Starting out with goats

[Fur and Feathers]

Okay so I've been researching goats for a while now and have finally convinced my husband (once we get some things in order) to set up with goats. I will be raising them dual purpose (milk & meat) for my family and most likely will be breeding them to sell too. I have noticed in my area that most people seem to be raising Boers and Nigis. I really wanted to do Nubians, but am also considering Nigerians. From looking at websites this kidding season I know I can expect to pay up to $400-$500 for a registered/CAE-free doeling and sometimes less from reputable breeders in the area.

Before I get goats I need to set up a place for them... my husband and I are considering getting a pair of wethers to help clear out some of our heavy wood-lot and brush area. We will be devoting about 1-2 acres to a goat dairy barn as well as pastures and woods. Now considering all this how many does should I start out with? Also what equipment will I need, what is your advice on vaccinations etc? It seems most people heavily vaccinate their herd, but I am wanting to use as few chemicals/vaccines as possible, I am trying to eliminate these from my diet due to health concerns.

I'm also going to try and visit a couple farms in the area if they're owners are willing so I can see how things are done by others. What kind of questions would ya'll recommend asking, and also does anyone know any good Nubian breeders in the NE GA mountain area? I am willing to travel a ways, but would like to make some connections with people in my area too.

We know we're going to need a goat barn. Thinking 3-5 stalls (1 larger stall for the main herd and then some kidding/isolation stalls as well); a milking area; feed/supply room; also sinks/small refrigerator to clean and store supplies? Plenty of feeding bins, etc and lots of good goat fencing. Please let us know what you all have tried and learned from, things you wish you'd done different etc. I'm also interested in hearing people's experience with raising goats in GA and what not to do as well as what to do. Thanks, I really appreciate ya'lls help as well as all the wonderful posts on this site that have been so informative and I am sure will continue to be so.

 

[Roll farms]

Drinking milk from vaccinated goats won't hurt you...drinking milk from sick goats will.
I've nothing against being as natural as possible (I'd suggest you check out Fiasco Farms' site, she tries to keep it as natural as she can), but there are some chemicals that can't be avoided.
CDT vaccine at minimum, and regular fecals / deworming as needed...
or dead goats.
GA is hot / wet...prime breeding ground for parasites.
Find a dairy, cow or goat, that does tours...see what they use.
Check out the ADGA website for a list of breeders near you.
Buy the "Dairy Goat Journal" a/o "United Caprine News" and check the classifieds.
One question...why couldn't the does clean out the brush?
Good luck, and enjoy them. W/out goats, my life would sorta suck.

 

[Rockytopsis]

If I were getting goats for meat and milk I would go with Nubians. Nigies are very cute but not much meat and very small teats. I do have friends who raise Niges and I would not want to have to milk them.

I do raise Boer/Kiko cross for meat, but I have a FB Nubian that will be my primary milker.

Nancy

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

here's my $0.02:

1. go for the full size dairy gals.... bigger is better. also if you have minis and full sized you might need two separate milking stands to accommodate such radically different sizes (i have minis and a sanaan - worlds apart).

2. be prepared to spend more money on fencing then you think. go directly for electric. i found my full size la mancha basically hanging from her udder (all fours off the ground) when was trying to get over the 5 ft fence. we ran the electric the next day and havent had any problems.

3. hay hay hay - i was shocked at how immediate the change in milk quality/quantity when you go from mediocre to excellent hay

4. have you been around goats before? i'm the wet blanket here - and i'll preface to say that i'm a goat LIKER not a goat lover. all i heard was how everyone loves them - but apparently i'm not convinced by their charms.

5. i love the dairy tho - the milking (by hand) to me is fun and is the best part about them. we use the milk for the rest of our livestock and have reduced our feed costs dramatically.

6. a really good stainless bucket can be your best friend

good luck!

 

[Fur and Feathers]

Ya'll have finally convinced me to go with the Nubians as I was originally leaning and I'll definitely check out those classifieds. Also I suppose the does could clean out the brush but I was worried about their udders... this is a wooded acreage that has a LOT of blow downs and heavy brush, we're going to clear out some, but we probably won't be able to haul it all out (pretty steep slope, we live in the mountain region - we can walk up and around it just fine and there are some leveled off parts ideal for a goat barn/shed). What do you think, should they be alright?

Do you have any information on the electric fencing or know where I could find out more about how to install and also what types of equipment I would need? I'm not real familiar with it and honestly don't know if anyone around here uses it. Also we have a fairly active creek running right through the middle of the area we're wanting to put the goats on, will there be much concern with the goats playing in the creek and then being electrocuted on the fencing or any other dangers I might not think of?

I should also probably take samples of the water etc and make sure there's no dangerous runoff (there's only one person on the creek line above me - but better safe than sorry right?). Do I talk to my Co-op about getting soil/water samples and what should I be testing for? I have seen people on here talking about the contents of certain minerals in the soil and deficiencies, would a general mineral block cure any deficiencies my soil might have? The local TS carries two one block for sheep/goats and then this pail for just goats that has the copper in it. With the pail it look rather small - have any of ya'll used these?

Also haven't really been around goats too much, lots of places around here have them and I enjoy watching them playing in brush piles and running around the fields. I also look forward to them as a source of milk/meat. I'm a real animal lover, have tons of cats, chickens, and other misc creatures around the property. We're considering getting a Great Pyr to stay out with the goats, and I'm leaning towards getting the goats first so I can raise the pup with the goats and train him with them around. He will strictly be a livestock guardian dog, I don't like dogs in the house, especially such large ones, plus my older cat is terrified of dogs. I plant gardens specifically to pull in bees, butterflies and birds to help out with my gardens as well as for the general beauty and addition of habitat to them.

Another concern we have a TON of white-tail thru here and wild turkeys, there is literally a bare hard spot trail worn through and paved out like rock where the deer traipse on the area we're putting the goats on... what kind of things should I look for as far as possible disease contamination of my herd through deer feces, etc? I know that deer and goats were closely related and have heard that chickens should not mix with other fowl due to disease communicability issues, but am not aware of anything.

Also with CAE if I get the goats tested for CAE and they come back negative is there any chance of them getting it on my property or else having false negatives? What else do you all recommend vaccinating for other than CDT? I know we should keep tetanus on hand for when we castrate and de-horn. Where do you all buy your vaccines and do you administer yourself? This would seem to me to be ideal, but having no previous experience wanted to make sure.

 

[jambunny]

I honestly don't know for sure if a goat can get CAE from property but I don't think so. I am pretty sure they can get CL but if no sheep or goats have been on the property for a few years you are probably ok. I would be concerned about the brush and udders. In Wy where I am we have mostly some sage brush and I have had some ugly scratches. We fence pretty heavily for the goats BUY I STILL heavily fence my garden.

by the way I am a goat lover but there are those who think I am crazy.

 

[Griffin's Ark]

CAE testing is OK, but a negative can be a positive and a positive can be a negative. The test itself is a bit questionable, but still important to do. CAE is passed from animal to animal, so don't worry about your property. You have a great Nigerian breeder in your area that is also on here. Helmstead! Look her up on here. Even if you decide for sure that Nubians are the way to go for you, you can learn a lot from any breeder and anyone that milks. Helmstead does both. PM her or check out her website.

Chris