I am going to get some goats, need input

[Omran]

Hello everybody, for a while now I was almost dissappeared from the BYC because I was and still real busy finishing up the fence project for my new hobby and trying to be prepared for the goats and what comes with them.
Now I am al;most ready, but I would like to know what kind of goats do you guys like and what the advantage and disatvantage of them, I really apprteciat your inputs.
thank you.
Omran

 

[ranchhand]

Ooooh, Omran, I have no idea about the goats but I am looking forward to some pictures once you get them!

 

[ksalvagno]

You really need to decide why you want goats. Do you want milk or meat or both or just pets? Different goats work for different reasons. Also, make sure you really like the type of goat you are getting. I would visit different farms and see the different types of goats and go from there. Also Fiasco Farm has a great website with a lot of info.

I have Nigerian Dwarfs but I also have one Boer doe and one Alpine/Nubian cross doe. My boer goat will be bred and her offspring will be used to feed us, the Alpine/Nubian will give us the extra colostrum/milk that we need for orphan alpaca crias and the Nigerians will be milked and also bred to sell registered offspring. After owning alpacas for over 13 years, I really like the Nigerians because they are smaller and very easy to handle. the Boer and the Alpine/Nubian are nice and I really like them but they are the same weight as the alpacas and close to the same size without the long legs and neck.

 

[Omran]

thank you for the replies , for us we need the goats for three reasons, 1- keep the weed down and cut the grass, seconed get milk and thired is fresh meat.

 

[redhen]

Hi Omran!

What about an Alpine? They are bigger goats, so they would be okay for meat..
and they are also good milkers...

Boer goats are really good for meat.... but i dont think that they are good for milk...

 

[savingdogs]

We enjoy our goats and their individual personalities way too much to eat them, but we have just cross breed goats. It was a less expensive way to get started. We are looking for brush clearing, milk and to learn about goats. They are quasi mini nubian and we chose mini's because that fit best into our barn.

We really enjoy the goats however.

 

[Omran]

Quote:
thank you redhen, I think I am going to start with 2 alpine and 2 boer goats, and I will kepp you all posted on how it goes, I really appreciat all of you guys.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Remember, milking will really tie you down, twice a day, every day for the whole lactation, although if kids are on you can get by with once a day milking. Filtering and sanitizing also takes up a decent (though not huge) amount of time. I had goats and now belong to a cowshare and prefer the latter. However, I have a horse I condition for endurance rides and not having goats frees up my time more.

If you plan on doing a lot of travelling, dairy animals aren't the easiest for people to barn-sit for.

 

[savingdogs]

We were worried about the issue of milking, so we ended up getting babies (weaned) so we can practice having goats before we have to jump into milking.
Some folks say we should have gotten a lactating adult, but we could always add an adult to our herd down the road if we need to when we are all warmed up.
I did not expect to find spending time with my goats pleasurable. I'm looking forward to milking now instead of thinking it sounds like a horrible chore.
My goats are loving and affectionate and we like to spend time with them whenever we can. They make me laugh every time I am with them and I can't say that for too many people!

 

[flgardengirl]

How much milk per day does a dwarf goat give vs a larger milk breed?