Help me decide, two goat options

[Amaggio]

Hi all, I'm adding Nigerian Dwarfs this year. I already have two options for does in milk and would love some input to help me make an educated decision. The couple who runs the farm is slowly decreasing their herd each year as they are getting ready to retire. The two options are as follows:

Spice is a three year old doe who is on her second freshening.

This is her udder two weeks after her first freshening where she gave birth to triplets. I think the udder shows potentual and for a ND the teats look to be a great size. My one concern with her is that she rejected her triplets. Because they only Dam raise, wean the kids, and then hand milk for testing before letting the doe dry up they weren't able to milk test last year and we don't get go see her full pontentual.

Then we have Oreo

She's a four year old doe with milk stars and is a tried and true mother.

Her udder seems to be a nice size after only her second freshening. Her teats seem smaller than Spice but she gave 3.5lbs of milk in her last milk test along with 6.1% butterfat.

I'm leaning more towards Oreo only because I'm new to goats and like that she is a good mother, but Spice looks to have a lot of potentual, especially with those nice big teats. Any advice or opinions would be much appreciated. The owners are very kind and letting me come over to view the moms and their kids once they are born so I can make a final decision after seeing how this years kidding goes. Thank you in advance!

 

[messybun]

I like Oreo. Milk star means she’s used to being milked lol. You want a goat who is already VERY comfortable with people randomly grabbing her teats. I like that her stance looks a little more squared, meaning she has her legs more directly under her hips, as opposed to them leaning back a bit. It might just be how they were pictured, but I like squared goats better in general. Oreo’s teats are a bit more forward, for me I like that. I prefer to milk from the side instead of leaning over the goat, and being more forward means the bucket can go more forward and is less likely to be tipped over by clumsy people (I.e. me) just my preference though. Get who you like. I’m more used to milking pygmies and, mine at least, have larger teats for what they are I they were actually easier that my mixed breed (which I believe has saanen amongst others? Possibly even Nubian) anyway, figure out what fits for your hand and part of Nigerian dwarfs is tiny teats. Sometimes that can actually be a benefit, especially if you have small hands.

 

[secuono]

First one's udders aren't even and a possible lump on the smaller one.

 

[Alaskan]

Will she let you milk them?

 

[Amaggio]

I could certainly ask if i could milk them. The couple doesnt milk anymore, they only have a professional come to milk when it's time for testing, but she did say they wouldn't wean the kids of the one i decide on so the doe will be in milk when i bring her home.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Sounds like Oreo is your best choice, so excited for you

 

[Amaggio]

I really loved Oreo the moment i saw her photo! She was so cute as a baby and i can't wait to see her babies when they come in February/March.

 

[Ridgetop]

You didn't say whether the prices are different for the does. I would definitely choose the Star milker because you have a record of her production. I like her udder a lot. We bottle raised all our kids so having a doe reject her kids would not make any difference to me, but since she was not on test and was allowed to dry up you have no record of her lactation or whether she is hard or easy to milk. For a doe tin her first lactation that was allowed to dry up, she has very large teats. Teats that are too big can also be hard to milk. Teats tend to get larger with age.

Definitely ask to try milking her yourself. I would not buy a milking animal without trying to milk her myself and also try the milk to make sure that you like the flavor. Different goats can have different flavor milk even in the same breed.

If you are milking her for house milk why would you want her to nurse her kids? Put them on bottles and you continue a constant lactation. Sell the buck kids early. Also, nursing kids can often ruin udders - kids butting at the udders can injure the attachments.

Good luck with your new doe!

 

[Grant]

No comparison. Oreo is a far better specimen of milk goat.