Hi eveyone just have some questions

[bryan8]

Well I think I want a goat. I don't drink cow milk and I drink goat milk. It's getting pretty expensive. I wanted to get a goat for milk but it's not that easy. I have 2 arces of lawn behind my house. The chicken coop is up there and they free range when I'm
outside. I have neibors farly close, so nosie is a big issue. That's why I don't have a rooster. I could fence in my yard to keep the goat in and it could run around and then I coul turn my 8x12 shed
into a stall.

So what is the smallest, quitest , and good for milk goat you can get. Would my set up work?

~Bryan

 

[lilhill]

Welcome, Bryan! Well, let me see if I can answer some of your questions.

First of all, goats are herd animals and won't do well alone. Also, if you want goat milk, you'll have to breed the doe and for that you'll need a buck or try to find one to breed her. That's getting more difficult as people are getting away from that due to bringing diseases to your animals or yours infecting theirs.

Letting the goats run around in your back yard would be fine as long as there are no plants in there that are toxic to goats. Many ornamental plants have some toxcicity to goats. And, you'd have to keep your goats from eating the chicken feed as that's also not good for goats.

Any goat can get noisy if they aren't happy or are stressed or moved to a new location they aren't familiar with.

With all that said (and I'm sure I forgot something), you should research goats and their feeding and maintenance needs before getting any. That would help you a lot in determining if you are ready to take on goat ownership. I have a small herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats and think they are grand. They are miniature milk goats that can give up to 2 quarts a day, some more, some less, depending on their genetics/breeding.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

 

[freemotion]

First, though, be sure that the zoning laws are on your side!

 

[bryan8]

yea thats the thing... I dont think im allowed to have any livestock. I have my 21 chickens, 5 ducks, 3 rabbits and such and no one cares.

As long as there not load i dont think people will care.


So you need the female goat to be pregnate to get milk? Than wouldnt i end up with a bunch of baby goats?

~Bryan

 

[lilhill]

Yep.

 

[bryan8]

Ok so let me see if im understanding this.

The goat gets preg, than it starts lactating and then you milk it untill it has its babys?

Then what can you do with the babys?

would one doe and one buck be a ok pair?

 

[freemotion]

You could start by buying a doe in the spring who is lactating. It will be a bit more, but far less trouble. Also, you would be able to see if you can milk her, if she is cooperative for a beginner and such. Then, if you enjoy having her, you can breed her again in the fall. If you don't want to keep her or if the neighbors complain, you can sell her.

I wonder if you could lease a goat? Or board a couple for free in exchange for some milk?

I think one lone goat will be noisier than two goats, too. Although I have four, one is very noisy, baa-aa-aa-ing all the time, especially if she catches sight of me. Fortunately, my close neighbors think it is cute.

 

[Roll farms]

If you have close neighbors, you don't want a pair because the stink of the buck will make even friendly neighbors upset...especially if they're close.

A bred doe or a trained milker would be better. You do not have to dry them up in the fall and rebreed them if they're good milkers, you can milk some good milking lines of goats for 18 mos or longer.

If you want small, Nigerian, although they're more difficult to milk and don't produce as much as the bigger dairy breeds.

If you want quiet, well behaved, and not huge, I'd recommend Oberhalsi.
Nubs and Toggs (in my experience) can be big talkers.

Those are the breeds I have experience with.

And, as they said, goats NEED a friend to be happy.

 

[zatsenoughcritters4me]

Ok so let me see if im understanding this.

The goat gets preg, than it starts lactating and then you milk it untill it has its babys?

Then what can you do with the babys?

would one doe and one buck be a ok pair?

you don't milk the goat till she has her baby, then you can milk once a day and then let the baby have the rest. My saanen's are very quiet and I can get between a half gallon and up a day from her when she is nursing!
if you get a bred doe, then you can keep the baby if it is a girl, and if it is a boy you can weather it.... (castrate) only get a buck if you want to keep breeding, bucks can get a bit pushy and they really stink, in case you didn't know, they pee on their heads, so you want to keep the stinky billy goat far away from the doe when you are milking to keep the flavor from getting nasty!
I started with a bred doe, and she had a doe, we did get a billy and bred them again, and now we have 9 does and one new billy goat that isn't related to any does we have now!
I really like the saanen because they are big, and they are pretty mellow, my does do not jump on your cars, they are very docile. And they are the best milkers!

 

[Sweet Cheeks]

I just got my first two goats a week ago Friday. 6 month old brother and sister - wether and doeling Nubians.

They have bonded to me well. Stuck to me like glue HOWEVER if I get out of their sight, they cry like babies. MAAAAAAAAAA MAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! And it gets LOUDER and LOUDER to the point of screaming.

I'm on 4 acres with big parcels of land around me or I'm sure my neighbors would have complained.

No way would I be able to hide these two in a backyard.