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Introduction to Dairy Goat Keeping Part 3 - FAQs

11/23/2016

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Here is a list of the things you should know if you're a beginning goatherd and also the questions I get asked the most. 

How long is gestation?
Gestation is 145 to 155 days - approximately 5 months. 

AGS has a handy gestation calculator you can use. Just type in the bred date and it tells you the due date. Here is the link:

http://www.americangoatsociety.com/education/gestation_calculator.php

How old do the kids have to be to wean?
They should be at least 8-10 weeks, though I think that is still too young. I usually wean at 3 months or later.  

How many kids are there in each kidding?
Average is two kids, but triplets and singles are also fairly common, and quadruplets aren't unheard-of. Miniature breeds like Nigerian Dwarves are more likely to have trips and quads. 

How often do does kid?
Does have the ability to kid twice a year, but is way too hard for their systems. The rule of thumb is to breed for once yearly kidding. 

How much milk does one milker give per day?
It depends on breed, how many times they've freshened, how many times per day they are milked, if they are nursing kids or not, and their lineage. My average quality third freshening Alpine doe gave 1/2 gallon a day milking once a day and nursing triplets. My high quality Nigerian Dwarf first freshener gave a quart a day while nursing twins, which was the same as both my Alpines gave as FFs. My herd sire's dam gave two gallons a day, milking twice a day and no kids. It really varies wildly how much you will get, but you can get a pretty good estimate based on the above factors. 

How often do goats' hooves need to be trimmed?
It depends on how fast their hooves grow, which is determined by genetics. I check my herds' hooves every few weeks and trim as needed, which is for me every month or two. 

How often are you supposed to breed them?
As I mentioned earlier, goats should be bred and kid only once or less per year. 

Which association is best for registration?
I personally prefer ADGA. Better, faster service, and nicer papers than AGS. For miniature breeds (any of the standard dairy breeds crossed with Nigerian Dwarf) I use MDGA. MDGA has better service and a faster turn-around time than either of the other two.
​
How much work does it take?
There is really no easy answer to this question. It depends on how many goats there are, their ages, how you feed and how often, and many other factors. It takes us about an hour a day to milk three does, but we don't milk during the late stages of pregnancy. Then there is watering, hoof trimming, changing minerals, caring for sick goats, changing straw, feeding kids, haying everyone, and so on. All of that can take from 20 minutes to well over an hour, depending on the season and what needs doing. In kidding season, we have new kids to socialize, disbud, tattoo, and band, in addition to attending (or spening hours trying to attend) goat kiddings. 

Do you have to bottle feed the babies to get milk?
No. We start separating kids from their dams at night and milking in the morning when the kids are about two weeks old. The kids then get the milk during the day. 

Can does give milk while pregnant? 
Yes. It is best to dry off a doe at least two months before kidding to stop taxing the doe's system more than necessary, and to let her prepare colostrum for her babies. 

​How do you dry them off?
There are several ways to dry off a goat. You can cut grain, quit milking (though be sure to relieve the pressure some if they get too full!), or put peppermint essential oil on the udder daily. I milk only enough to relieve the udder when needed and put peppermint oil on the udder.

How expensive are goats?
It depends on age, gender, registration type, lineage, etc. If female, it also depends on amount of milk expected to give, if currently milking or not, and if pregnant or not. If pregnant, it also depends on if they are tested pregnant, and what kind of buck they are bred to. Wethers can run anywhere from $50 to $200, bucks are usually fairly cheap at $150 to $300, though if proven and from good lines can be $800-$900 and up. Does are usually more expensive than bucks, because they are in much higher demand. Around $250 - $450 for doelings and for show quality milkers $900 plus. Somewhere in between for more average milkers and yearlings. 

Note that the prices I gave are for average to high quality registered dairy goats. You can find regular old mutts, from untested herds, for much less.

How long is a goat's lifespan?
About the same as a dog - anywhere from 10 years to 15 or 16 years on average.

Can you keep goats with other kinds of animals?
Most of the time, yes. Just make sure that the first few meetings are closely monitored - sometimes goats don't get along with other animals, or even other goats. 

Is there any way to tell a goat's age besides knowing its date of birth?
You can look at its teeth and get a fairly good estimate. 

Here is a link about aging goats by their teeth: 

http://www.infovets.com/books/smrm/C/C015.htm

Get caught up on the first two parts in my series Introduction to Dairy Goat Keeping here:

Introduction to Dairy Goat Keeping Part 1 - Breeds
Introduction to Dairy Goat Keeping Part 2 - Terms and Definitions 

By Suzanne Tyler
the Green T Goatherd 
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Breeding season has arrived!

