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Author Topic: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day  (Read 9428 times)

Beeducked

  • Joined Jan 2012
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #15 on: December 22, 2016, 09:29:42 pm »
PS. I milk one a day and it works really well for me.


macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #16 on: December 22, 2016, 10:49:03 pm »
You see... my problem is I don't have a favourite breed of anything! I love lots of breeds for chickens ducks geese turkeys goats sheep cows snakes lizards! You name it!
If I could I would probably have a zoo! Lol

I really wish there was someone who could actually show me how to choose good goats in real life or perhaps come with me to have a look at some. I do have experience with sheep or poultry but never had a dairy animal!
Anyway! For now I will finish my fences and need to get rid of one large yew tree, put a shed up. Just finished painting the house so will be actually moving to there! Imagine - I spent TWO YEARS living with my in laws when our house was getting done.
I'm sooooooo glad we are finishing now! I can finally do my goat yard lol
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Piggerswiggers

  • Joined Jul 2015
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #17 on: December 23, 2016, 11:04:00 am »
Macgro7 there are Nigerian Dwarf goats this side of the Atlantic. I have a couple of kids born this year and I intend to mate the female next year with a plan to milk her after that. I didn't realise that they're so rare.

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #18 on: December 23, 2016, 11:06:58 am »
How about joining your local goat club. Someone there would be able to show you how to check over a goat and what to look for. You could also meet a range of breeds if there are a few members and you may find someone who has stock for sale.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #19 on: December 23, 2016, 06:49:47 pm »
Macgro7 there are Nigerian Dwarf goats this side of the Atlantic. I have a couple of kids born this year and I intend to mate the female next year with a plan to milk her after that. I didn't realise that they're so rare.
Are you sure they are not just pygmies?
I saw some on preloved ones but I'm not convinced they are nigerian dwarf.
I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in small dairy goats

How about joining your local goat club. Someone there would be able to show you how to check over a goat and what to look for. You could also meet a range of breeds if there are a few members and you may find someone who has stock for sale.
That's a good idea. Checked on the British goat society website and the closest one is Nottinghamshire goat society - 45 miles away. I'll message them and see what happens
Its a shame there's no leicester goat club!
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Piggerswiggers

  • Joined Jul 2015
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2016, 09:31:25 pm »
As far as I know they are Nigerian dwarf goats, they're finer boned than pygmies in my opinion although I'm definitely no expert. The people I bought them from certainly think they're NIgerian dwarves.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2017, 07:46:42 pm »
I managed to contact a goat breeder near us. They are kidding in mid February and late March/April.
He said they will have kids available for bottle feeding.
They are mixture of saanen, toggenburg, alpine and guernsey.
What do you think of that?
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2017, 09:48:21 pm »
Also the billy who fathered all this year's kids is 3/4 saanen and 1/4 boer.
They are definitely gonna be some interesting colours there. I'll ring him tomorrow to ask when writing can have a proper look
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #23 on: January 20, 2017, 11:03:55 pm »
A word of warning about boers or boer crosses. I bought a five week old kid a few years ago. I checked her carefully and she looked perfect but a few weeks later she developed a fish tail teat. I posted on here about it and was told that boers are prone to it. She had two kids, one of which had a split teat and the other was ok so I kept her and bred from her. Her daughter was born with a fist tail as well. It is hereditary and can carry on through the generations. I am now stopping breeding from her and sending her daughter for slaughter.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #24 on: February 16, 2017, 11:36:41 am »
Sorry for more silly questions but you guys are the only goat people I know!
What if I take just two wethers for pets?
I know they would be easier to feed and won't get in heat etc.
The question is how big do standard size dairy wethers get? Saanen cross British alpine I'm taking about.
Will they be much bigger than females?
As big as full billy?
How much would they eat on average? I've read if you supply all their food it would be around 25 bales of hay per year per goat? Is that more or less right?
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #25 on: February 16, 2017, 12:05:07 pm »
Sorry for more silly questions but you guys are the only goat people I know!
What if I take just two wethers for pets?
I know they would be easier to feed and won't get in heat etc.
The question is how big do standard size dairy wethers get? Saanen cross British alpine I'm taking about.
Will they be much bigger than females?
As big as full billy?
How much would they eat on average? I've read if you supply all their food it would be around 25 bales of hay per year per goat? Is that more or less right?

BIG (and possibly even bigger than a billy, as with good feeding regime but no work to do....)

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #26 on: February 16, 2017, 12:23:29 pm »
https://youtu.be/NIU_YedRgnw

Yeah I was wondering whether those goats are so massive or that guy is so tiny!
They are huge!!!
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #27 on: February 16, 2017, 11:59:46 pm »
He's not tiny. those are average sized dairy goats. I have four goats who are zero grazed and get through just over two bales of hay a week between them. Iff you have grazing for them, they need less hay. They will also enjoy a small amount of goat milk or calf nuts and any vegetables or branches you can give them. Goats know how to eat.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #28 on: February 17, 2017, 09:43:38 am »
Ok thanks you!
May I know how big is your enclosure for zero grazed goats?
If anyone knows where to get or has some spare males of smaller breeds like guernsey or bagot I might take those instead. Just to get used to taking care for goats then in the future might expand to millers of perhaps standard large breeds.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

cuckoo

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: Choosing new dairy goat and milking once a day
« Reply #29 on: February 17, 2017, 01:40:16 pm »
If you are able to travel to just  north of Doncaster I have so.easy male gg x boer kids which might suit you. Or if want gg I can sort you out there too I expect. ThNks

 

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