]

Thanks for all the information! I did find that we have a breeder of NDs very near here so I have a resource there. I think one of the things I need to know is if I will be able to find a male to breed to the female. I think I read somewhere that the minis are sometimes more expensive but that may be regional? I'm not all the hung up on a purebred anyway. I'm starting to ask around at school too. We're fairly rural here. The music teacher has goats but doesn't milk them. That's as far as I've gotten, side from library books. I did have the idea that one doe and one wether was a good option. I'm rambling I know. I have an unexpected half hour at work without my student or a meeting to go to. : ) Well, I had a half hour, now I have about 4 minutes!
I would definitely want drinking milk for us, and probably my parents as well as some for yogurt, etc.
Any favorite books on raising dairy goats. I only have what the library had which was the kids' Storey's Guide and another that I can't remember the name of right now. I will request others. Ah, I'm late, back to work.

 

[MRNpoultry]

Here all the answer I got - https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=46379

I have been wanting a few miniature goats.

 

[MissPrissy]

Storey's guide is an excellent resource.