- Thread starter
- #21
The escape artist aspect is worrisome. Ill have to do research on the different types of enclosures. How much does an adult goat typically eat? Im thinking cost/investment.Okay I'm gonna jump on this bandwagon as I've both worked with dairy cattle and researched dairy goats for years.
First: Yes goats are edible. But a fullblood dairy goat won't give you much meat UNLESS you're talking about crossing two dairy breeds and raising the males for meat. I.E Nigerian x Nubian is the best example.
Second: You don't have to keep neither a cow nor goat constantly pregnant for the female to produce milk. In fact, you shouldn't. Cows are bred about 60days after calving because cows are pregnant for 9 months and start drying up about 9 months after freshening (giving birth) so they get 2mo off to produce fresh milk, calve, milk for 60days, get bred, get dried up at 7mo gestation and repeat.
Goats are pregnant for 5 months and can milk for up to 2 years in the case of some Nubians. The general rule of thumb is to breed a doe about 3months into her lactation cycle and dry her up when she has 2months of gestation remaining.
Third: If you want to make cheese you need A LOT of milk so your best breed of choice is Saanan (basically the Holstein of goats). To make the kids worth more, breed her to a Boer buck.
Fourth: Goats are escape artists and not for people completely new to livestock. They take very strong and secure fencing to contain and lots of mental stimulation.
Fifth: Goats are foragers, not grazers. That means they can't just eat grass. Hay is a must and branches are a great addition to their diet.
Sixth: Goats do poop a lot and their poop is harder to clean than with cattle. Goats are also picky eaters and drinkers, so if hay is soiled or water is dirty, they will not eat or drink it.
Any other questions? Feel free to ask