what breeds of goats are right for me

[harrisonH]

hey i was wondering what breed of goats are good for me. i would like to milk them. maybe (billy goats) and how to house them.

 

[The Farm]

I would say there are a lot of dairy breeds. I have alpines they are very sweet girls.
There are Toggenburgs, Nudians, Sannen, Lamanchas, Stables, Oberhhasli and a small dairy breed the NIGERIAN DWARF.
I don't want to make you think one is better because of what I have said you should research some on your own. Good luck!!!

 

[Shalom Farm]

There are tons of breeds so you have to try and think about your needs and wants. Do you want volume? Go for the larger dairy breeds. Want some serious butterfat? Research lines of smaller diary breeds or Nigerian Dwarfs. Want the most economical? Nigerian dwarf and other smaller breeds are better. Goats need to be in pairs. It pays to invest in a good quality doe. Some crosses that are in-milk can be purchased because you can see the quality and volume. You can also mix and match breeds to suit your needs. If you drink a ton of milk but more than a diary goat will produce, and still need butter, mix your herd. One larger diary goat and one smaller one. If you won't need the production two, pic up a cheap whether.

Also consider how easy the breed is to sell. You'll be stuck with 1-3 kids per freshening. Mutts don't sell for as much as say, a high quality alpine or N.D. so figure that into your costs. If lucky, we can sell a goat kid(s) and use that money to buy a good amount of hay and feed for the mother.

 

[mother hen 13]

This is really interesting we have been toying with the idea of goats
How much grazing do they need - do they need permanent access to pasture or can they be keep in during winter - it can get very cold here and wet we find the horses really break the ground if out too much in winter.
I had wondered about keeping one dairy goat and an alpaca wether for fiber does anyone know if they are expensive.

 

[conny63malies]

I am getting a pair of Nubian doelings early june. We deceided on this breed because of the high butterfat content and they are large and meaty enough to slaughter the wethers.

 

[Anna6]

We have had registered Nubians for about 20 yrs. They have wonderful milk and are good to eat. Boer goats are good meat goats. You definitely need to get at least two and be sure to protect them from predators like dogs at large.