Afrohippie
Chillin' with the herd
Hello everyone I'm looking for information on the best goat breed for a homestead a breed that won't take up too much space in a backyard but that will give good quality milk and has a good carcass to bone ratio..
What is the best goat breed for a small homestead?
- Thread starter Afrohippie
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frustratedearthmother
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Woooweee! You're going to get a lot of answers to that question! There are lots of people here who have goats and between them all just about every breed is covered!
I have Pygmies, Nubians and crosses of those two breeds. If those crosses are registered they're called Kinders. My plug will be for Kinders if you are looking for a medium sized goat. A Kinder is simply a cross between a pygmy and a nubian. Most make a nice meaty carcass and give a good quantity of delicious milk. Of course, there are variables in every breed and you should take that into account when you're making your choice.
Most folks don't milk their pygmies - but I have. Some don't give enough to bother with but I had one that gave two quarts a day. I milked her almost a year she was a wonderful, solid milking doe. Pygmy milk is right up there with Nigerian milk in butterfat. Butterfat = deliciousness! Plus they make a good, but small carcass also.
You're going to get a lot of answers to this question. My suggestion, do a lot of research, talk to lots, listen to lots and then make the decision that you think will work best for you. You can always change your mind and change breeds if it doesn't work out the way you expected!
You're about to start an exciting journey - good luck along the way!
I have Pygmies, Nubians and crosses of those two breeds. If those crosses are registered they're called Kinders. My plug will be for Kinders if you are looking for a medium sized goat. A Kinder is simply a cross between a pygmy and a nubian. Most make a nice meaty carcass and give a good quantity of delicious milk. Of course, there are variables in every breed and you should take that into account when you're making your choice.
Most folks don't milk their pygmies - but I have. Some don't give enough to bother with but I had one that gave two quarts a day. I milked her almost a year she was a wonderful, solid milking doe. Pygmy milk is right up there with Nigerian milk in butterfat. Butterfat = deliciousness! Plus they make a good, but small carcass also.
You're going to get a lot of answers to this question. My suggestion, do a lot of research, talk to lots, listen to lots and then make the decision that you think will work best for you. You can always change your mind and change breeds if it doesn't work out the way you expected!
You're about to start an exciting journey - good luck along the way!
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
Welcome 
, glad you joined us! As @frustratedearthmother said you will get lots answers. We have Nigerian Dwarfs for a year now and enjoy them a lot. We milked 3 does spring thru fall this year. Good luck with your new additions!
, glad you joined us! As @frustratedearthmother said you will get lots answers. We have Nigerian Dwarfs for a year now and enjoy them a lot. We milked 3 does spring thru fall this year. Good luck with your new additions!- Thread starter
- #4
Afrohippie
Chillin' with the herd
Honestly in our research the kinders have came up and we like what we see so far the info on them is limited though I've looked at 4 books and I've went to the kinder breeders website. I just wish there was more info on them like how much room do I need to house them as far as fencing and housing. How much is my feed bill going to be ect. I know this may sound bad but I'm trying to make the housing and fencing as economical as possible while at the same time making it look presentable and not like a hog pen...I'm open for suggestions....oh yeah what's a fair price for kinder's is it possible to find any for less than $200 does in particular that will have kids and give milk?
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Afrohippie
Chillin' with the herd
How much milk do you get from the pygmies? Let me rephrase that how much milk should I expect to get from a pygmy I thought they were originally bred for meat.
frustratedearthmother
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Because most breeders don't focus on pygmy milk production the amount you get from a pygmy could be very variable. I got lucky and had a couple of my girls that were very milkable with decent amounts of up to a quart per milking. I have others that would barely give a cup. I think if you want to go that way you would need to find breeders who focus on milking.
As far as finding Kinders... I don't have a good answer for you. They seem to be rather scarce. Maybe check the registry site to see if they have a list of breeders. I had Pygmies and Nubians so I started my own herd and I haven't even done the paperwork for registration yet.
As far as finding Kinders... I don't have a good answer for you. They seem to be rather scarce. Maybe check the registry site to see if they have a list of breeders. I had Pygmies and Nubians so I started my own herd and I haven't even done the paperwork for registration yet.
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Loaded questions are enjoyed by all here! Everyone has their faves!
Easiest way I found to start was breaking down to 3 categories; dairy, meat breeds, and crosses. Then by size; small, medium, large. As far as space, you can keep probably 10 or more small/medium goats on 1/2 acre but of course they will be considered "dry lot" and require you to buy all their feed. They'll strip that 1/2 acre bare in less than a week. It will also leave less room for you to enjoy the yard or have chickens, a garden etc. And of course they'll need living quarters. Have fun!
Easiest way I found to start was breaking down to 3 categories; dairy, meat breeds, and crosses. Then by size; small, medium, large. As far as space, you can keep probably 10 or more small/medium goats on 1/2 acre but of course they will be considered "dry lot" and require you to buy all their feed. They'll strip that 1/2 acre bare in less than a week. It will also leave less room for you to enjoy the yard or have chickens, a garden etc. And of course they'll need living quarters. Have fun!
sadieml
True BYH Addict
Are you looking to have a small herd or just to raise 1 dairy doe with an eye toward eating her offspring? If so, a mix might be your best bet. For small space, you definitely want a smaller breed, but you need to keep in mind that your doe has to have babies to give milk, so if you don't have a reliable neighbor for annual stud service, you might want to get your own buck. Of course, then you have to keep an eye on things so no surprise pregnancies, or keep them separate, meaning you have to get a wether pal for your buck. It starts to get complicated, huh? But then, they're great pets. I think you could do your own kinders like @frustratedearthmother . In fact, I think that sounds like a great idea for me down the line, maybe. We'll see.
BTW it's usually not too hard to get your hands on a couple of pygmy bucklings. You can do what we did, get brothers, wether one keep the other intact for your herdsire. Then get a Nubian doe. Remember though, there could be a size issue but pygmies are determined little rascals!
BTW it's usually not too hard to get your hands on a couple of pygmy bucklings. You can do what we did, get brothers, wether one keep the other intact for your herdsire. Then get a Nubian doe. Remember though, there could be a size issue but pygmies are determined little rascals!
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KinderKorner
Loving the herd life
KINDERS!
They are an ideal homestead goat. One of the few breeds that give good amounts of milk, and also good amount of meat.
Mine are hardy, intelligent, and full of personality.
Feel free to check out my website: www.kinderkornergoats.com
They are an ideal homestead goat. One of the few breeds that give good amounts of milk, and also good amount of meat.
Mine are hardy, intelligent, and full of personality.
Feel free to check out my website: www.kinderkornergoats.com
Other than kinders, which are, no doubt, a fantastic dual purpose breed for many, but there are tons of boer x dairy crosses. Some cross Boers and Saanens (boer male, saanen female), use a doeling from the cross, and cross again with a boer buck. This is a cross female that gives the quantity of a Saanen, and meat breeds have fairly rich milk. She should give you a lot of sweet, delicious milk. The kids of the 50/50 doeling and pure boer should be pretty meaty too. (However, this is on the assumption of good genetics!!)
If Saanens and Boers are too big for you, pygmies and any milk cross should do well. Or you could go with Kinders, but personally, I find the butterfat too high for me. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cream more than anyone, but I don't think the cholestrol is too healthy.)
If Saanens and Boers are too big for you, pygmies and any milk cross should do well. Or you could go with Kinders, but personally, I find the butterfat too high for me. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cream more than anyone, but I don't think the cholestrol is too healthy.)
