how many are making butter and soap??

Well, Kinder goats are half pygmy; I expect that the pygmy and ND goats both have really high butterfat and milk solids. The Kinders do have cheese yields of 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of cheese from a gallon of milk, which is a lot higher than the standard one pound per gallon. And I have a Kinder doe who is peaking at close to a gallon a day this year. She won't average that through her whole lactation, of course, but by the time I dry her off she'll still be giving close to 2 pounds a day. For most families, two or three Kinders will give all the milk they can use, and then some, plus you have the kids to put in the freezer (dual-purpose goats). I like the Kinders better than the NDs (which are cute), because they are big enough to get a milk pail under them!

The Kinders, being smaller, do eat less. But I have a Boer X Ober hog who makes up for it! I think her milk is pretty rich, too, and sure would like to hear from someone who's had a part-Boer on test!

Kathleen

A note to those of you who make soap ---- A soap swap is being organised in the cooking and crafts forum. You might want to check it out.

We use the milk raw for drinking and cheese and for butter also. We do not ever pasteurize our milk. It kills all the good stuff in the milk.