Newbie Questions

[Iwantgoats]

everyone, I am interested in getting goats for milk, but I have SO many questions I'm a little overwhelmed. First of all, is raising goats profitable? Do I just buy a lactating female and just start milking her? What is there housing like? What do they eat? How much is everything going to cost? I have WAY more questions but I'll start with these. Thanks
PS I'm a member of BYC (your sister site), and have chickens so I'm trying to get a little farm going.

 

[ksalvagno]

Dairy goats are not profitable unless you have a large dairy farm. You can make soaps and stuff to sell but that will probably just cover feed costs if you can sell a lot. Most states don't allow you to sell raw goat milk or any other dairy products without having a license.

You will have to decide what you want to buy as far as age and everything. Also, if you can find a lactating goat for sale. Just start visiting some goat farms in your area and see what goats you like best.

Goats need housing that gets them completely out of the elements. It needs to have ventilation but no drafts.

Goats are usually put out to pasture to eat grass/weeds and they need hay and loose minerals. Many people feed a goat feed as well.

Cost depends on how many goats you want to start out with and what you already have on your property. Also depends on your area. Some areas goats are more expensive than others. Also, do you want a registered goat to show or a grade goat just to milk. You also have to breed them every year to have milk. So there will be kids involved and you have to decide what you want to do with them. So cost is really too hard to give online. I would talk to goat farms in your area. You will need to find out cost of hay and feed in your area and fencing if you don't have a fenced in area already.

 

[Ariel301]

If you want to produce milk for your family, then a goat is an efficient choice. A good large size dairy breed (Alpine, Saanen, Toggenburg, LaMancha etc) can produce around a gallon a day if fed correctly, and doesn't eat much per gallon of milk as compared to a cow. They are usually cheap to keep, especially if you can pasture it.

Buying a milking doe can cost you $100+ depending on where you live, and buying young kids may be cheaper. It depends on breed, quality, and where you live...the goats I could sell in some parts of the country for $300 bring $25-50 in my area because there is no market for them. Research breeds, to be sure you are getting what you want--not all goats are good for milking! I personally recommend LaManchas, they are my breed. Funny looking, yes, but they are very smart and sweet and easygoing.

If you do not have adequate pasture, you will need to feed hay. Alfalfa is the best for dairy goats, but other kinds work too. It depends on what is available to you. My dairy girls eat about 5 pounds of hay a day each (they don't graze, we have no pasture). During milking season, I feed each doe about a cup of grain, and no grain during the off season. You can use a goat feed, a sweet feed for horses, or a custom mix. They also need constant access to water and a good mineral/salt supplement. Most people say to use a loose one, but I use a block. It works for me, and it's the only thing my feed store has.

You can start with a doe already in milk, if you can find one. That's the fastest way. You will need to breed her annually to keep milking, so you need to find a way to do that, and decide what to do with the kids. They usually have twins. We sell our female kids and eat the males on my farm. Also, it is better if you get two goats instead of just one, they are herd animals and need a companion. So two does, or a doe and a wether (neutered male). If you've just got one or two does, you probably don't need to worry about keeping a buck, if you can find someone around you who will breed your girl reasonably. (I keep a buck for my three does because no one here has a good buck I can afford the stud fee on!) The last two months of her pregnancy, you need to stop milking her to let her rest, and two weeks or so after delivering the babies, the milk can still contain colostrum, which doesn't taste good to drink. You also need to decide if you will bottle raise the kids, or let mom do it. We let our does raise their own, and the babies nurse for 8 weeks before weaning.

They need a shelter to get out of the cold and rain. A three sided shed or a large doghouse works well if you don't have a barn. They don't need anything fancy. We use free pallets that we can get from the hardware store to make a three-sided shed with a plywood roof. The goats love to jump and climb on the roof, so be aware of that! They will also escape fencing they can get through or over, and climb everything--including your car! They also EAT everything they can get ahold of, so watch your garden/flower bed if you have one! You may also want to build or buy a milking stand; they make it very easy to confine a goat for milking or any other procedure, such as hoof trimming. Yes, you need to trim their feet, usually every 6-8 weeks.

 

[lupinfarm]

I agree with EVERYTHING said.

In my area you can't find a Nubian kid for less than $300

SERIOUSLY, and that's just males!!

I have 2 Pygmy's, which aren't especially known for their awesome milk producing abilities but they're just the right size for our farm and they were a great start into goats for us. We do plan on getting a Nubian or 2 from a local, and we have ourselves on a waiting list for a Pygmy buck and Nigi wether for this spring.

We just want enough milk to use for the dogs/cat, to make some soaps, and cheese. We may expand in the future, but right now we're fine with just a bit to start with. I think though that the goat business has been around much longer as a hobbiest pasttime in the US than Canada, people are only just starting to cotton onto the idea that OMG we can have goats and they pretty much produce the same stuff as cows but CHEAPER. It's not a big business here yet, we have commercial farms but they're not as common as they are in the US. I can tell you I think I know of one person locally who has a commercial farm and they're meat goats, not dairy.

All this speak of hoof trimming reminds me, I need to trim Mione's feet. Both were kind of long when we got them but I broke my hand so I couldn't trim Mione's and there is no one else to trim her out here. Hum, I think I'll do that tomorrow morning!

 

[freemotion]

Everything you need to know can be found here: www.fiascofarm.com

Happy reading!

 

[Ariel301]

Indeed, I was going to post that link and forgot it. Great website.

 

[Iwantgoats]

thanks everyone, I am now armed with information!