Author Topic: Goat Lady in the Making (Read 5131 times)

Isla · « **on:** August 13, 2015, 10:29:18 am »

Hello,

I'm getting my land (near Newburgh, Aberdeenshire) at the end of the month. The paddocks and stables at the new property are currently used for horses but I'd like to alter the existing accommodation and fencing for dairy goats. And hopefully bees. Oh and our pet cat, dogs and hens will be residents too.

The plan is to use milk to make cheese, yogurt and ice cream for our household. The dream is to use excess milk to make soap to sell.

Questions!

Can anyone recommend a fencer to make the land escape-proof? Or should I just do it myself?
Which breed? I love really creamy milk and I believe this would be best for making cheese. Is this right? Are Anglo-Nubians best for this because of the milkfat content? But are they difficult to comeby in Aberdeenshire? I don't care what colour the goats are, but I would prefer smaller goats as I imagine them to be more manageable. But perhaps how they are raised has more impact on their behaviour than their size?
Will I be able to sell/find homes for the male kids?
Should I keep a buck or can I borrow one when needed? If I have a buck, surely he's only good once and I'd have to get a new buck for the next generation?

Thank you in anticipation! In the meantime, I will trawl the existing threads!

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2015, 04:05:06 pm »

Hello and welcome

We keep a few goats (I run a small soap making business)

I'd suggest visiting a few goat keepers to gain an insight into adequate fencing, we have stock fencing with at least 2 lines of electric around the perimeter (in some area's even more of the pinging stuff as they are dead good at getting out)

Breed wise - ours are Saanen and Toggenbergs - just because I like them. One of the Togg boys weighs in at around 14stone (he is crossed with a Boer I believe) and once on the lead he can be a handful. I think much of it is in the raising though, goats raised well and taught good manners early on tend to be easier to manage

As for selling surplus boys, the only sure fire way is to send them off for meat. It's really not easy to find homes for pet male goats (even those that are castrated) - even then, you are hoping that they stay at a 'pet' home as you can't guarantee their future once they are moved on.

I think most small herd owners would use a billy either on their land or take their girls to him during their season, some use AI or other mean too.

Lisa

Fleecewife · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2015, 06:36:24 pm »

I can't help with your questions, but welcome to TAS anyway

. You must be very excited about starting out as a smallholder

nutterly_uts · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2015, 07:14:53 pm »

I think you can use a Billy twice, then replace due to age of daughters kidding but hopefully someone can confirm. Plus if you didn't keep any daughters one year, you could use him again

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2015, 07:18:26 pm »

Quote from: Isla on August 13, 2015, 10:29:18 am

Hello,

I'm getting my land (near Newburgh, Aberdeenshire) at the end of the month. The paddocks and stables at the new property are currently used for horses but I'd like to alter the existing accommodation and fencing for dairy goats. And hopefully bees. Oh and our pet cat, dogs and hens will be residents too.

The plan is to use milk to make cheese, yogurt and ice cream for our household. The dream is to use excess milk to make soap to sell.

Questions!

Can anyone recommend a fencer to make the land escape-proof? Or should I just do it myself?
Which breed? I love really creamy milk and I believe this would be best for making cheese. Is this right? Are Anglo-Nubians best for this because of the milkfat content? But are they difficult to comeby in Aberdeenshire? I don't care what colour the goats are, but I would prefer smaller goats as I imagine them to be more manageable. But perhaps how they are raised has more impact on their behaviour than their size?
Will I be able to sell/find homes for the male kids?
Should I keep a buck or can I borrow one when needed? If I have a buck, surely he's only good once and I'd have to get a new buck for the next generation?

Thank you in anticipation! In the meantime, I will trawl the existing threads!

welcome to the forum. I have heard that alpine goats are very good for cheese making, as the fat content in their milk quite a lot. This may help somewhat and all the best

http://www.redwoodhill.com/herd/dairy-goat-breeds/

clydesdaleclopper · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2015, 07:45:31 pm »

If you'd like to come and see our set up near Huntly you are more than welcome. We have BTs and one AN and would be happy to chat to you about all things goaty

Isla · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2015, 08:33:14 pm »

Thanks to all for the welcomes and suggestions!

