Lets talk about goats!

[Stacykins]

So as I am looking into showing 4-H pygmy goats, I thought I saw something about having to dehorn them, but then later on they said you didn't? My pygmy goat is solely our pet. If anyone has any idea??? If not, thank you anyways.

Almost every show out there, even for showmanship (which judges how a person handles a goat rather than the goat) require goats be dehorned for safety.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Almost every show out there, even for showmanship (which judges how a person handles a goat rather than the goat) require goats be dehorned for safety.

I believe pygmys are different tho and to my understanding are required to have their horns. Not having them is an automatic disqualification, I believe. @lizardandchicks I would recommending going to the Pygmy club website and also the club website you plan to show under and look there for concrete information. If you want the goats to show you don't want to get goats that will be disqualified for having their horns the wrong way.

 

[Stacykins]

I believe pygmys are different tho and to my understanding are required to have their horns. Not having them is an automatic disqualification, I believe. @lizardandchicks I would recommending going to the Pygmy club website and also the club website you plan to show under and look there for concrete information. If you want the goats to show you don't want to get goats that will be disqualified for having their horns the wrong way.

If you read the NPGA breed standard, or read the membership application brochure, dehorning is allowed. An animal cannot be polled, that is a disqualification. They must genetically possess horns, even if they are removed.

Fairs often require all goats be disbudded or be without horns for goats to be allowed to show. Horns put holes in people and other goats. I personally had a boer wether kill one of my Nigerian Dwarf does, with his horns.

 

[brittanimck]

I love my goats, I have 4. 2 Nigerian bucks, a Nigerian doe, and a mini Nubian. Cartman and Stallone( also affectionally called dufus and dengus), boots, and dumberella respectively. They are very amusing and we plan to have goats milk within the year. Until they are squared away, they can be quite a hassle!

 

[RTFchickens]

I love my goats, I have 4. 2 Nigerian bucks, a Nigerian doe, and a mini Nubian. Cartman and Stallone( also affectionally called dufus and dengus), boots, and dumberella respectively. They are very amusing and we plan to have goats milk within the year. Until they are squared away, they can be quite a hassle!

Yes they can be quite a hassle!
I have 17 ND goats right now, 7 adults, and 10 kids. 5 adults are milking. The ND have such small teats that they are difficult to milk. But the milk is delicious. We have plenty of milk for our family with the 5 does.

 

[mbbrinegar]

Yes they can be quite a hassle!
I have 17 ND goats right now, 7 adults, and 10 kids. 5 adults are milking. The ND have such small teats that they are difficult to milk. But the milk is delicious. We have plenty of milk for our family with the 5 does.

Do you pasteurize your milk, and when do you start milking after they kid?

 

[RTFchickens]

Do you pasteurize your milk, and when do you start milking after they kid?

Pasturizing milk is highly recommended by many people and health professionals. Consuming raw milk is a risk that needs to be carefully looked at before making that decision for yourself.
I do not pasturize our milk, but for our situation I feel the benefits of raw milk out weigh the risks.
My husband has terrible IBS, and since drinking raw milk at least once a day his symptoms are almost gone. He went from about twice weekly flare ups to only having two mild flare ups in a month. His prior flare ups would be so bad that he could not work when they occurred, and his current flares to not interfere with work. I think its the good bacteria and enzymes in the raw milk that help his stomach.
I will not use raw milk from anyone else though. Its too great of a risk.
I know the health and satatary precautions that I take to prevent contamination knowing that it will be consumed raw. I don't trust others to hold the same standards that I do.
I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I know of some people who became very ill after consuming contaminated raw milk...

Now, for the question of how long I wait to milk after birth...
Each situation has been different for me. My one goat that had only a single kid was milked from day 1. My others with twins, or triplets were not milked for over a month, with one exception, I have a very high producing doe. She gave birth to twins, but had a very full udder, and at one point both kids would only drink from one side because the other was so full. After only a couple of days, I milked her twice a day and would get .5 pound consistently as well as leaving her babies with her full time.
As a general rule, I milk from day one if the is only one baby, and wait a month to milk twins or more. At 6 weeks after birth, I separate babies for 8-10 hours at night and milk before letting kids nurse.
Every situation is different, and many people may disagree with my routine. This is just what works well for us...

 

[Stacykins]

Do you pasteurize your milk, and when do you start milking after they kid?

Negative. Raw milk only here. Our animals are tested and clean. Our milking equipment is sanitized between milkings. Hands are washed before milking, udders are sanitized before milking.Milk is chilled as soon as it leaves the udder. Udders are sanitized before milking. Milk is used up within a week.

Raw milk is dangerous in the industrialized dairy cattle herds. Cows with mastitis are allowed to contribute milk to the system (as long as it is under certain percentage of total milk). Equipment might not be kept as clean as possible. Hundreds of cattle in a tiny environment concentrates bacteria and diseases.

Somehow people in Europe aren't falling over dead from diseases passed on from raw milk. The European Union allows sales of raw milk and products made from raw milk. They certainly have regulations to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the milk. But there isn't the rampant paranoia and fear mongering like over here in the United States. You are more likely to become ill leafy greens contaminated with feces in the field (and not properly washed), or from a food service worker who didn't wash their hands than well regulated raw milk sales systems.

Europe countries even allows distribution of raw milk from vending machines.

 

[Hylian]

Not much to add from previous comments as I am very new to BYC, however...

I have 2 bottle fed Nubian does, about 8 years old now, running free range around our tiny farm. Their names are Hiccup and Hammie (named by myself in 2nd grade) hehe. They are the sweetest babes. They don't really do anything but eat and give us something to look at, but I love 'em. I was going to get into Nigerian Dwarf breeding, etc. but my parents did not want to in the end. Despite that, I've always loved how weird goats are and I used to read books about them ALL the time. When everyone was reading The Magic Treehouse series through elementary school, I was reading "The Goatkeeper's Veterinary Book" and things of the sort.

 

[michellemire]

just saw these 2 lil ones born will take better pic of them as soon as I make sure the nurse on mom