The Modern Dairy Goat
(Page 3 of 7)
March/April 1970
By the Mother Earth News editors
We now have two milking does. When they first freshen they produce a total of eight quarts a day. Eight or nine months later, before we dry them up, they are producing 1 1/2 to 2 quarts a day. A goat generally gives more milk on her second and subsequent freshenings than on her first. Five to seven quarts of milk are easily used by a family of three. It takes about 8 or 9 quarts to make a quart of cream or a pound of butter.
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Goats are sensitive to changes of ownership and home. It takes them several months to adjust themselves completely. In fact, they become so closely attached to individuals that they give more milk to the person who stands by them at kidding time and handles their new-born young.
We believe the perfect solution to the family milk supply is two milk goats. Two grade goats are better than one purebred for several reasons. You can arrange to have milk all year round by breeding one goat in September, the other in January. Two "three-quart" grade does cost less than one fancy six-quart doe as six-quart does are rare and cost $100 to $200. Goats also love, companionship and will give better results when they have company instead of being kept in solitary confinement.
There are three ways of starting your miniature goat dairy economically:
1. You may buy four month old kids for about $15 or $20 and raise them to breeding age (about 15 to 18 months). They'll cost $10-$15 a year to keep.
2. You may buy a purebred goat past her prime, breed her to give you good young stock. Goats reach their peak at about 6 years, but live to be about 12 years old.
3. Or you may buy a good common doe, breed her to a purebred buck and improve your stock while getting milk at the same time.
We are working on the third plan ourselves and think it's the best. Kids from a good doe pay for her upkeep. The only drawback to raising your new kids (the doelings for future milk stock and bucks for slaughter) is their need for part of your milk supply. A kid should have a quart of milk daily for at least 2 months but we find we can substitute skim milk we have left after separating the cream, or substitute cheaper evaporated or powdered cow's milk after kids are a few weeks old.
Goat Breeds
If you decide to buy a dairy goat you will find there are three popular breeds - Nubian, Saanen and Toggenburg. Keep away from the ordinary, shorthaired American goat, commonly known as the old "alley goat." Goat breeders as a whole will not recommend one breed above another.
We chose the Nubian because it gives the richest milk rather than large quantity and .because of the popularity of the breed in our section (an important consideration when breeding time comes). It is not profitable for the small goat owner to keep a buck - a registered purebred buck is expensive, must be housed separately from the does as he is responsible for the unpleasant odor. Nubians range from cream to black in color, have long drooping ears and distinctive Roman shaped noses.
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