Lets talk about goats!

[ProvokeLife]

Thank you.

 

[conny63malies]

Im only going to get two does for now, probably nubian, alpine or nigerian dwarf.

Have you found a breeder yet? I know that Hillbelles Nubianss is selling most of their stock. THey have all anglo Nubians. NKy Windy Acres still has some bucklings left.

 

[erinszoo]

Can I legally sell goat milk at a farmers market

Yes, you can legally sell goats milk at the farmers market if its pateurized. Some states also require an inspection of your milking facility and sanitation practices. Cheese from pasteurized milk or that has been aged for 60 days can also be sold.

As far as quantity goes, I'm milking a boer right now. Its hot out soim not pushing her and quit when she gets bored rather than empty. I get a pint a day or a bit more. I then make cheese, butter, sour cream, and buttermilk from it as well as use it in baking. Every two weeks I get 2 lbs of soft cheese (herbed chevre), 1 lb of mozzarella or feta, and 10 - 12 oz of ricotta. Every third week I make sour cream, butter, and buttermilk as we don't use as much of those. I do not pasteurize my milk before cheese making but I also don't sell it. Anyone who samples or eats it knows its from raw milk.

We have a billy who has his own pen next to our doe and kids. He does fine as long as he can see them. We don't have issues with odor from him at all. He screams if he loses sight of the others but is easily placated with branches and treats. We scrub on him and scratch him everyday. And he loves to hug my husband.

If I had to start over, I would get two young does near weaning age or before and raise them together then stud service them at a year or so. Our girls, one boer one alpine, are so much easier to work with. We don't even have to use a lead with them and they know the word "no". The billy, on the other hand, is a mess and so large that I can no longer handle him. However, we have a buckling that we are going to wether who has been handled since birth and he is training well too. Our billy was basically left out in a field alone to forage after weaning before we rescued him at 5 months so handling early makes a huge difference.

 

[H Diamond]

Yes, you can legally sell goats milk at the farmers market if its pateurized. Some states also require an inspection of your milking facility and sanitation practices. Cheese from pasteurized milk or that has been aged for 60 days can also be sold.

Again... That depends on where they live. Not everywhere can you do this. Please refer to the map I linked to a couple pages ago. For instance... It's ILLEGAL to sell raw milk in Colorado. You have to have a herd share agreement.

 

[erinszoo]

Yes, you can legally sell goats milk at the farmers market if its pateurized. Some states also require an inspection of your milking facility and sanitation practices. Cheese from pasteurized milk or that has been aged for 60 days can also be sold.

Again... That depends on where they live. Not everywhere can you do this. Please refer to the map I linked to a couple pages ago. For instance... It's ILLEGAL to sell raw milk in Colorado. You have to have a herd share agreement.

If its pasteurized its not considered "raw".

 

[Chicken Momma T]

My daughter and I have just gotten 2 nuibian goats. We got the first one, a little girl about 8 weeks and she was so sad and lonely, she was fine at first and then after 2 days she began to decline and stopped eating, so then we read more about them and realizing that they are very much a herd animal we got a wethered goat, as soon as she saw him in the pen with her she started playing and perked up and ran to her feed and started eating. It was as if a light switch had been flipped. We were so thankful!!!! So now she is playing and butting heads with him. I just wanted to share so that if you just had one and it seems sad get a wethered goat if you don't want more. We have them for pets only for my daughter Clover. What wonderful animals they are.

 

[chickenlindz]

Good job Chicken Momma!!!!

 

[Findtex]

Frick and Frac were born today at about noon our time, a little messy as Jill needed help, maybe photos tomorrow, in the meantime how has Rocket and Sprocket grown; they do pick some funny placed to sleep though

 

[Findtex]

Frick and Frac sleeping after

a feed

 

[erinszoo]

Frick and Frac sleeping after a feed

Beautiful!