# I'm getting a new kind of goat and need some help.



## cutie123600 (Mar 22, 2012)

Okay I have like all miniature goats, no milkers, no meat goats just a bunch of cross breeds. I recently decided to get a milk goat, a full sized milk goat.

I was wondering if they have to be taken care of differently then my miniatures. I also want to know how long and often the come in to milk and how much I need to be milking.

I will probably get either a full blood of one of these three or a mix between LaMancha, Alpine, or Nubian.

I also would like to know in a milk goat would it be better to start out young and raise it myself or get a full grown one?


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## ksalvagno (Mar 22, 2012)

Most goats have to be bred once a year and give birth to have milk. You need to dry them up about 2 months before kidding and then they wouldn't lactate again until after they kid. Then you need the milk for the kids for about 8-12 weeks. 

The only different feeding is that they need more. If they are milking, they will need a lot of grain. My Alpine eats 5 (measuring) cups of feed twice a day when on the milk stand. You need to milk twice a day.

Some people feel that starting with an adult goat in milk is better and some feel starting with a young one that will attach to you is better so you will have to figure out.


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## daisychick (Mar 22, 2012)

Well by looking at your animal list in your signature, you have a lot of good milking possibilities in the goats you already have.   Any of the crossbred goats that are mixed with a dairy breed could be milked.   It of course depends on their teats, age etc.  But you could technically milk the following that I am quoting from your signature: "the Lamancha/Nigerian Dwarf mix doe(Maggie), one Pygmy/Alpine mix doe(Patches),   two Pygmy/Lamancha doelings(Elle and Page)"     

They would have to be of breeding age and have babies and then you could teach them to get on a milking stand when they come into milk.    

If you want a full size goat, you would have to do the same, wait for babies to be born and then teach them to milk.   Or if you are lucky enough to find a doe already in milk that is for sale and one that has been milked before, then you would be set.


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## Chirpy (Mar 22, 2012)

While goats generally are fed straight grass hay - when you are milking a doe you need to give her a good quality alfalfa hay and goat feed.   (I like Klassy goat with BOSS mixed in but there are others that are good too. BOSS = black oiled sunflower seeds)  Most people give the goat feed to the doe while she's on the milking stand so it gives her something to do while you are milking.  Plus, you know exactly how much she got because no other goat can steal it from her.

So, I feed my milk does grass hay through the year until they freshen and the switch to alfalfa hay.  I don't give any feed to my goats until they are getting toward the end of their pregnancy and then, of course, when I start milking them.

Goats should be milked two times a day - twelve hours apart.  You can milk at 4:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. whatever works for your schedule.  Most goats will reach their peak production and maintain that for around 8 months after freshening.  At that point they will start to lower their milk production for a few more months and then possibly dry off themselves or not produce enough to make it worthwhile to continue milking them.  Obviously goats are very different in those times frames so your goat may not follow that at all.  I had one doe (Nubian) who dried herself off after five months every year.  I had two other goats (Alpines) who were going strong at a gallon and a half a day at one year!  I had to dry them off for their next freshening.

Alpines generally give more milk than LaManchas and Nubians.  They are more in your face and are often the herd queen in a mixed herd.  They are quiet, vocally and very sweet but can be a little pushy if not raised correctly.  I loved mine!

Nubians generally give less milk of those three breeds but they have the highest milk fat - their milk is wonderful!!  They are known as the more vocal of the goat breeds often hollering all day long.  I have not had that experience with mine and I've had them for years.  Again, goats are individuals and have different personalities even in the same breed.  They are super, super sweet and loving and none of mine have ever been pushy.

I have no personal experience with LaManchas but have heard very good things about them.

All goats have to be bred and have babies to come into milk.  So, every year you would have to breed your doe and then start milking after she gives birth.  You can chose to bottle raise the kids or leave them on the doe for three months or so.  I leave my kids on their mommas to raise and start milking once a day when the kids are two weeks old and then wean them around 12 weeks old.

Have fun!


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## SassyKat6181 (Mar 22, 2012)

Don't really have an answer for you.  I am starting out with 8 week old Nigerian Dwarfs that were just born a few days ago.  I will pick them up in May when they are weaned.  I wanted to be able to bond with them and, because these are my first goats, I didn't want to jump right into milking.  Since you already have goats, you may want to get an adult goat.  You can sometimes buy them already bred.  Each type of goat milks different amounts and for different lengths of time.  What you choose for a breed all depends on those two factors.

*looking at your tagline, I believe you could milk any of the goats you already have


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## heathen (Mar 22, 2012)

I dont think You will have to do anything diffrent persay. As long as your fence is tall enough little goats seem to go under instead of over. Big goats eat a little more. A doe in milk requires more nutrients than one not in  milk. If you can find a 4 year old Goat that has been milked before it will be easier on both of you especially if you can find one in milk and the seller can let you know a little more info on them. I had nubians and lamanchas before I now have a couple nubian crosses in with my fainter/pygmy/dwarf little brushgoat mixes.  I know what the parents are supposed to be but I have a red and white goat named pumpkin that is supposed to be half pygmy and half alpine and she has airplain ears.......  As far as how often and when to fresh I am not 100% I thnk the rule is let a goat dry up for 2 months before you freshen her again. I think a yearly freshening is reuired but I am not 100% on that. There is a section (everything else goat) it has milking info and also toward the bottom of the site there is a recipie section and it has milking info on it.  Everyone has a breed of goat that they love. If you know some people with the breeds you are interested in then you should go meet there goats. I really miss my lamanchas  I have one goat named Amy I bought to be a milker/ foster mom if needed. I have played with her uders since she was 2 days old. I go through the motion every day. She will now litterally lift her leg and talk to me the entire time I am playing with her uders. Here are to good spots within the Herd to look for addtioinal info or repost your question. http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=17 http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=25


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## cutie123600 (Mar 22, 2012)

I could milk my grown ones but they don't throw enough milk and they don't like me touching them, they were kind of rescues. I'm wanting one that will throw at least a gallon a day.

