Raising Dairy Goats

There are many good reasons for raising dairy goats.

Maybe your children are looking to raising dairy goats for a 4-H project. Perhaps you have always dreamed of providing your family's milk supply. Some people would like to start a home business based on just milk. It's possible that you aren't even sure why you want to be raising goats, and you wouldn't be unusual if you said you simply like the fascinating animals.

But the reason is important because to a great degree, that will determine how you will be caring for them,and how you should get started raising dairy goats.

Therefore, our goal will be to help you explore the possibilities of raising dairy goats.We'll tell you what you must know about raising goats before you start raising dairy goats for any reason. But only you can decide why you want to raising dairy goats, and therefore how much time, money, effort, study and sheer dedication you will allot to the enterprise.

Even if you have never met one in person, you probably know, from pictures and reading, that they are friendly, docile, curious and intelligent. And of course, they produce rich, delicious milk.Raising dairy goats is also very rewarding. Here at back to basics we love raising dairy goats, we also enjoy our meat goats. They keep us laughing.

A good milking doe will produce an average of about 2-3 quarts a day, but that's extremely misleading. The main reason is that most will produce a lot of milk— often a gallon or more per day—soon after kidding. After that peak, production declines, sometimes slowly, sometimes not so slowly. A good one should produce for 9-10 months of the year, although the last part of the lactation (milking period) might only amount to a few cups a day. A not-so-good one might only produce for a couple of months before going dry.

Breeds of raising dairy goats

Naturally you'll want to know what kind of breed will best suit your purposes if you plan on raising dairy goats.Also while raising dairy goats you'll find they make great pets.

While there are hundreds of breeds throughout the world, only eight are generally recognized as dairy breeds in the United States. Don't worry you do not need hundreds when raising dairy goats.

The most popular is the Nubian. While these animals can be any color or combination of colors, they are easily identified by their long drooping ears and "Roman noses." Many people say that Nubians don't produce as much as other breeds, but their milk is richer (higher in butterfat). More on that in a moment.

Another common breed is the Saanen, which is always white or light cream and has a "dished" or concave face and erect ears. Saanens have a reputation for being the best milk producers, but with the lowest butterfat production. (Again, please reserve judgment for a moment.)Raising goats,get ready to fall in love.

Sables are Saanens that are not all white or light cream. Like Saanens, their ears are erect but their face may be straight or dished. The Sable may be any color or combination of colors, solid or patterned, EXCEPT solid white or solid light cream.

One of the easiest breeds to identify is the La Mancha, which often appears to be earless. The ears are very short. La Manchas can be any color or combination, and are generally considered to be fine dairy goats. Raising dairy goats. Wow! theirs so many kinds. Hang on, Raising dairy goats is not bad at all. I'm just giving you some knowledge about them, so you will be informed.

Toggenburgs are easily identified by their color pattern, which is always a shade of brown with white markings, most notably stripes on the face. The common generalization is that Toggs have long lactations but with butterfat on the low side.

Alpines come in the whole spectrum of goat colors and patterns, which the official breed standard describes in great detail.

Less common is the Oberhasli. These are bay-colored, or reddish-brown, accented with black markings.

And finally, the Nigerian Dwarf. Some people claim they are easy to milk and good producers despite their small size... or even that they're ideal for people who don't need much milk and want an easily handled animal. Raising goats you'll find more than you'll beleive triplets being born.

Dairy goats of any breed and either sex can have horns. It's best to start with one that is naturally hornless or has been disbudded or dehorned at an early age.

Breed averages are meaningless

There is no best breed. There is far more variation among animals of the same breed than there is between one breed and another. Some Nubians produce much more milk than some Saanens. Some Saanens produce more butterfat than some Nubians. And "breed average" milk production means nothing when choosing an animal.So you see raising goats is not that difficult.

If you just want a little milk for home use, or if you still don't know why you want goats, there is nothing wrong with starting out with "grade" animals which are often crosses of two or more breeds. Some are very good milkers. More importantly, you will learn from them.

Buying your first one dairy goat.

Much more important than the breed is the overall health and condition of the animal. It would be helpful to get knowledgeable help, but a basic analysis can be fairly intuitive.

Look for a shiny coat. Bright eyes. Good body condition.

The animal should be alert and lively, and it should move easily, without limping or acting stiff or sore. It should have firm, pelleted manure. Be sure it has no abscesses, and of course you'll want a well-shaped udder and teats on a milking doe. Check the feet.

This is the minimum. In some cases you might want to go much further, even having a veterinarian examine the animal. This might include tests for mastitis, blood tests to check for CAE, TB, and brucellosis; and fecal tests for internal parasites.

