My quest to find a dairy goat.. HELP! :)

[ksalvagno]

You can buy show quality dairy goats that also milk well but I can guarantee that those goats are going to be high dollars. But if that is what you are after, then it is worth it.

 

[SarahFair]

I mean we go through a gallon and a half a week. Do I need a huge producer for that?

 

[ksalvagno]

Not really. A good producer will give you at least a gallon a day depending on the breed. I have an Alpine mix that gives me 3/4 gallon a day and her last kidding was may/June of 2009. So it will be 2 years this fall since she has been bred. She is unregistered and a mix but gives quite a bit of milk and it looks like I can breed her every other year. So depending on what you are really looking for, there are really good milkers out there that aren't show quality but well worth it to own.

If you don't need all that milk but want to show, then you can get something that is registered but may not be the massive milk producer. I would go to goat shows and see who is winning in the show ring and then go to them for your purchase.

Also keep in mind that buying a high end registered goat doesn't stop there. You have to spend money on quality hay and feed. Quality hay and feed goes a long way for any goat and it is what you should be buying for your goats. If you want milk, you have to feed that goat properly to get the most milk out of them.

 

[Iceblink]

A couple other considerations, will you be keeping a buck or trying to rent/borrow someone else's? Will it be an Obi, or will you have to 'make do' with the breed available? If so, your kids will be mixed, and will sell for less, regardless of how much you spent on the doe. If you can buy or use a great Obi buck, and plan to keep or sell the kids for a lot, she might be worth it.

You should also plan on getting her at least one friend. Goats are social animals and will be miserable by themselves. A companion goat will also cost $, so that will have to be planned for.

You could ask the breeder about her health and testing status. If he has the paperwork to show that she is CAE, Johnnes, CL free, she might be worth the extra money just for health sake. Be sure to ask about how she did last time she kidded, and if there were any complications that might be repeated, or if she had mastitis, how easy to milk she is.........

Sorry i I just made things more complicated for you, there are so many things to consider when one considers the cost of a goat. Good luck!

 

[SarahFair]

A couple other considerations, will you be keeping a buck or trying to rent/borrow someone else's? Will it be an Obi, or will you have to 'make do' with the breed available? If so, your kids will be mixed, and will sell for less, regardless of how much you spent on the doe. If you can buy or use a great Obi buck, and plan to keep or sell the kids for a lot, she might be worth it.

You should also plan on getting her at least one friend. Goats are social animals and will be miserable by themselves. A companion goat will also cost $, so that will have to be planned for.

You could ask the breeder about her health and testing status. If he has the paperwork to show that she is CAE, Johnnes, CL free, she might be worth the extra money just for health sake. Be sure to ask about how she did last time she kidded, and if there were any complications that might be repeated, or if she had mastitis, how easy to milk she is.........

Sorry i I just made things more complicated for you, there are so many things to consider when one considers the cost of a goat. Good luck!

I already have 2 goats, a little ObX doe and a boerX weather

I do plan on breeding her to another Reg. Obi buck. If I have to AI her or take her somewhere..

 

[SarahFair]

I think I have decided to hold off on a show goat till I know more about them..
If I want a goat just for milking and get a mix should the mix be both dairy goat breeds or if its mixed with some other purpose breed will it still work out>

 

[freemotion]

Depends on the individual goat. Better chances with dairy mixes, which are rather common, since the dairy has to breed all their does every year.

I have a 25% Boer, 25% Alpine, 50% Nubian mix that I just started milking this morning. Her baby, half La Mancha, will be kept and bred this fall or next fall depending on size. I hope the doe is a good producer because I like the size that the Boer gave her, she is quite toasty in the winter and if she gets wet, she is impervious to cold.

A dairy near me is starting to introduce Boer bucks into their breeding program to increase the value of the kids as meat goats. So you may see that in your area as well.

 

[SarahFair]

I put an ad on craigslist to see what was avail. in my area. A lady replyed and asked if I had ever milked a goat before. I told her I hadnt and she offered to let me borrow on of her goats and a stand. Awesome!

But Ive never borrowed and animal before. What if something goes wrong?

 

[glenolam]

Maybe a contract would help? Not that we would ever think something would go wrong, but "You never know"

Of course, you should meet this gal in person before you agree to taking her doe just to make sure everything is up to snuff and her doe isn't sick or anything like that. If you decided that it wasn't a good idea to bring her doe to you, maybe you could just bring yourself to the doe a few times a week - assuming she's close enough.

We were going to rent a bull for our heifers and the breeder had a contract that included stuff like "If the bull gets out and dies, you will pay us $XX" and "We're not responsible for any damage the bull causes while on your land" - that kind of stuff. (We decided to bring our heifers to another farm which was closer and owned by a good friend.)

 

[SarahFair]

She said

Since you've never milked a goat, would you like to "borrow" one of mine that is lactating along with my milk stand, for a little while? Name of goat is a registered Saanen, the matriarch of my herd. She is older & has one enlarged teat, but she will hop right up on the stand & has manners. That way, you could get used to the "feel" of milking, and the wonderful taste of goat milk.

She then went on to say more about her herd and experience

Will and enlarged teat cause problems?