Goat breed recommendations

[Murray58]

We have 20 acres in SW Missouri- mostly pasture with some trees. We have rabbits and chickens and are thinking about adding goats next year. We would like them for meat and dairy (personal dairy only) - what is a good breed? Or should we get 2 different breeds for the different purposes? Also are any breeds "calmer" than others? Thanks for your help.

job sarkari result

 

[Mini Horses]

This is a matter of opinion, so some pro/con to consider.

Look at this as you would cattle...stand a dairy next to a meat...BIG difference in body style and what you get from each. Same with goats. For optimum results, yes each type is better. The meat to carcass ratio is hugely different. They grow differently. That said, depends on your preference. I've had both. I've butchered both. They can intermingle nicely.

I like a Boer for meat but, other breeds do well. My herd of Boer were easy to handle and large. While you can milk them, no long lactation will be had. They have been bred for raising fast growing kids who forage well and produce a finer grained meat.

As to dairy, depends on what you want for milk quantity. The smaller breeds often give far less per day, physically have some drawbacks for me to hand milk. Maybe use a machine. My personal choice is a Saanen, Nubian, or cross of the two. Saanen tend to be quiet animals with outstanding milk and quantity, long lactation. I have used a meat buck for these full sized does to kid out, giving me some nice kids!

Others will chime in....you'll have info to consider for your choices. One thing to remember, there's always someone to buy or sell. So if you aren't happy, they all grow fast and are easy to change out. Good fence is critical for goats. I swear, even with that acreage, you can put just TWO out there and they want grass from the other side!

 

[Alaskan]

X 2 everything already said.

I really think goat personality is more an individual goat thing, verses a breed thing. Make sure you like the personality of the goat, and the goat is super healthy, and go with that.

Well, except I think nubians are universally LOUD.

I REALLY prefer Saanen simply because they are most likely to have a heavy and long, maybe even multi-year lactation. That sure is nice with family milk goats, so you don't have to worry about breeding as often.

Some people say the Saanen aren't as nice since their milk is lower in fat. However, the lower fat milk meant it tasted more like store bought, so my kids were happy to have it with breakfast cereal. It still had enough cream to make cheese.

Of course, if you are hoping for more meat, then you might specifically want to breed more often. In that case, I would still pick a Saanen, but breed her to a Boer at each breeding, so the kids are good and meaty.

Any way you go, I strongly recommend making sure all goats are tested for CAE, CL, and Johnes. With a small family herd, making "dates" for the girls is easier than owning a buck. Even here in nowhere land, it wasn't too hard. I would have to test the herd, show the clean results,then bring the girls when they were in heat (yes, in the back of my suv).

And as previously mentioned, fencing is soooooooo important.

 

[rachels.haven]

Lamanchas are the best. No ears, no problem. That is all.

(jk, they combine strong dairy characteristics with docility even in the bucks and the extra bucklings make great meat kids, and yes, they are calm)

YES on the disease testing. Neglecting that could cost you in losses down the road, never mind not being able to sell to producers who are more stringent than you.

 

[MTKitty]

When researching breeds, I was looking for both meat and milk. My other criteria was something small/easy-going enough for me to handle on my own. I landed on Kinders for my breed of choice.

They are a dual-purpose goat. Originally derived from a goat owner who crossed a Pygmy buck (meat) with their Nubian does (milk). Their goal was to freshen the does and the Pygmy buck was the only one they had for breeding. Long story short, they liked the result, continued developing the lines, and ended up with a whole new breed of goat.

I’d recommend researching the breed to see if it will serve your purposes.