I'm looking for a good milk goat, and was wondering what kind I should get, I was thinking saanen but maybe there's other breeds with just as good milk?
Goats
- Thread starter abbygibson1212
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Here's a link to a good article in Grit magazine on how to select a milk goat breed.
http://www.grit.com/animals/raising-goats-zm0z13mjzgou.aspx?PageId=1
The info below is an excerpt from that article.
Dairy goat breeds
There are three origins of milk goats: Swiss, African and American.
All of the Swiss breeds (Alpine, Oberhasli, Saanen and Toggenburg) are very cold-hardy, producing high volumes of low-fat (2 to 4 percent butterfat on average) milk. The Saanen is often called the Holstein of dairy goats with production up to two and one-half gallons per day. It’s a Toggenburg, however, that holds the Guinness World record for dairy goat milk production with 1,140 gallons produced in one year. That is an average of well over three gallons per day! Toggenburgs have uniquely long lactations. Many will “milk through,” milking for 18 to 20 months without rebreeding.
If you want naturally low-fat milk, take a look at Alpines (my personal favorites). They are among the lowest breeds in terms of butterfat content with 3 to 3 1/2 percent on average (according to the American Dairy Goat Association) with high production. Our average Alpines give close to a gallon, and our highest production girls give nearly one and one-half gallons per day! Not record-breaking, but they are beautiful animals with gentle dispositions.
Nubians and Nigerian Dwarfs are of African origin. As a result, they are the most heat-tolerant of all the breeds. Nubians are most recognizable because of their long ears and Roman noses. Both breeds are known for their high-butterfat (4 1/2 percent or higher — some Nigerian Dwarf goats have recorded higher than 10 percent), high-quality milk. The Nigerian Dwarf, while small, can give around one-half gallon per day.
LaManchas are an American breed from stock of Spanish origin. At first glance, it looks like they have no ears. They do have ears, but they are shorter than an inch long. They also produce high-butterfat (3 to 5 percent on average), high-quality milk. They thrive in almost any climate, hot or cold.
If you live in a cold region of the country and want to kid in late winter or early spring, I recommend a Swiss breed because the kids have a lot of vigor and will typically jump right up and start nursing without assistance. The hot-weather breeds may need assistance in getting up and nursing in the cold; they may also need supplemental heat to help keep them warm. Nubians are susceptible to frostbite on their ears.
Hope that gives you the information you are looking for.
http://www.grit.com/animals/raising-goats-zm0z13mjzgou.aspx?PageId=1
The info below is an excerpt from that article.
Dairy goat breeds
There are three origins of milk goats: Swiss, African and American.
All of the Swiss breeds (Alpine, Oberhasli, Saanen and Toggenburg) are very cold-hardy, producing high volumes of low-fat (2 to 4 percent butterfat on average) milk. The Saanen is often called the Holstein of dairy goats with production up to two and one-half gallons per day. It’s a Toggenburg, however, that holds the Guinness World record for dairy goat milk production with 1,140 gallons produced in one year. That is an average of well over three gallons per day! Toggenburgs have uniquely long lactations. Many will “milk through,” milking for 18 to 20 months without rebreeding.
If you want naturally low-fat milk, take a look at Alpines (my personal favorites). They are among the lowest breeds in terms of butterfat content with 3 to 3 1/2 percent on average (according to the American Dairy Goat Association) with high production. Our average Alpines give close to a gallon, and our highest production girls give nearly one and one-half gallons per day! Not record-breaking, but they are beautiful animals with gentle dispositions.
Nubians and Nigerian Dwarfs are of African origin. As a result, they are the most heat-tolerant of all the breeds. Nubians are most recognizable because of their long ears and Roman noses. Both breeds are known for their high-butterfat (4 1/2 percent or higher — some Nigerian Dwarf goats have recorded higher than 10 percent), high-quality milk. The Nigerian Dwarf, while small, can give around one-half gallon per day.
LaManchas are an American breed from stock of Spanish origin. At first glance, it looks like they have no ears. They do have ears, but they are shorter than an inch long. They also produce high-butterfat (3 to 5 percent on average), high-quality milk. They thrive in almost any climate, hot or cold.
If you live in a cold region of the country and want to kid in late winter or early spring, I recommend a Swiss breed because the kids have a lot of vigor and will typically jump right up and start nursing without assistance. The hot-weather breeds may need assistance in getting up and nursing in the cold; they may also need supplemental heat to help keep them warm. Nubians are susceptible to frostbite on their ears.
Hope that gives you the information you are looking for.
I can't really help...Sorry...
- Jan 26, 2014
- 707
- 47
- 118
They all have pretty good milk really. Sometimes (this is not a hard and fast rule, just sometimes) Toggenburgs and Oberhasli's seemingly have a higher instance of off flavored milk. Now any doe in any breed can have off milk. They might have a high somatic cell count or something in their milk and make it taste wonky.
Saanens have great milk, but it's not super high in butterfat. They make a lot of it though! Nigerians have the highest butterfat in general, but they don't produce as much milk as a full size. Nubians have decent butterfat, but generally a little lower in production than the swiss gals. LaManchas have the high production and a little higher butterfat than the swiss girls. They are kind of a happy medium, but they have really short ears so some people don't like them for that (aka my hubby, lol)
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- #5
@H Diamond Thank you!
How difficult is it to take care of a dairy goat? I have not done very much research yet on them.
Goats need protection from the weather. And high quality feed that contains lots of roughage. They do not eat weeds and cans.
Are they good foragers? Will they ruin a lawn? Not that it concerns me I haven't established anything that I would miss.
can you own just one or do they need at least one more goat?
All of the goats I have owned preferred all plant life over grass. My sister's goats eat grass. But, they killed every living plant in their paddock before resorting to eating the grass.
I forgot to mention goats need STRONG fencing to keep them home. If you turn them loose they will jump up on your car, your porch or anything else they can find to climb/jump on.
They will also visit all of your neighbors. Neighbors don't like it when they come home to rose stubs instead of rose bushes.
I forgot to mention goats need STRONG fencing to keep them home. If you turn them loose they will jump up on your car, your porch or anything else they can find to climb/jump on.
They will also visit all of your neighbors. Neighbors don't like it when they come home to rose stubs instead of rose bushes.
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