thinking about getting 2 milking goats... questions, please help!

[MaddiesMomma]

Hi All!
2. I know goats need to be bred to be kept in milk, but I have no experience helping an animal give birth and I know goats need help sometimes and I don't know if I would be getting in over my head with that? How hard is it to help a laboring goat? I have no qualms about sticking my hands where ever they need to be to help, I just don't know if I would know what to do. Would I need to get a vet involved? We aren't rich and I don't want a huge unnecessary vet bill.

I want to be a good goat mom and I have lots of love to give. I just don't know if I have enough room to make them happy.

Most laboring goats don't need any help. Nigerians are particularly easy kidders. Two times this year we were keeping a close watch on does that we knew were due that day. Checked one she was fine, not even breathing hard. 30 minutes later went back outside and she had delivered 4. Had another same thing, except she delivered 3.

We've come home and found new babies too.

But, that's not to say you can't have a complication. Most common is an incorrect presentation at birth. A breech is relatively easy to deal with, you grab the legs and pull.

Worse is if the head is first with the front legs bent down along the body. You then have to reach in and get a leg forward to pull on. And most of the time they could deliver on their own even then.

I wouldn't let the fear of kidding complications stop you from getting goats. Do your homework. Get Storey's Guide to Raising Goats.
Go to the Fiasco Farm site, they have good information too as far as husbandry. Although, many on here would tell you the information isn't 100% perfect from either source. But, they are both good sources for general information.

Thank you! I will get Storey's Guide to Raising Goats then and maybe watch a few videos if I can find some. I talked to my hubby about if we had to help a kidding goat and he doesn't have any issue helping out if I needed him too, so that's a plus for me I've already started pricing out fencing and such, I won't be able to get goats this year, but hopefully in the spring I can!

 

[MaddiesMomma]

Did you think about putting a fence around the garden?

we have small raised beds everywhere, not one big plot so it isn't really feasible
thanks for the input though

I made the suggestion because we have our garden fenced.

I have raised beds although all in one location. I should send you a picture of the fence where Ginger and Cookie bent it down because they decided the okra looked tasty.

Yeah if ours were all in one spot I would, but we have them everywhere.

lol oh no! did they actually get to the okra or just damage the fence?

 

[cindyg]

I have a mixed herd, with mostly NDs and they are super. I don't find that the NDs are all that noisy, it's the Mini Silky Fainter who makes the most and weirdest noise. Don't forget that in order to have milk you need babies, and in order to have babies you need to have the girls bred. Doesn't sound like you'll be keeping a buck so you'll need to find someone who has one and either borrow him for a while or take the girls to visit unless of course you get the does already bred. Then, if you don't plan to keep the kids, you will need to find homes for them. I'm milking two ND does just now and finding lots of uses for the milk. Good luck.

 

[MaddiesMomma]

I have a mixed herd, with mostly NDs and they are super. I don't find that the NDs are all that noisy, it's the Mini Silky Fainter who makes the most and weirdest noise. Don't forget that in order to have milk you need babies, and in order to have babies you need to have the girls bred. Doesn't sound like you'll be keeping a buck so you'll need to find someone who has one and either borrow him for a while or take the girls to visit unless of course you get the does already bred. Then, if you don't plan to keep the kids, you will need to find homes for them. I'm milking two ND does just now and finding lots of uses for the milk. Good luck.

That's good to know, we just want a couple small goats and ND's definitely are our first pick. we plan on finding a stud in our area, I don't want to deal with a buck spraying everywhere... maybe if we had more land I would, but definitely not right now. The hubby and I are debating on whether or not to get girls that are already pregnant or get some and breed them or just get babies. We'll probably get adults though, we would like milk from them as soon as possible. I really want to try making my own cheese and soap!

We would end up selling any kids we got as we own need 2 goats and don't really have room for more than that

thank you for your advice

 

[OneFineAcre]

I have a mixed herd, with mostly NDs and they are super. I don't find that the NDs are all that noisy, it's the Mini Silky Fainter who makes the most and weirdest noise. Don't forget that in order to have milk you need babies, and in order to have babies you need to have the girls bred. Doesn't sound like you'll be keeping a buck so you'll need to find someone who has one and either borrow him for a while or take the girls to visit unless of course you get the does already bred. Then, if you don't plan to keep the kids, you will need to find homes for them. I'm milking two ND does just now and finding lots of uses for the milk. Good luck.

