[Hevxxx99]

Asking on behalf of a friend who wants to get a couple.

Presumably you can milk them, but is it worth it? What sort of yeild would you expect?

[Anke]

If you fancy milking a cupful while flat on the ground... or indeed have a high milking stand... unlikely to be worth it.

If you want household quantities of milk (as in a couple of litres per day) Guernseys would be the best.

[verdifish]

I think technicaly British saanans are milkier. 

[Hevxxx99]

  It sounds as though a cat may be milkier than a pygmy goat.

Personally, I'd get Anglo-Nubians given a choice, but it's not for me.  This friend wants goats and has set her heart on Pygmies, presumably because they are little and cute. I didn't think they'd be very practical to milk, but I'm not a goat person  (yet: watch this space - I've just discovered homemade goat's cheese  ) so thought I'd better check. She's vegetarian, so the meat angle isn't relevant to her.

A cup of milk may be enough I guess and she's quite small so wouldn't have to bend too far. 

I'll pass it on. Thanks 

[Penninehillbilly]

A cup of milk may be enough I guess and she's quite small so wouldn't have to bend too far. 

I've been hearing of pygmy crosses that look cute and give a bit of milk?
For pets i go for Toggs, love being brushed and look good 

[Hevxxx99]

...and give a reasonable amount of milk, I believe!

I'll suggest it, but I think her heart is set on wee cute ones.

[Beeducked]

A lot of American literature talks about Nigerian dwarf goats. They are small like pygmies but are milky (not like Saanens or ANs but very rich milk). There are a couple of British breeders if you look, I don't know how reputable they are and if they are actually any different from pygmies!

[Jullienne]

I knew someone who kept a boer nanny and her bag was massive, she reared her twins till they where huge, would that also be another option? Just a thought.

[Hevxxx99]

I think she wants little and cute.  Boers are fairly big aren't they?

The little Nigerian ones might interest her: I'll pass that on. 

[Old Shep]

No expert but didn't think Pygmies would have milk unless they'd just given birth?  Whereas other breeds wiil keep milking a lot longer.

[Dogwalker]

How about dairy x angora,
small, usable fleeces and some milk.

[Sbom]

I think I'd be slightly concerned about someone who is basing their livestock choice on 'little and cute'.......

I presume they know enough about the care and welfare of livestock, not to mention legal requirements etc?

[Hevxxx99]

No worries. 

They live on a farm with 600 hill ewes and followers, so obviously have a CPH number and know the regs. And she is also a relief milker for a commercial dairy herd elsewhere.  The goats are just as pets as she's always had a soft spot for them.

For my own information: you presumably need a different flock number for goats if you keep sheep?

[Anke]

For my own information: you presumably need a different flock number for goats if you keep sheep?

I have just one for both, but I think it may depend on your local office. I have heard of people having a different number each for sheep and goats.

[Sbom]

No worries. 

They live on a farm with 600 hill ewes and followers, so obviously have a CPH number and know the regs. And she is also a relief milker for a commercial dairy herd elsewhere.  The goats are just as pets as she's always had a soft spot for them.

For my own information: you presumably need a different flock number for goats if you keep sheep?

All good then 

We have one flock number for both