Goat

[Champchick]

Hello. We are ever so lucky to be getting pregnant in july. I originally planned to get a jersey milk cow to add to my little homestead as ive milked before with a friend for a month. BUT. I think i should personally start with a goat. Wish to eat and drink only from my land while im expecting. My chickens provide me wonderful eggs and meat. Im wondering what kimd of goat i should get. I want a high fat content. Good companion for my dog and kids. Wont harm my chickens.

 

[HKG]

Most miniature goat breeds will be gentle with your chickens, kids, and dog.

 

[cassie]

Personally, I don't care much for the minis, but that is me. The ones I have seen have itty bitty teats that look to me to be a nightmare to milk unless you have a machine. Either a LaMancha or a Nubian would be a good choice. Bear in mind that one goat is a bad idea. You need at least two.

Pennsylvania State University used to offer some correspondence courses for various homestead projects. They had them on goats, poultry, butchering etc. You might contact them and see if they are still available.

My goats never bothered the chickens. Occasionally a chicken would hitch a ride on a goat's back, and a goat is not above grabbing a mouthful of feathers from a passing chicken.

 

[cassie]

I just saw the comment on dogs. Dogs are predators. Goats are prey. It is not likely that the goat and the dog would ever become friends. In fact my goats would butt the dogs at every opportunity. You might be able to get them to tolerate each other though. Maybe.

 

[GoatGirl123]

Nigerian dwarf goats are a great breed they’re good milkers and they’re very sweet. They’re great with kids and they’ll will not harm your chickens. They are easy to milk and have normal sized tits also because they’re smaller they require less space.

 

[PatriciafromCO]

Nigerian dwarf goats are a great breed they’re good milkers and they’re very sweet. They’re great with kids and they’ll will not harm your chickens. They are easy to milk and have normal sized tits also because they’re smaller they require less space.

Am very happy with the NDs for all that goatgirl mentoned, the only draw back if your limited on space is the females come into heat every month until bred. Not a big deal when you can separate pastures for girls and boys.

 

[GoatGirl123]

I just saw the comment on dogs. Dogs are predators. Goats are prey. It is not likely that the goat and the dog would ever become friends. In fact my goats would butt the dogs at every opportunity. You might be able to get them to tolerate each other though. Maybe.

I had a buck who LOVED my dog. He they played together and he started copying my dog’s behavior and vise versa.

 

[cassie]

I had a buck who LOVED my dog. He they played together and he started copying my dog’s behavior and vise versa.

I am really glad to hear that happened in your case but that is not the usual course of events. A friend of mine went out to the barn one day to find her goats had cornered her Aussie and were doing their best to kill him. Had she not arrived when she did they would have succeeded. As it was, the Aussie was pretty well banged up.