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A Farm of My Own:  got new goats yesterday!!  |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
 Posted - May 13 2004 : 2:44:41 PM
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I wasn't sure which forum to post this in..so I just "guessed".
I went to pick up my month old Saanen (all white) kids yesterday. They were from a goat dairy about 2 hours north. I got a registered Doeling and buckling both, even though I never intended to keep a buck. There just arn't Saanens around here close, and I decided that I will keep him at least for this fall's breeding, and then see what happens. Saanens are my very favorite goat breed and I got registered nice ones this time. I will be bottle feeding them for about a month still, which is fun..my three kids still at home fight over who gets to feed them! Since I have one milk goat (an Oberhasli) in milk now that is fine. She is giving just enough milk to keep them going. Do any of the rest of you have Saanens? I am excited to start my "herd". I will be selling my milk goat that I have now in the spring after all the babies are born and concentrate on Saanens..at least that is the plan. I like her alot, so I am not sure if I will be able to let her go..will have to be to a freind!
Anyway..just had to share my news! It is so fun to get new babies!!
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
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Cowgurl
Farmgirl in Training
34 Posts
Robin
middle Tennessee
34 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2004 : 1:03:32 PM
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Oh, Jenny - that's so exciting! I'm still in research mode as to what type of dairy goats I will start with. How large are the Saanens? Are they fairly easy keepers?
Have fun with them. Maybe you could post some pics soon.
Robin |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2004 : 10:15:49 PM
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I wish I knew how to post pictures..I am not good at that sort of thing. If anyone wants to walk me step by step through it I do have some pictures that I took with my digital camera..
Saanens are the best! They are about the biggest dairy goats and always pure white. They give more milk that the other breeds and I think they are the most people loving breed. The one I had in the past, and all that I have been around are calm,even tempered, easy to milk and love people. These new kids are great!! They are so fun to play with and are not as noisy as kids of other breeds that I have had. They love to cuddle and be petted. My kids are having so much fun with them. I would recomend Saanens to anyone. My goal is to someday have a Jersey cow for milk, but I am happy with goats for now.
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
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Paula J.
True Blue Farmgirl
68 Posts
Paula
OK
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2004 : 6:20:38 PM
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I hope you can post the photos (although I'm no help as to *how* it's done!). Would love to see your babies.
pj
Paula J.
Collinsville, OK
dragonflybodywork@earthlink.net |
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Cowgurl
Farmgirl in Training
34 Posts
Robin
middle Tennessee
34 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2004 : 07:49:06 AM
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| I was just reading in the technical assistance forum that you can't post pics. But if you have the pics uploaded onto a photo hosting site, you can post the link. |
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sourjayne
worker bee
67 Posts
sarah
seattle
washington
67 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2004 : 11:38:06 AM
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Yahoo has a photo album hosting service. I've never used it myself, but I'd bet it's pretty user-friendly, being Yahoo!
Sarah (sourjayne)
No artificial sweeteners added. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2004 : 3:24:21 PM
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I will check that out and see if I can do it! Thanks
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
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Lolly
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Lolly
Cameron
TX
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2004 : 7:30:43 PM
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| Your goats sound precious! Goats are next on my list of animals to add to my farm. But first I must put a very good fence around my flower/vegetable field. Question though. I've read that fresh goat milk tastes just like cows milk and should never have a "off" flavor. So I bought some at the store, only one brand available, "meyerxxxx" something, I think, and it didn't taste like cows milk. Tell me please how it really tastes. I really want goats and I could never have one for meat, just milk, cheese, soap and friendship. Thanks, Lolly P. S. How expensive are they to purchase and to feed and upkeep? |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2004 : 9:21:25 PM
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I wouldn't judge goats milk by the storebought stuff. Especially the canned kind..yuck. I have tasted good and bad tasting goats milk to be honest. I think that ours is good and tasty..my kids can't tell the difference between it and cows milk at all. The big difference that adults notice is that it is richer..like whole milk..not the 2% or 1% we drink otherwise. There are lots of ways to get nasty tasting goats milk. If they arn't fed good hay, and grain, or if they are in an unsanitary place, if your milk pail, strainer and all arn't perfectly clean that makes a huge difference. Also you need to cool the milk really quickly. I use quart glass milk bottles that I bought years ago with organic cows milk in them. I also have a couple 1/2 gallon ones and a couple pint size too. They are easy to cool in a sink full of ice water. I use my milk up every day. I think it gets a different taste quicker than cows milk, which is why the store stuff tastes worse. It is older. I have a houseful of milk drinkers here so whatever we get is gone within 24 hours. I am looking foward to next year keeping two milkers so that I can make cheese and all!!! I will for sure try them out this summer and the kids will have to drink cows milk some days.
You should probably plan to spend $150 for a decent milker. More if you want a registered on. If you start with a kid and raise her, it would be maybe $50 and up.
Keeping a buck can sometimes give the milk an off flavor too.
For feed I use an alfalfa/grass hay at about $4 a bale (60 lb. bales) and each goat gets a nice flake twice a day. I also keep out some alfalfa pellets (at $6 a 50 lb bag) free choice and then give her grain when milking. About a lb. and 1/2 at each milking. A 50 lb bag costs about $7 here. (corn oats and barley with mollasses) I keep a cobalt salt block in the goat pen (they last forever since they are huge and cost about $10) Besides that there isn't much. A good water bucket that holds 5 gallons that you can tie to the fence post, a homemade hay rack, my husband built my milk stand and it was cheap...a nylon dog collar (we got a little bit fancier one that the dogs have for our Sasha) Fencing is for sure the thing you need to have most ready.
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
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SeaandSage
Farmgirl at Heart
4 Posts
Crystal
Windsor
CA
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Jun 02 2004 : 08:23:23 AM
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Hi Jenny!
Congratulations on getting your goats! I love goats. They are soo much fun.
I had the pleasure of working with a small commercial dairy goat farm in the Napa valley a few years' back and learned so much about their behavior, care and about cheese (!). Since the small farm was certified by the state they had to meet strict requirements in the milking room with cleanliness and proper facility set-up etc. I learned how to use a milking machine, how to prepare the doe for milking, tear down and clean the milking machine and then put it all back together after it was dry. Also learned about debudding, trimming, clipping etc.
I never thought I would like goats so much but I do. They are a lot of fun and they are sooo tuned into you. Very clever creatures in more ways than one!
Have fun and do enjoy them. There are a lot of good resources out there for goat owners. American Dairy Goat Association is a great start. Next, the breed registry for Saanens....
If you have any questions about goats please feel free to e-mail me at seaandsage7@yahoo.com and I will try and answer!
Have fun! 
Crystal
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you've imagined."
Thoreau |
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Cowgurl
Farmgirl in Training
34 Posts
Robin
middle Tennessee
34 Posts |
Posted - Jun 02 2004 : 10:05:45 AM
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Hey Crystal, Do you have any resources for cheese recipes made with goat's milk? I'd love to have some good recipes!
Robin
Cowgurl, farmgurl, momgurl, wifegurl... |
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Lolly
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Lolly
Cameron
TX
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2004 : 3:49:05 PM
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| Thank you for all the helpful information Jenny, I can't wait to get at least 1 milk goat. Reading all your wonderful info makes me want one NOW! But I do understand patience and timing. So until then I'll just enjoying everyone elses postings about them. I would love to see pictures too if you have time to post them. Lolly |
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A Farm of My Own: got new goats yesterday!! |
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got new goats yesterday!!
