Author Topic: Best dairy goat for low input system (Read 2118 times)

macgro7 · « **on:** November 24, 2018, 07:43:05 pm »

What do you think would be the best dairy goat breed for low input - mostly grazing/browsing - system. Obviously with goats it wont be a 100% grass only system as it could be with cows or sheep (Ok even with those potentially can't be 100% but more than goats anyway).
I'm thinking of a property that has around 20 acres of good grass and 180 acres of Heather and rough grazing - goats would only make a small percentage of livestock on this farm though.
I was thinking of guernsey or a cross between swiss dairy breeds with cashmere or maybe old English or something like that?

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #1 on:** November 24, 2018, 11:32:30 pm »

It depends what you want to get out of them. If it's milk, cheese, etc then Saanens would be my first choice but I am a bit biased. They are calmer than some breeds and, in my experience, easier to contain. Anglo Nubians have a higher butter fat content in their milk but can be feisty.

macgro7 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2018, 04:20:48 pm »

Im thinking saanens might not suit staying outside in bad weather an walking in mountains a lot - perhaps I'm wrong.

What I really want to do is Polish style smoked sheep and goat smoked cheeses. Small-ish scale - 30 ewes and perhaps 10 goats.

You should try the cheese if you have a chance!

macgro7 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2018, 06:21:09 pm »

I know... but thought perhaps some breed might be more sensitive or something.

Also I thought this kind of forage alone might not be enough nutrition for high producing breeds originating from Switzerland?

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2018, 11:34:37 pm »

If they are producing milk they will need some form of concentrates. People vary on what they recommend. My Saanens were given Allen and Page organic coarse mix because it was guaranteed GF free. They also will probably need hay in the winter.

Buttermilk · « **Reply #5 on:** November 26, 2018, 06:57:07 am »

During WWII great milk yields were acheived by some big name goat breeders with feed rationed. Each goat was allocated a smidgeon of oats and the rest was made up by hard graft. Cooked potato peelings and gleaned hedgerow plants, the grazing carefully cultivated with kale and other crops grown for feeding. Didgemere British Alpines and Mostyn Saanen/British Saanens were two herds I can remember from the old BGS year books.

If you are fortunate enough to get to read the old year books and journals there is a wealth of information on how to acheive such yields when concentrates were not available. I parted with my collection when I gave up keeping goats as they just took up too much space.