freemotion
Self Sufficient Queen
If you put, say, a quart of milk into your food processor or blender (that's about all mine will hold without making a mess) you will get something like a teaspoon of butter. Maybe.
dairy goat for cold climate?
- Thread starter homesteadinmama
- Start date
Livinwright Farm
Goat Fancier
freemotion
Self Sufficient Queen
Not so much of a hijack as the OP did ask about butter..... 
Or should I say 
Or should I say
Livinwright Farm
Goat Fancier
freemotion said:Not so much of a hijack as the OP did ask about butter.....
Jake
Chillin' with the herd
The best cold weather goat that I know of, bar none is the Saanen, they were developed in a cold country in Europe, and withstood very cold temps for me in upstate NY with many days below 0 in Jan and Feb, they do like shelter and stand together, but if they have a roof and wind protection and straw or other bedding they took the NY winters quite in stride.
almost as hardy is the Toggenberg but the Saanens give more milk.
I dont know of any goat breed that is used for butter, but, they do make excellent yoghurt, and I love the Feta cheese from their milk.
almost as hardy is the Toggenberg but the Saanens give more milk.
I dont know of any goat breed that is used for butter, but, they do make excellent yoghurt, and I love the Feta cheese from their milk.
mydakota
Ridin' The Range
I keep Boers for meat and Saanens for milk. We had a cold winter this year with one cold snap of -13 and another of -5. Lots and lots of zero to 10 weather. Both did very well. I do have goat shelters and they were bedded, but no heat source of any kind.
minnesotachickenbreeder
Exploring the pasture
I know a man who has had Saanens here in Minnesota for many years. I know he keeps the buck in a simple A-frame shelter over winter.
SmallFarmGirl
Smiley Crazy
Livinwright Farm
Goat Fancier
Okay, for cheese making: you want Nigerians or Pygmy due to the higher butterfat content milk than the standard dairy breeds.
For drinking: any standard dairy breed will do, but I have heard from a few people that Toggenburg milk tastes better.
For fiber collection: it depends on whether you want to shear off the fiber or comb out the soft winter fluff... 50/50 Angora crosses are ones that get sheared for their fiber, all other breeds (including mixes) you comb out the winter coats in mid spring.
For drinking: any standard dairy breed will do, but I have heard from a few people that Toggenburg milk tastes better.
For fiber collection: it depends on whether you want to shear off the fiber or comb out the soft winter fluff... 50/50 Angora crosses are ones that get sheared for their fiber, all other breeds (including mixes) you comb out the winter coats in mid spring.
Roll farms
Spot Master
I've made more cheese than you can shake a stick at w/ Nubian milk...their milk is pretty high in butterfat. Not AS high as a Nigerian (but not as much work for me to milk, either) and forget it, I'm never attempting to milk a pygmy again.
I also tried the butterfat skimming thing for about 3 days. I bought a cream seperator but my tendonitis / carpal tunnel wouldn't let me operate it.
Then I went and bought cream at the store and made butter...I used the churn my late Father-In-Law used as a child... Tasted just like butter....I decided that for .75 I will just keep buying it....but it's nice to know I *could* make it if I wanted to.
Toggenburg milk tastes downright wierd to me, compared to Nubian or Oberhasli milk. It has a 'stronger' flavor / odor - not as 'sweet'. All of the Togg milk I've tasted was that way.
You can also get cashmere from from other breeds, some of my boers have downright thick cashmere coats in winter. Probably not as good, quality-wise, but it is cashmere and it can be combed out. Had a few Kikos who got cashmere, too.
It gets fairly cold here (average temp in Jan / Feb. is 15 degrees - with lows down to -10 some nights) and I've had Nubs, Boers, Obs, Toggs, Pygmy, Kikos, Boers- and crosses of every variety - and none seemed to fare any worse than the others. Goats in good condition will grow an adequate coat if they're 'used' to the climate and will do ok if given adequate shelter.
Also, FWIW, I've never lost an ear on my Nubs or Boers to frostbite.
Livingwright, I read once where you said your pet peeve is when people reply to a post with "I don't know the answer but....".
I realize you want to help, and answer as many questions as you can / share your knowledge, but sometimes an opinion based on 'what you've heard / read' really isn't as much help as good old experience.
I also tried the butterfat skimming thing for about 3 days. I bought a cream seperator but my tendonitis / carpal tunnel wouldn't let me operate it.
Then I went and bought cream at the store and made butter...I used the churn my late Father-In-Law used as a child... Tasted just like butter....I decided that for .75 I will just keep buying it....but it's nice to know I *could* make it if I wanted to.
Toggenburg milk tastes downright wierd to me, compared to Nubian or Oberhasli milk. It has a 'stronger' flavor / odor - not as 'sweet'. All of the Togg milk I've tasted was that way.
You can also get cashmere from from other breeds, some of my boers have downright thick cashmere coats in winter. Probably not as good, quality-wise, but it is cashmere and it can be combed out. Had a few Kikos who got cashmere, too.
It gets fairly cold here (average temp in Jan / Feb. is 15 degrees - with lows down to -10 some nights) and I've had Nubs, Boers, Obs, Toggs, Pygmy, Kikos, Boers- and crosses of every variety - and none seemed to fare any worse than the others. Goats in good condition will grow an adequate coat if they're 'used' to the climate and will do ok if given adequate shelter.
Also, FWIW, I've never lost an ear on my Nubs or Boers to frostbite.
Livingwright, I read once where you said your pet peeve is when people reply to a post with "I don't know the answer but....".
I realize you want to help, and answer as many questions as you can / share your knowledge, but sometimes an opinion based on 'what you've heard / read' really isn't as much help as good old experience.