11/19/2016

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This year we were only planning to breed Jenny, our herd queen. 

A photo of Jenny:
Picture
And also a photo of the herd sire, Ebony:
Picture
The plan was to breed Jenny in October for March kids. She went into heat on October 14, and was bred no problem. That part went smoothly enough.

Just under a week later, Honey went into heat. (We were not planning to breed her.) Eb jumped the fence. Okay, so two bred goats. Now Honey is due March 21. 

Not.

She went into heat again on November 10.

And Eb, once again, went through the fence. At a different place this time. Sometimes, owning a buck is for the birds!! 

So, we really don't know if Hon is bred or not. If she is, she's due April 9. 

​A photo of Honey:
Picture
The conclusion?
​
With goats, you might have a plan for breeding season, but you are certainly never actually going to pull it off!

By Suzanne Tyler
​the Green T Goatherd 
0 Comments

Introduction to Dairy Goat Keeping Part 1 - Breeds

11/19/2016

1 Comment

 
Looking to get into dairy goats, but not sure where to start? Well, one good place to start is which breed. There are eight different breeds recognized by ADGA (American Dairy Goat Association). Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, looks, and temperaments. 

So here is a list of all the different dairy breeds:


​Alpine

Breed characteristics: 
erect ears
medium to large size
come in a variety of colors
cannot be all white or have Toggenburg markings
straight face profile

Pros:
a good all-around producer

Cons:
just a typical dairy goat - nothing very unusual about them
famed for being energetic and jumping fences 

Other facts about the breed:
I have Alpines and love them!
Swiss (originated in the Swiss Alps)
registered as either American Alpine or French Alpine - French means they are purebreds directly related to those imported. American means that other breeds have been introduced into their lines along the way (also called "breeding up")
Picture
​
​LaMancha

Breed characteristics:
little to no ears
straight face profile
any coloring is acceptable
medium to large size

Pros:
usually easy-going, quiet, and happy to stay in their fence

Cons:
no ears! (though I guess this may only throw some off...)

Other facts about the breed:
originated in Oregon, though they can be traced even farther back, to Spain
Picture
​
​Nigerian Dwarf

Breed characteristics:
small size
erect ears
any coloring is acceptable
straight or dished face profile
very stocky

Pros:
can milk almost as much as some standards, on less food
easy keepers (they don't need much food to keep weight on)
hardy
high butterfat content
sometimes considered dual-purpose - producing both milk and meat 
only breed to have moonspots

Cons:
fence jumpers (or at least mine are!)
very hard to control on the milk stand - they hate being milked or having their hooves trimmed!
sometimes easy keepers can get out of hand and result in fat goats
most have a quite bratty and uppity temperament (some actually think of this as a plus - don't ask)

Other facts about the breed:
originated in Africa
often have more than three or more kids in one kidding, and usually have no problems raising them 
often confused with the Pygmy goat (a pet breed)
Picture
​
​Nubian

Breed characteristics:
long, drooping ears
Roman nose
medium to large size
any coloring is acceptable

Pros:
some think the ears are appealing
high butterfat content (though not quite that of the Nigerian)

Cons:
famed for being loud 

Other facts about the breeds:
most well-known and popular breed in America
​originated in Africa 
a true Nubian's ears touch in front of the nose
Picture
​
Oberhasli

Breed characteristics:
erect ears
straight or dished face profile 
brown with black trim (or, in dairy goat lingo, chamoisee)
can also be black, but bucks that are black cannot be registered, only does
medium size

Pros:
a good, typical, hardy goat

Cons:
little to no variety in coloring

Other facts about the breed:
Swiss
Picture
​
Saanen 

Breed characteristics:
all white or cream colored
straight face profile
medium to large size

Pros:
easy going and sweet-natured like LaManchas 

Cons:
little to no variance in markings 

Other facts about the breed:
the most common breed for large dairies
the mismarked ones can be registered as Sable (which is actually considered a whole breed in itself by some)
​Swiss
Picture
​
Toggenburg

​Breed characteristics:
shades of brown or bay with white trim
dished or straight face profile
erect ears
medium size

Pros:
smaller size than most dairy goats 

Cons:
little to no variance in markings

Other facts about the breed:
Swiss
bucks can grow very long fur as they get older
Picture
​
Here is a link to the ADGA recognized breeds:

https://adga.org/breed-standards/

By Suzanne Tyler 
the Green T Goatherd
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    Hello!

    We are a family of eight living on twenty-two acres of land in North Carolina. We girls like to write about the times on the farm, and its a fun thing to do as there is alway something happening on the homestead!

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