Goat Thread!

[ShrekDawg]

Anybody else have goats!?

 

[Cryss]

I haven’t read through this thread yet but wanted to say hi. I raise chickens and a poor garden on one acre.
I’m considering dwarf/Pygmy goats for milk and cream. My research draws me to LaManchas or maybe Nigerian. I haven’t seen much about possible inherent health issues. Any thoughts on that or anything else I should consider?

 

[ShrekDawg]

I haven’t read through this thread yet but wanted to say hi. I raise chickens and a poor garden on one acre.
I’m considering dwarf/Pygmy goats for milk and cream. My research draws me to LaManchas or maybe Nigerian. I haven’t seen much about possible inherent health issues. Any thoughts on that or anything else I should consider?

Hi!

 

[lomine]

I haven’t read through this thread yet but wanted to say hi. I raise chickens and a poor garden on one acre.
I’m considering dwarf/Pygmy goats for milk and cream. My research draws me to LaManchas or maybe Nigerian. I haven’t seen much about possible inherent health issues. Any thoughts on that or anything else I should consider?

Pygmy goats are a meat breed, so you aren't going to get a lot of milk from them. You could get a Mini/dwarf breed doe and cross her with a Pygmy buck to get meatier kids.

LaManchas are a full-size breed. Average milk fat is 4% so might get a good amount of cream from them if you get something from a good line. Nigerians on the other hand are usually 5-7%. Just keep in mind that you will need a milk separator to get any decent amount of cream. Goat milk is naturally homogenized so you'll only get a thin line of cream rising to the top. You can scoop out that bit of cream and save it up, but it takes a long time to get any useable amount.

I love my Nigerians. I get more than enough milk for my needs. I would say take the time to find ones that are being breed for milk if that's your main thing. I'm currently milking 6 (plus one Mini Nubian) and there's a big difference between them. I've got one that only gives about 3 cups per milking and the best gives me well over a quart per milking. The Mini Nubian gives 1/2 gal per milking. Take the time to find good stock, that goes for any breed you go with.

You may also consider Minis. They are created by mixing a full-size breed with a Nigerian Dwarf. Pretty much every full size also comes in a Mini.

It's not unreasonable to ask to taste the milk. Milk from different breeds can taste different. If you want to buy kids, you can ask to taste the dam's milk. It's not a guarantee of what the kid's milk with taste like but if you don't like it, it's better to know before you buy.

Goats can experience any number of health issues, way too many for me you start listing. Dealing with pregnancies and milking add another layer. I think the big thing to remember is that you want to feed them a good, balanced (that's very important) diet and keep their area clean. It's a steep learning curve but personally I think it's well worth it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Just caught up on this thread.

I won't be getting any more goats. The 4 I have are ENOUGH - lol! But I really like Saanen. They always look like they're smiling. If I *were* to ever get another, maybe a Saanen. Yes, I know. They're so plain.

On a side note: I don't really know anyone who has goats besides me in this area. I just kind of muddle through goat parenthood with the help of the interwebs and the vet. But new folks moved in above us. They have goats for meat. These are the first goats I've seen up close (other than my fab 4) in a loooong time. Their goats are scraggly and scrawny and look a lil worse for wear. And while this is sad and illogical since they are supposedly in the goat business, it has helped me see that my well-fed, happy, energetic, shiny-coated, strong-ankled goats are doing great by comparison. Makes me feel a lot better about my goat husbandry.

 

[Cryss]

Pygmy goats are a meat breed, so you aren't going to get a lot of milk from them. You could get a Mini/dwarf breed doe and cross her with a Pygmy buck to get meatier kids.

LaManchas are a full-size breed. Average milk fat is 4% so might get a good amount of cream from them if you get something from a good line. Nigerians on the other hand are usually 5-7%. Just keep in mind that you will need a milk separator to get any decent amount of cream. Goat milk is naturally homogenized so you'll only get a thin line of cream rising to the top. You can scoop out that bit of cream and save it up, but it takes a long time to get any useable amount.

I love my Nigerians. I get more than enough milk for my needs. I would say take the time to find ones that are being breed for milk if that's your main thing. I'm currently milking 6 (plus one Mini Nubian) and there's a big difference between them. I've got one that only gives about 3 cups per milking and the best gives me well over a quart per milking. The Mini Nubian gives 1/2 gal per milking. Take the time to find good stock, that goes for any breed you go with.

You may also consider Minis. They are created by mixing a full-size breed with a Nigerian Dwarf. Pretty much every full size also comes in a Mini.

It's not unreasonable to ask to taste the milk. Milk from different breeds can taste different. If you want to buy kids, you can ask to taste the dam's milk. It's not a guarantee of what the kid's milk with taste like but if you don't like it, it's better to know before you buy.

Goats can experience any number of health issues, way too many for me you start listing. Dealing with pregnancies and milking add another layer. I think the big thing to remember is that you want to feed them a good, balanced (that's very important) diet and keep their area clean. It's a steep learning curve but personally I think it's well worth it.

Thank you! Very informative. Good to know about tasting the dams milk. I wouldn’t have thought of that.

 

[HipMystic]

Just caught up on this thread.

I won't be getting any more goats. The 4 I have are ENOUGH - lol! But I really like Saanen. They always look like they're smiling. If I *were* to ever get another, maybe a Saanen. Yes, I know. They're so plain.

On a side note: I don't really know anyone who has goats besides me in this area. I just kind of muddle through goat parenthood with the help of the interwebs and the vet. But new folks moved in above us. They have goats for meat. These are the first goats I've seen up close (other than my fab 4) in a loooong time. Their goats are scraggly and scrawny and look a lil worse for wear. And while this is sad and illogical since they are supposedly in the goat business, it has helped me see that my well-fed, happy, energetic, shiny-coated, strong-ankled goats are doing great by comparison. Makes me feel a lot better about my goat husbandry.

I was able to see some Saanens in person this year, they are HUGE! I think I’d like to get a Nubian or Oberhasli if I ever ventured into other breeds- but I love the size of the Nigerians lol. It’s very convenient to pick up the obstinate goat and carry her where she needs to go

It’s so sad to see goats in poor health like that You’re right though, it does make you feel better about your own management practices, and lets you know that you’re doing things right

 

[Sussex19]

I haven't read all the thread, but I love goats.
We have a small flock of angoras, and a rescued rangeland.
The rescue is such a lovely and very clever goat, and well she can be a bit bossy to the others, she's so gentle with me.
She's small and tough and very good at going over fences!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I haven't read all the thread, but I love goats.
We have a small flock of angoras, and a rescued rangeland.
The rescue is such a lovely and very clever goat, and well she can be a bit bossy to the others, she's so gentle with me.
She's small and tough and very good at going over fences!

She sounds amazing!

 

[Sussex19]

She sounds amazing!

Thanks!
She's just a pet, as we don't have the time to go in for milking goats; although she is more that type.
We found her when she was just a day or two old, I don't know what happened to her mum, maybe she was just lost; or maybe the mum got killed.
I still see the flock that she came from occasionally, they live totally feral in a nature reserve, and while the parks and wildlife authority do try to get rid of them, they haven't managed yet.