Are goats the right dairy animal for us?

[RJSchaefer]

We plan on getting dairy goats either this fall or next spring. The hold up, aside from researching, learning and getting hands on experience, is building a sturdy fence. Those are expensive!

Our backyard farm is on a 4.5 acre property. I'm planning on giving the goats 1 to 1.5 acres. Unfortunately, this is all tall grass prairie. I've been told goats don't appreciate that as much as sheep do.

I'm going to use the old chicken coop (now unsuitable for chickens) for the goats after a few repairs.

We don't need an excessive amount of milk, but a respectable amount is key - a minimum of 5 to 6 gallons per week. I looked into dairy sheep, and it seems they don't provide enough to meet our needs without having quite a few of them. We're also looking for something that could double-duty as a dinner producer without having to keep bucks on hand. It's easier to find goats to breed than sheep around here.

I'm really looking at Nubians right now, possibly Alpines, and finding someone locally who has a Boer buck to breed. Nubians seem to meet our needs best - produce a good quantity of milk and produce babies meaty enough for the family table.

I've been told I should have at least ten to start. TEN?! That's a lot of goats!!! I was thinking 2 or 3! I was told Nubians typically have twins, so even 3 goats would produce more offspring that we'd need.

Tips, thoughts, considerations? Been there done that, possibly?

 

[lovinglife]

My young Nubian just had a single doe, yep don't think I will be able to eat her...... but she is producing just half a gallon a day, I expect this to increase a lot in the coming weeks. If you had 10 goats you would be overwhelmed, and the next year who knows how many you would have.....20? 30? Two pregnant does would be a good start, they will give you plenty of milk and if you find you need/want more goats (like most of us... just can't stop) they are usually not hard to find.

Goats are a lot of fun, great pets, and make wonderful tasty milk, love mine! Going to have to work on the eating part, I know that would be the best thing to do with extra animals....

 

[SheepGirl]

If you need 5-6 gallons per week, that is roughly 3/4 of a gallon per day. Two to three average dairy bred ewes can easily give you that (1/4 to 4/5 of a gallon per head per day), and depending where you are located you can find ewes that produce more than 1 gallon per day in a 200 day lactation (any University dairy sheep research program or private working farm breeding for production). Lactation in sheep IS shorter than in a goat, but I think that's a fair trade off since the babies grow faster and they have more meat on them than goats

PLUS the ewes will be happier in a pasture than the goats (who will be thinking how to escape your expensive fence to go find some woods ) and you will love the sheep!

Take it from me..............cause I'm not biased or anything.

 

[RJSchaefer]

If you need 5-6 gallons per week, that is roughly 3/4 of a gallon per day. Two to three average dairy bred ewes can easily give you that (1/4 to 4/5 of a gallon per head per day), and depending where you are located you can find ewes that produce more than 1 gallon per day in a 200 day lactation (any University dairy sheep research program or private working farm breeding for production). Lactation in sheep IS shorter than in a goat, but I think that's a fair trade off since the babies grow faster and they have more meat on them than goats

PLUS the ewes will be happier in a pasture than the goats (who will be thinking how to escape your expensive fence to go find some woods ) and you will love the sheep!

Take it from me..............cause I'm not biased or anything.

Oh thank you. I've had many goat people tell me they'll "adapt." I didn't really believe it. I had an inkling that tall grass prairie wasn't something the goats would enjoy.

There goes all that money on goat books! OKOK, better to waste $50 on books than $600 on goats that would be unhappy.

So...sheep then...what breed would you suggest? I'm in northern Illinois, right on the WI border. I know there are some good-sized dairy sheep operations farther north.

 

[SheepGirl]

If you need 5-6 gallons per week, that is roughly 3/4 of a gallon per day. Two to three average dairy bred ewes can easily give you that (1/4 to 4/5 of a gallon per head per day), and depending where you are located you can find ewes that produce more than 1 gallon per day in a 200 day lactation (any University dairy sheep research program or private working farm breeding for production). Lactation in sheep IS shorter than in a goat, but I think that's a fair trade off since the babies grow faster and they have more meat on them than goats

PLUS the ewes will be happier in a pasture than the goats (who will be thinking how to escape your expensive fence to go find some woods ) and you will love the sheep!

Take it from me..............cause I'm not biased or anything.

Oh thank you. I've had many goat people tell me they'll "adapt." I didn't really believe it. I had an inkling that tall grass prairie wasn't something the goats would enjoy.

There goes all that money on goat books! OKOK, better to waste $50 on books than $600 on goats that would be unhappy.

So...sheep then...what breed would you suggest? I'm in northern Illinois, right on the WI border. I know there are some good-sized dairy sheep operations farther north.

Actually, the goats will like it. They won't like it as much as the sheep, though! Goats are browsers (like deer) and sheep are grazers (like cattle). And you are in the perfect spot. That's dairy sheep country right there lol. Especially the University of Wisconsin-Madion's Spooner ARS. An East Friesian or Lacaune or cross of the two will be okay.

 

[Southern by choice]

Goats prefer tall grass and weeds and brush and vines.
Sheep are more grass grazers that will eat the grass down to nothing and kill it. Goats will not.
I would love to find a milk sheep but they are very hard to come by.

There is a reason most dairies use goats.

BTW- I have sheep and goats. So I am not biased.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

My goats ate the brush first, but most definitely like the grass too. Starting with 2 or 3 bred does will give you plenty of meat and milk. I've also heard that goat meat tastes better. And IMO goats are much more personable. And fun.

 

[RJSchaefer]

Baaaaaaaah!

I'm so confused.

Here's the conclusion I'm drawing. We need to prioritize, for our family, what our goals are. This is what we came up with.
1. Stocking the freezer
2. Having milk, suitable for drinking, cheese, yogurt and soap.
2a. Milk suitable for butter. This is kind of a footnote, because I'm aware you're best bet for this is a cow. I don't want a cow.
3. Having fiber - nice to have

I do believe sheep are the winner for (1), from everything I'd read.

Goats win for (2).

I believe sheep win for (3).

If, as some of y'all have said, goats will be just as happy on the tall-grass, I'm torn. Perhaps my best bet is to keep both. How well do they cohabitate? Information is conflicting. I've had some people tell me they do beautifully together and others tell me not a chance. I have one stables area. I really don't want males, at all. I'd rather rent a male to breed. The only potential commercial endeavor I can see coming of this is soap making, which we've discovered we love. I don't want to go through the hassles of commercial food manufacture.

Sorry, I know a lot of this is rambling etcetera. I'd just really like to get some advice on the best way to start.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I don't know why you can't have both.

I only have goats, but there are many posters on here who have both, so I don't think cohabitation is a problem.

BTW, goats milk is not very good for making butter.

We have ND's and the milk is great, and it is great for making cheese. ND's have the highest butterfat, but the cream doesn't separate readily. I think you can buy seperators, not sure how they work. But, it doesn't separate on it's on like cows milk.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You said you needed 5 - 6 gallons of milk - you can get that from one good dairy goat. ( I don't recommend having one goat though) Goats are opportunistic feeders... they will browse or they will graze. Goat milk does not separate as easily as cows milk - however - it WILL separate. A couple days in the fridge in a shallow pan and you can skim off the cream. Goat butter is white and delicate flavored - Yummy!

I don't have sheep, so I can't speak to that aspect.

What I do know is that goats have personality plus!