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Barnyard Buddies:  Am I crazy to think about dairy goat?  |
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herbquilter
True Blue Farmgirl
891 Posts
Kristine
Bonney Lake
Wa
USA
891 Posts |
 Posted - May 17 2007 : 10:24:25 PM
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We have a acre of land with a large garden & yard, chickens & turkeys, but 1/4 + could be set aside for milk goats.
I'm a busy mom with 3 kids at home and I'm taking RET certification course, have a small herb business, church responsibilities, etc. I've read alot about home dairying & wonder....since I can't have a cow, what about goats?
So tell me if I'm crazy to think about adding goats to our place?
Tell me -
- your "pros" & "cons"
- equipment & supplies that you like best
- your expences
That way I can make a more informed decision.
Thanks for your advice & information!!!
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2007 : 10:36:53 AM
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I worked on a ranch with dairy goats. They had 5-6 milkers and it would take her daughter about 20 minutes to milk them all by hand. We just used a clean stainless steel bucket to milk into, and would wash the goats with a mild iodine solution before milking and then would spray each teat with Bac-Off to prevent any infections. They had a milking stand so the goat would jump up, put her head through a hole in the backrest and the goat would eat grain while we milked. In the house they had ran the milk through a special dairy paper screen and then would let the milk chill in a cold water bath before going into the fridge. We also clipped the hair off the goat udders for cleanliness. Over all it wasn't very hard and I hope to get dairy goats when we buy land. I would go for it!
Alee |
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herbquilter
True Blue Farmgirl
891 Posts
Kristine
Bonney Lake
Wa
USA
891 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2007 : 11:47:43 AM
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Alyssa,
Thank you for your information & encouragement. I think we can manage that amount of time.
Now we'll have to figure out fencing.
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many & Herbalist
www.herbalmomma.com
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MullersLaneFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
596 Posts
Rock Falls
IL
596 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2007 : 12:47:40 PM
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Kristine,
IMHO it is well worth it. We have a Jersey milk cow (and belly milker). But it takes less than 1/2 hour to do all the chores.
This includes filling 2 large stock tanks, feeding/watering 3 brooders of chicks/poults, milking the cow, feeding/watering laying flock & other poultry, moving the draft horses & meat goats to a new pasture. At night, we collect eggs and make sure the waterers are all filled.
Time shouldn't be a problem.
Equipment:
The very basic for milking dairy goats:
A milking stand - there are plans online that can be made from scratch lumber.
dark cup to hold the first few squirts of milk to check for mastitus or abnormalities in the milk.
Stainless steel milking bucket.
milk filters (could use very tightly woven cloth or coffee filters, but milk filters work the best)
glass jars to hold milk in.
Soap and water can be used to wash udder.
Feed, minerals & worming are the only real expenses as long as they're healthy.
I don't see any cons, unless you don't have a buck around to breed a doe.
Cyndi
Muller's Lane Farm http://www.mullerslanefarm.com
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MariaAZ
True Blue Farmgirl
203 Posts
Phoenix
AZ
203 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2007 : 5:00:31 PM
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I'd love to have dairy goats when we get some land, but I have a question about having a buck around does. I've heard that a buck in the area of the does can affect the taste of the milk. Old wives' tale or true? I personally don't care for milk of ANY kind but Hubby loves it. We had heard that goats milk can taste rather "gamey" but the one time we bought some at a goat dairy Hubby said it tasted really good. Later on someone told us it was probably because the dairy didn't keep a buck around.
Visit my blog at www.craftyfool.net |
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simpler1773
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Ricki
Ashland
Wisconsin
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2007 : 7:48:56 PM
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How old are your children? My problem with dairy goats was that it was too hard to get the milking done (twice a day) with the two yr old running around...plus, I am not a morning person so that didn't go over too well. LOL Also, I'm not a good vet and apparently there are all sorts of things you have to do with and watch for with goats. Trimming hooves, deworming, watch for cocci (can't remember the whole spelling), and mastitis. It was overwhelming for me. But that's just me ~ and I realize I get overwhelmed easily.
The bucks smell goaty, that is true. But we didn't have a buck and the milk still had a goaty taste to it. Different breeds have different tastes of milk so you'll want to consider your breed carefully and do some research on that.
Hope that helps a little.
~Ricki~
You can't pour anything out of an empty vessel, take care of yourself! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2007 : 8:22:58 PM
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You do have to make sure you wash the udder really well to avoid transfering the goaty taste to the milk. My experience was that when the udder wasn't washed- you could tell, but when it was- the milk just tasted good! It does taste slightly different from cow's milk but I got used to the difference really quickly.
As far as fencing goes- it depends on what type of goats you get, I suppose. The ranch I worked for has Oberhasli goats. They just had fences that were constructed using the green metal fence posts and the metal stock fence panels you can buy at any lumber/contruction store. (stock fence is the stuff that has 4 inch squares created by the heavy gauge wire soldered together to make the panel). Anyway- the goats were really good about not ramming the fence and as long as you use enough of the fence posts, the goats will stay put. They are pretty greedy so plenty of green grass keeps them happy too :)
Alee |
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Barnyard Buddies: Am I crazy to think about dairy goat? |
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Am I crazy to think about dairy goat?