I'm kind of getting to where I can pet my lamancha mix, but they just weren't that socialized before I got them.

I think as far as age range I might go with older and more experienced, unless I find a baby I can't resist (you know how that goes).

See I can't drink cow's milk it give me huge rashes, and I know I looooovvvveeee goat cheese, so I want enough to be able to make cheese and drink/sell milk. 

I will only sell it if I get too much, but I'm sure I can use it. 
I figured buying a dairy goat would be better then paying $4 for a half gallon of soy milk.

I think I have it all organized now, thanks for all your help! 

Time to find me a goat!!


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## cutie123600 (Mar 22, 2012)

Thank you so much I think I'm kind of picking more towards the Alpine even without knowing what you just posted. The remind me of giant pygmys. 

And again thanks!


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## cutie123600 (Mar 22, 2012)

Well the strange thing about my does is that their udders don't get big like they should or like I have seen in the breeds like mine. My full blood pygmy's udder is about the same size as theirs and she's a tiny little thing. 

They also weren't very social before I got them so I can't milk them. 

I'm needing enough milk for me to drink and make cheese out of all in one deal. I can get that out of an Alpine I believe. ??


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## Queen Mum (Mar 22, 2012)

cutie123600 said:
			
		

> Okay I have like all miniature goats, no milkers, no meat goats just a bunch of cross breeds. I recently decided to get a milk goat, a full sized milk goat.
> 
> I was wondering if they have to be taken care of differently then my miniatures. I also want to know how long and often the come in to milk and how much I need to be milking.
> 
> ...


They don't need any special handling apart from your other goats.  I have an Alpine/Nubian/Oberhauslie cross that gives a ton of milk and she has a great personality.  She gets fed the same as all the other goats.  She eats more than a mini or a dwarf and of course gives more milk because she is bigger.  The bigger the goat, the more capacity to give milk.

However, your other goats can give milk.  If they have had kids.  Of course, their udders aren't going to look big unless you take the kids at night and put them in a pen and then milk in the morning before letting them nurse on their mamma's.  The reason the udders will look small is because their kids are drinking up all the milk all day long.  If you let the udder fill up overnight you will see a visible difference.  SO you might consider that before getting a larger breed.  It looks like you have quite a few milk goats already that could potentially provide quite a bit of milk if you play your cards right.


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## cutie123600 (Mar 22, 2012)

The momma's aren't tame enough for me to milk them, they weren't socialized before I got them.

Also I'm kind of weary of moving the babies around, the both had triplets and they both rejected one, so I'm bottle feeding two at the moment. They weren't runts or anything, and there's can't be anything wrong with them because I have been bottle feeding them for about 3 weeks now and they are progressing just as well as their siblings.

However I have thought about doing that but it'd be way more of a hassle then just buying a diary goat that is either used to it or that I can raise for that purpose.


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## sawfish99 (Mar 23, 2012)

We don't feed alfalfa and I don't know any other dairy goat owners in my area that feed alfalfa hay.  It's just not very common around here (even though we are not far from NY and Ohio where they grow it.  Probabyl because so many local farm grow hay, there isn't a significant market to ship hay in from other states.  

As for getting a young goat or experienced milker - I would go experienced.  A 3 year old that is regularly milked will be easier for you to learn.  A young first freshener will still have to be taught.

And I am partial to Oberhaslis because I like how they look.


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## Queen Mum (Mar 23, 2012)

Hopefully, you have a good milk stand.  It makes a big difference with milking.  If you don't there are good plans to be found here.

I like the Oberhauslie/Nubian cross that I have.  Nice creamy milk and lots of it.


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## treeclimber233 (Mar 24, 2012)

My experience with mixing a full sized goat with minature goats is the full sized one has a tendency to bully the little ones.  I know there is a certain amount of pushing and shoving in any herd but with one large doe the "boss" position seems to go to their head.  And the full sized doe has  the strength to do a full sized push that the smaller ones may have trouble handling.  I think that with a little grain handed out daily on the milk stand you will be surprised how fast your girls will tame down.   especially if the only place they get grain is on the stand.


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## Queen Mum (Mar 24, 2012)

I am pretty sure that cutie has made it clear that she will be only milking her new girl so that issue is moot.  Either way, the milk stand will be a place where her girls will learn to have things like hoof trims and other procedures done.  

In the meantime,  Alpine,  Oberhauslie, La Mancha, Nubian, and Saanen are the big 4 on milkers.  The mildest mannered are the Obers, IMHO.  Best milk production would be Nubians, but they tend to be expensive to buy.   La Mancha are friendly all around goats.  Saanen and Alpine are big producers but the fat content is usually a bit lower in their milk.  A cross between any of those four will tend to give you a really good milk producer with a good temperament and a much lower price.

Stay away from the sale barn if you can and buy from a breeder or someone you can trust if you want to get a nice healthy goat and so you can get a good history on the doe.


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## cutie123600 (Mar 24, 2012)

My mom is trying to convince me to buy a registered goat, while I'm trying to convince her that a mixed might be better. 

That and I only have a 100 dollar limit on a dairy goat at the moment. I have found quite a few but nothing I'm truly interested in. You know how that goes, you can spot one you really like and just have to have? I haven't found it yet.


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## Queen Mum (Mar 24, 2012)

You'll get there!  Keep looking till you find what you want.


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