Thinking of adding goats to the farm... fainting goat?

[BlakesFarm]

Quote:
Theay are in a 5-6 feet tall fense in area, its maby 1 acer. It is an old dog area, with a shed that theay go in.

 

[awesomefowl]

I love the beauty of Oberhaslis. I also like the looks of Nubians, but they are larger. I would get Oberhaslis if I was getting breeding goats.

 

[KristinH]

Toggenburgs!
My champion 4-H doe was a Toggenburg, they are good medium sized dairy goats. Mine had a wonder disposition and was really easy to work with, shave..train to stand etc...heck we used to take her to the beach and she'd swim in the water and walk on a leash just like a dog. Loved that little goat and had her until she passed of old age.

 

[BlakesFarm]

Ok, can you give me a pro-con list on goats?




I would rather not seperate the male from the females, just have them in one herd.

 

[glenolam]

I might have missed it, but I don't think anyone has mentioned Nigerian Dwarfs as a breed to consider. There are some great milking lines out there, they are smaller in nature and just as friendly as they come.

You said you'd rather not separate males from femals - the only way to do that is to castrate the males making them wethers. If you want to breed the does you'll either have to find someone else with a buck or keep a buck yourself, but that means you'll have to separate the buck after breeding and get the buck a friend, like another buck or a wether.

I have both small and large breed goats. I actually prefer my larger breeds (nubian/oberhasli crosses) because I don't have to bend down to take care of them or give them scratches and they fit more easily on the milking stand. I have to lower the head gate when my pygmy gets on there or she has no chance of feeding from the grain bucket. But the larger breeds can jump over higher fences, so that is something to consider.

ETA: check out the sister site, Back Yard Herds. There are a ton of goat people over there and a lot of info on the pros/cons of goat ownership.

 

[msgoatgirl]

Be sure if you want to milk that you are prepared for milking. This is a commitment.
Every 12 hours....its fun...the milk is wonderful...the goats are fun...but it is a big
commitment. Its also a good idea to get your start from a local farmer if possible,
especially if you aren't familiar with goats. Its always nice to have someone
knowledgeable when you have things come up. They need de-worming...
and regular hoof trimming...you need to know what to do if one gets mastitis.
Good to have a local vet you can call on if needed. Not alot of vets are
into goats or have alot of experience with them. A good vet and a knowledgeable
goat person to turn to are great and much needed resources. You need
to have your property prepared...goats dont like to be wet. They need to
be able to run to shelter if a rain comes up. They also need good tight
fences. I would NOT recommend having a buck (or billy). They are very
smelly for one...and have raging hormones. You need an especially
tight and tall fence for one. If you want to breed your does, then you
only need a buck for about 10 minutes....every year! haha
If you purchase from a local reputable farmer with goats, ask if they have
a buck you could breed to when you are ready.

If you do decide to go with dairy goats, see what you can find locally,
as it will help finding a buck to breed to if you have that breed locally.
All breeds are pretty gentle. I havent seen many mean goats, the ones
that have the bad reputation are bucks. People who want a goat for
a pet and don't know any better and get a buck. You DONT want a buck
unless you are an experienced goat farmer. Get one that has been
fixed (a wether).

I had French Alpines for many years. They are a large full size breed
with wonderful milk. If you want something small, the miniature
milking breed is a Nigerian Dwarf. Again, probably your best bet is
to see what goats are available in your area. Check with your local
4H group and see if they have a goat leader...ask around.

Goats are like potato chips....you can't have just one!

 

[glenolam]

FWIW, milking really isn't that big of a chore. It can be as big of a pain as you make it to be. I had no problems milking my goats 1x day (usually around the same time of day) last year and plan to do the same this year. I milk in the evenings after I get home from work as that's what my schedule allows. Most separate the kids at night and milk in the morning, I'd tape her up each morning (which took all of 3 minutes) then un-tape her in the afternoon/evening for milking. I didn't have a way to separate the kids so this is what worked for me.

And, yes, they require a lot of work and commitment, but again it's all in what you make it. Hoof trimming is only every few months (more or less if needed), de-worming is as needed and vaccinations are every 6-12 months depending on what you'd like to do.

In my eyes, my goats are much easier to take care of than my cats or dogs!

 

[msgoatgirl]

I didnt mean to say it was hard...or a pain really.....just that you will be tied down
more so than with some other animals. You can get them to adjust to milking
at whatever times are convenient...and milk once a day rather than twice a
day if you like.
You can find someone to put dog food
in a dish for you when you are gone...throw hay to your horse....
someone to milk your goat or goats is
sometimes another story! Its just hard to get away....so just keep that in
mind if you have alot of kids activities, or like to go on vacations or weekend
getaways. Its not for everybody...just wanted a newbie to think about
the commitment to take care of them if you milk.

I milked for 10 years...and loved it. Its all in what you like to spend your
time doing. If you are home anyway and don't go much...its great. You
can also plan trips for when you dry the does up...thats what I did...
planned vacation time when it was easy for someone to just keep
hay and water going.

 

[boxermom]

Fias co farms has a wonderful and very informative website. I too, am preparing for a couple of dairy goats. I'm reading all I can before I jump in...