# Which Goat Breed Makes the Best Tasting Milk?



## Kaseylsnow (Jul 7, 2018)

I know this is all a matter of opinion and preference, but I'm looking into raising goats for milk someday soon and am trying to narrow it down to a breed to go with.

Leaning toward the Nigerian Dwarf for space and have heard their milk tastes pretty good. I am trying to locate a goat farm locally where I could try the milk of different breeds, but would love some suggestions on breeds to start with.


----------



## OneFineAcre (Jul 7, 2018)

We have Nigerians and the milk is really good
High in butter fat and protein so excellent for making cheese
We also have a couple of Toggenburgs which have a reputation for really bad milk
I can't say that its really bad but it definitely isn't as good as the Nigerians
I know a number of people who own LaManchas and they say it is good too
If your space is limited you can't go wrong with Nigerians
But make sure you start with good stock from proven milk lines because production can vary greatly
We milk test ours so we have production records to show output


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Jul 7, 2018)

I have milked Pygmy goats, Nigierian's, Nubians and Kinders (pygmy/Nubian X's).  I've never gotten bad tasting milk from any of them.  I had a pygmy that gave plenty of milk and it was sweet and delicious.  Nigi's and Pygmy's both are known for high butterfat which makes their milk taste so darn good!  As much as I love pygmies - you'll likely find better milker's in the Nigi's if you decide to go with a small goat.  

My Kinder goats probably give the best return on investment in the milking department.  Nubian milk is delicious too but if you want a lot of bang for your buck you can't go wrong if you find a good Kinder.  They're about 1/3 bigger than a pygmy or Nigi and about 2/3's the size of a full Nubian and are very competitive with a Nubian in the volume department while eating less feed.

I think it boils down to tasting the milk of several breeds, finding a good, healthy goat in your area, and going with the breed (or individual goat) that catches your fancy!  Good luck!!


----------



## Donna R. Raybon (Jul 9, 2018)

If you plan to hand milk, make sure teats are long enough that you can.... I always encourage people to come and actually milk the doe they are interested in and take milk home to try.  

My hands are large, so small goats don't work out well for me to milk.  I have Nubians for about 30 years and love them.  Find what you like to look at, get at least two as goats need company.  Go for an adult, in milk, and quality.  Learn what a good goat looks like.  Harvey Considine's Modern Dairy Goat Judging Techniques is a good book to get and study.  Also, join ADGA and get their Linear Appraisal Booklet so you know what is what when looking at LA scores.  You want to try to get a doe that scores at least V in udder.


----------



## lkmartin1230 (Jul 10, 2019)

I raise Nigerians, Nubians, and Mini Nubians and I love their milk.


----------



## B&B Happy goats (Jul 10, 2019)

I have raised nigerians and nubians , while the nigerian has awesome  creamier milk, I think if it was for taste only ....I would describe  the nubians milk as "more like cow milk.".....


----------