That's good to know, we just want a couple small goats and ND's definitely are our first pick. we plan on finding a stud in our area, I don't want to deal with a buck spraying everywhere... maybe if we had more land I would, but definitely not right now. The hubby and I are debating on whether or not to get girls that are already pregnant or get some and breed them or just get babies. We'll probably get adults though, we would like milk from them as soon as possible. I really want to try making my own cheese and soap!

We would end up selling any kids we got as we own need 2 goats and don't really have room for more than that

thank you for your advice

I'll give you one other piece of advice. Finding a stud isn't alway's easy. Keep that in mind when you buy your goats. I see people on CL all the time looking a stud. I will provide stud service from people who have bought goats from me, and don't have any other goats except the ones they bought from me.

I sold some people a starter herd this year. A 2 year old doe and her 8 month old daughter. Mom was already bred again. I made her the deal that for the sale price I would let her use a buck to breed the daughter when she was ready, and would be reasonable on stud fees going forward in that I had other non related bucks.

 

[Southern by choice]

I have a mixed herd, with mostly NDs and they are super. I don't find that the NDs are all that noisy, it's the Mini Silky Fainter who makes the most and weirdest noise. Don't forget that in order to have milk you need babies, and in order to have babies you need to have the girls bred. Doesn't sound like you'll be keeping a buck so you'll need to find someone who has one and either borrow him for a while or take the girls to visit unless of course you get the does already bred. Then, if you don't plan to keep the kids, you will need to find homes for them. I'm milking two ND does just now and finding lots of uses for the milk. Good luck.

That's good to know, we just want a couple small goats and ND's definitely are our first pick. we plan on finding a stud in our area, I don't want to deal with a buck spraying everywhere... maybe if we had more land I would, but definitely not right now. The hubby and I are debating on whether or not to get girls that are already pregnant or get some and breed them or just get babies. We'll probably get adults though, we would like milk from them as soon as possible. I really want to try making my own cheese and soap!

We would end up selling any kids we got as we own need 2 goats and don't really have room for more than that

thank you for your advice

I'll give you one other piece of advice. Finding a stud isn't alway's easy. Keep that in mind when you buy your goats. I see people on CL all the time looking a stud. I will provide stud service from people who have bought goats from me, and don't have any other goats except the ones they bought from me.

I sold some people a starter herd this year. A 2 year old doe and her 8 month old daughter. Mom was already bred again. I made her the deal that for the sale price I would let her use a buck to breed the daughter when she was ready, and would be reasonable on stud fees going forward in that I had other non related bucks.

I agree with one fine- We will not stud at all unless the doe is from our herd AND they continue testing for CAE and Johnnes, if they have any other goats that are not from our herd. And even then it has to be a driveway breeding.
To me a $30-$50 stud fee is not worth my bucks getting lice/mites/ or some disease.

 

[MaddiesMomma]

That's good to know, we just want a couple small goats and ND's definitely are our first pick. we plan on finding a stud in our area, I don't want to deal with a buck spraying everywhere... maybe if we had more land I would, but definitely not right now. The hubby and I are debating on whether or not to get girls that are already pregnant or get some and breed them or just get babies. We'll probably get adults though, we would like milk from them as soon as possible. I really want to try making my own cheese and soap!

We would end up selling any kids we got as we own need 2 goats and don't really have room for more than that

thank you for your advice

I'll give you one other piece of advice. Finding a stud isn't alway's easy. Keep that in mind when you buy your goats. I see people on CL all the time looking a stud. I will provide stud service from people who have bought goats from me, and don't have any other goats except the ones they bought from me.

I sold some people a starter herd this year. A 2 year old doe and her 8 month old daughter. Mom was already bred again. I made her the deal that for the sale price I would let her use a buck to breed the daughter when she was ready, and would be reasonable on stud fees going forward in that I had other non related bucks.

I agree with one fine- We will not stud at all unless the doe is from our herd AND they continue testing for CAE and Johnnes, if they have any other goats that are not from our herd. And even then it has to be a driveway breeding.
To me a $30-$50 stud fee is not worth my bucks getting lice/mites/ or some disease.

I'll keep this in mind and try and get does from someone who will let me breed them with their bucks. Thank you both!