Looking to start with Goats

[mangled]

Greetings.

My husband and I would love to get a dairy goat. Most likely a Toggenberg pair.

I'm finding there are WAY too many goat sites, most with conflicting information.

So, I have a few questions.

1. What can I do with any spare milk? Can it be sold at farm markets, etc.? We live in PA.

2. I've seen on several sites that a adult goat eats a pad of hay daily thru the winter. Plus, chow, alfalfa, etc. Does this sound about right? Hay storage may be an issue for us.

3. Is 1 buck and 1 doe okay, or should we try to get 2 doe? Will a Togg doe do okay with a non-dairy goat?

Sorry if I sound dumb, just have a few questions I haven't seen answered.

Thanks in advance-
Em

 

[DonnaBelle]

May I recommend you pick up Storey's Guide to Dairy Goats.

It has a lot of information in it and believe me there is a lot to know about goats.

For one thing they are very prone to having worms, and must be monitored by having fecals done by a vet, and then if they have a worm load, dewormed by the proper medicine for that purpose.

Also go to Fias Co Farm web site, it has a great deal of information on it.

I have a Nubian we are currently milking and she had three kids 3 weeks ago. The milk is very good.

Also, there are a lot of people that post on this website that have had years of experience with goats. They are gracious enough to help out us newbies.

DonnaBelle

 

[michickenwrangler]

You may not want to start with a buck, they can be stinky and single-minded during breeding season.

For hay storage, I know people who store their horse hay in an enclosed trailer on pallets, easy to move if needed and keeps hay out of the rain.

 

[miron28]

May I recommend you pick up Storey's Guide to Dairy Goats.
DonnaBelle

This is a very helpful book you can find it in tractor supply company.

i also have a Nubian doe that is in milk she is also a good milker.

 

[ksalvagno]

More than likely you will not be able to sell extra milk at farm markets. You would need to find out for sure in your state. Many states don't allow raw milk sales.

I would go here http://fiascofarm.com/goats/index.htm and read up on goats. Also like other people have said, Storey's Guide to Dairy Goats.

I would suggest getting 2 females. Keeping a buck is a pain and they do get very smelly.

How much hay and feed you need for your goats depends on their size. A full size dairy goat can go through 2-3 flakes of hay per day and quite a bit of grain depending on if they are in milk, if they can graze, how cold is your winter.......

 

[mangled]

I should have thought of Storey's. I have the chicken version.

I guess we're probably not quite ready for goats then. I'll definitely pick up Storey's next time I'm at TSC.

Thanks a bunch.
Em

 

[goat lady]

I went on our local craigslist and bought one of those rubber maid storage that has two doors that open out and one on top that opens up. I think I paid like $20 for it and it holds 4 squares of hay and it sets outside by our goat pens. We have had ours for over a year and never had it rain in.