The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: r+lchick on October 19, 2009, 03:11:22 pm
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Has anyone else read the goat article of Home Farmer September 2009. The feature is about keeping a goat if you have a 9 - 5 job. Reason for this posting is in the article they have the milking once a day and the other milking is for the kid. This would mean (and it is in the article) mating every year. One of the reasons I thought of a goat was that you only had to mate every 2 or 3 years. So, do you have to mate every year to get the milk or what. If that was the case, you would be inundated with goats within 3 years. Any advice is always appreciated as I know you guys have goats. :cat: :chook:
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The kid will be weaned - ie stop taking mum's milk by the autumn so the mum will need mating again, to keep up high yields
They start eating some solid food really early on, but need the immunity and nutrients of their mothers milk for all those many months.
Not many goats 'milk through' for 3 years, you'll be one lucky goatkeeper (or have paid a fortune for a proven milker-though there's no guarantee a goat that does it once will do it again!)
Sometimes we have only managed once a day milking - not by choice, but the awkwardness of the goat! She gets abit stroppy when its too hot, or wet etc etc. If you set up a routine with your goat, she may be happy for an early and late milk, at the moment we are often milking 8pm, she is happy to come out in the dark. (we call her "the goat that never sleeps!" )
ps not read the article, but will look out for it!
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If you are happy with a pint a day or every other day, could you put off the mating for another year? If you do have to mate every year, then goats are out of the question for me. I have enough room for 2 and that is it.
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Depends on the goat!
We are going to let Margo milk through til she dries up, she is very skinny through being mated young, so I want her to build up. The kid is too young to mate this autumn for the same reason, so we decided to see how she'll milk for, even if we have to buy milk again (hope not!)
When they kid, you'll have to harden your heart and part with the babies. Theres probably a good market - if you're having trouble finding some! You'll need 2 for company, but as long as you resolve not to keep the kids...