Isla · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2015, 08:40:38 pm »

Quote from: plumseverywhere on August 13, 2015, 04:05:06 pm

Breed wise - ours are Saanen and Toggenbergs - just because I like them. One of the Togg boys weighs in at around 14stone (he is crossed with a Boer I believe) and once on the lead he can be a handful. I think much of it is in the raising though, goats raised well and taught good manners early on tend to be easier to manage

Thanks for information. 14 stone! Big lad!

devonlady · « **Reply #8 on:** August 14, 2015, 06:53:21 am »

Hello from Devon. I haven't had goats for a number of years now but remember that Saanens are very placid, Toggenburgs can be excitable and Nubians extremely naughty but have wonderful characters. For a beginner I would recommend Saanens or Golden Guernseys, which are small, friendly and quiet.

Rosemary · « **Reply #9 on:** August 14, 2015, 09:06:54 am »

Hello and welcome from

Carnoustie

- no experience as goatkeeper as goats milk makes me heave, but good luck with the project. There's someone up your way-ish doing goat milke soap. Called Gamrie Croft or something, I think.

Caroline1 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 14, 2015, 01:46:44 pm »

Hi and welcome. That is exactly what I want to do as well and got my 4 kids last month. I have 2 Toggs and 2 Nubians. I did loads of research and found most people were saying don't sterotype the breed, go for what you like the look of

I loved the ears on the Nubians and the better butterfat content also attracted me for the cheesemaking. The toggs were because a friend had some who needed a new home and they also have pretty little faces.

There is loads of great advice on here and other websites. I am now completely hooked on my goats and even though will be another year before I can start getting milk from them, am loving having them! Good luck

Rupert the bear · « **Reply #11 on:** August 16, 2015, 12:30:14 pm »

Welcome to Aberdeenshire ! your just a few miles from us .
Why not contact the grampian goat club secretary for some pointers L Johnson lonmayhighlands@ btinternet.com she works odd shifts so a reply may not be instant.

Any questions just ask

Isla · « **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2015, 09:42:15 pm »

Thanks, Rupert the Bear. Yes, I have been in contact with her

Delighted to find helpful goat owners and small holders at every turn!

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2015, 02:32:14 am »

Welcome Isla, nice to know you've been doing your homework :-)
I keep Toggs, the bumf says they were originally bred for cheese making, I think their milk tastes slightly stronger than my Togg x BS, but they are lovely to keep, I wouldn't say they are excitable, maybe playful :-), very affectionate, but the BT I used to have would take ME for a walk!
I have a friend who is getting quite a good business up making goats cheese from AN's.
Goat clubs are great for meeting goaty friends, great for contacts too.
I'm sure once you get your goats, you'll get to know other goaty people locally and soon find a Billyboy. it wouldn't be worth keeping a male for just 3 goats, maybe when you build up you could then think of the breed of male you'd want to use
my milking bench is a half pallet, then cut down narrower, with a couple of 4x4 'bars' underneath to lift it a bit more. a little plastic step-stool is my milking buffet. goats are tied to a ring on the wall. bench is easy to wash and put out in the sun to dry.
We had a contractor in to do the boundary fence with stock fence, then I run a single strand of electric fence about 12" round the inside, stock fences I put up tend to sag, I can't get them tight enough.

Quote from: Rosemary on August 14, 2015, 09:06:54 am

- no experience as goatkeeper as goats milk makes me heave,

I can only think you've had some nasty milk Rosemary, fresh chilled goats milk should be no different then cows milk, can taste creamy because the fat doesn't seem to rise the same. In fact during winter we've had cows milk we couldn't drink, probably been fed roots.