Most beginners don't go to such lengths, but this does demonstrate the importance of buying from someone who is both knowledgeable and conscientious with their raising of dairy goats.

Of course, you won't bring a dairy goat home until it has a place to stay and something to eat. Housing

Dairy goats are hardy animals, but they do need a dry, draft-free place to sleep and to escape from the hot sun or rain, and an outdoor space to exercise.

In hot areas where protection from sun and rain is important, a simple roof or lean-to might suffice. In cold climates the concerns are chilly drafts, drifting snow, and adequate ventilation. And of course, a real, licensed dairy requires what most of us can only dream of: electricity and hot and cold running water and drains; separate areas for animals, feed, milking, and milk handling; and much more.

Experienced goat raisers recommend anywhere from 12 to 25 square feet of shelter per dairy goat, the lower figure being adequate in warmer climates where they will spend more time outdoors. In cold or wet areas the goats will often be fed indoors and will spend more time there, increasing the space requirement.Fencing

Outdoor spaces are equally flexible. You might need little more than a small exercise yard for few dairy goats. Or you might want a pasture area that will provide at least some of the goats' nutritional needs. You might even opt for a complex series of rotational pastures to maximize forage utilization. The number of animals you have and the kinds and amounts of plants available are primary considerations, along with how much time you can devote to pasture management, and how much you want to spend on fencing.

Fencing is the key element of any yard or pasture when raising goats.(Tethering goats is not recommended.) Dairy oats are notoriously difficult to confine, and they are hard on fencing—especially the cheaper kinds. One good choice for smaller areas is stock panels. These are made of 1/4" welded rod and come in 16-ft. lengths, 48 inches high. Other options are limited to such fencing as woven wire, chain link, and electric—either the common single-strand type (typically using 2-3 strands), the high-tensile variety, or the netting often referred to as "New Zealand" type fencing. They can be trained to respect electric fencing.

Note that one acre will require 825 feet of fencing—and more if it's not square. Get prices on the kind of fencing you'd like. Don't forget to include line posts, corner posts, insulators and a fence charger if applicable, gates, and perhaps such items as fence staples, a fencing tool and a post hole digger or post driver. Then base your decision on a cost/benefit analysis — or on your budget.

Raising Dairy Goats Feeding

Goats are ruminants. The term refers to the rumen, the large first compartment of the four-part stomach in which cellulose, mostly from forage, is broken down by organisms living there. This is the basis of feeding them.

Forage, consisting of hay, pasture plants, and browse from trees and bushes, is the mainstay of the goat diet. Such coarse materials are indigestible to the goat, but the rumen microbes break them down. You are feeding the microbes, and the microbes feed the animal.

Roughage is essential for nutrition. Grains are secondary.

For many people the best, easiest and cheapest way to feed goats is to provide good leafy grass or legume hay free-choice, plus 2-3 pounds a day of a commercial goat feed (grain ration). Others prefer feeding their goats on pasture as much as possible.

This can be quite simple, or it can become management-intensive, with controlled rotational grazing, pasture maintenance and renovation, expensive fencing and predator control, to name a few concerns.When considering to raising goats, consider the fresh milk, the making of soap, the sale of kids,just to name a few.

Whatever your chosen method, for whatever reason, prudence would suggest that you start small and learn as you go—in every area of raising goat husbandry.

They need a constant supply of fresh, clean water.

Raising Dairy Goats Breeding

Dairy goats give milk, but only after giving birth. This means they must be bred, which requires a buck.

Very few beginners would be well-advised to own a buck for reasons including herd improvement, expense, and the infamous buck odor. It's simply too convenient to locate a good buck and transport the doe when she's in heat.

Does can be bred when they weigh 85-90 pounds, usually at about nine months of age.Raising goats here at back to basics,we own no buck, I transport our does to a buck. We do that because we believe that having a buck around taints the milk.

Female goats are only receptive to breeding ("in heat" or estrus) for 2-3 days at a time, every 18-23 days or so, usually from fall to late winter. Signs to watch for include increased tail-wagging, nervous bleating, a slightly swollen vulva, and frequent urination. Take the doe to visit the buck, record the date, and watch for signs of heat again about three weeks later. If you see none the doe is probably pregnant.

Again mark your calendar, anticipating kidding about 145 to 150 days after breeding. also it is not at all for a doe to give birth to twins or even triplets. Their so cute!

Raising Meat Goats

Milking and Kidding

Making Goats Milk Soap

To Leave Raising Dairy Goats and Return Home

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