Types of goats?
 

I'm looking at getting a couple of goats used mainly for dairy. Eventually I wouldn't mind breeding my future two milking does for a mix goat that we could use for meat. I live in the piedmont of NC so what would be the best best breed for what I'm looking to accomplish. Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks!!


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I am guessing that your area NC not too harsh winters (like say Wyoming or Minnesota)-- so probably any of the dairy breeds would be fine-- just Google them and see what appeals to you.
We answered an ad for "friendly goat kids, weedeaters" and ended up at an Oberhasli goat dairy so thats how we got into our breed (dairy owner, thought we seemed like good goat owners and sold us, very reasonably, a dairy goat she was down sizing out of the herd, still in milk as well as 2 kids)... we are new to goats too so had been thinking minis (scared to dive into the standards) but now that we have, its really not that much different and the bigger teats are really nice to milk (although there are Nigerian dwarfs I hear with excellent teats but you have to make sure and get them from good milking lines)... and the Oberhaslis are one of the smallest standard breeds anyway, plus very gentle and quiet yet friendly...
For meat kids just breed your dairy goat back to a Boer or keep a little pygmy buck and you will get stocky little meat kids....(you can look up Kinders).....

Do dwarf goats or fainting goat breeds milk as good as normal goat breeds on average?


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Fainters are not dairy. Nigerian Dwarf goats produce smaller quantities than full size goats.

Kinders have excellent tasting milk...better than Nubians (and I say that with regret!). The butterfat is higher on average (7% as compared to 4%). That's because the sire is a Pygmy (high butterfat, but very small animal for milking). The Kinder is a mini, but is has larger teats than the Pygmy due to Nubian dam...so, easier to milk. The amount of milk from the Kinder varies...most Kinder breeders are breeding to standard which is BOTH milk and meat...BUT there are some that are on the milkier side and that would be what you are looking for I imagine. In any case, you will need to look at the sire's dam and background as well as the dam's milk background to get a milky animal...even if it is a full sized breed.

So it sounds like kinder's is what I need. Thank you all for you input and anymore you have for this breed in particular would also be appreciated. God Bless!!


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Kinders are hard to find, as there aren't many out there yet. Most folks breed their own.

Here's their website:
http://www.kindergoatbreeders.com/

We have kept Swiss Alpine, Toggenburg, Nubian, Boer, and brush goats. Of the lot, the Togs are my favorite for all of it---dairy and meat. Lots of milk and a fair amount of meat. The Nubians were a nuisance for us--they never shut up. When we went to Boers for meat, that was a big mistake. If you do Boers or even half-Boers, build a tall, tight fence because all ours ever did was get out and annoy us and the neighbors.....and yes, there was plenty of feed inside the fence lines and in the feed trough.

Where are you located, Mattie420? If you can let us know that, we can probably find you a breeder.

I find your comment on boers hilarious - a less athletic breed I have yet to meet. :D Mine are short tanks, could never imagine them clearing a fence. They're also dumber than doornails (just how I like 'em) so probably wouldn't figure out how to get out of a weak fence. If they did, they'd probably be like guinea fowl and go, "Oh cool! wait... where are my friends...? OMG! Why are my friends on the other side of the fence! This is horrible! I better pace the same 10' of the fenceline to see if it magically opens some time in the next 6 hrs!"

Hickory, NC which is is the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. About 45 minutes south east if Boone and an hour east of Asheville and an hour north of Charlotte


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And that's another thing. My house is over 100 years old and the fence can't be much less than that. I am in the phase of renovating parts of the fence but the dumber the better as long as they milk good and eat good lol


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I would make sure you have excellent fencing,goats are great escape artist. I have had just about every breed of goat there is and i love the oberhaslis as well. Their milk has a much milder taste, i really could not tell much difference in it then cows milk. They are a quietier goat too.

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Yes, I should clarify - our boers don't try because we have decent fencing. For the does, it isn't alcatraz or anything - no electric etc - but it isn't falling down, have gaps at the bottom etc. It's newer field fence.

There is a saying - if it won't hold water, it won't hold goats. Not all goats are fence jumpers, but if faced with an opportunity to escape, they will.

So then that begs the question what is acceptable? 4ft tall? Is field fencing from wooden post to post ok or does there have to be both wooden fence rails and field fencing attached to hold em in? What about the gates and gate latches? Anything special?


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Mattie420, The best I can offer at this time is www.kalispellkindersandmore.com. Brenda Lee is the owner of the site and according to the Kinder Yahoo Group she is compiling a list of people who need Kinders transported and they are working on helping get people together to share the costs, rides, etc. I saw two people from North Carolina on her list. They were talking about a breeder in Florida being closest to them. Sorry! Wish I could give you more information.

Just saw the other discussion about fencing. We have 4x4 sheep and goat woven wire, 48" and we never had an escape (our Nubian buck can easily go over...but he isn't trying to get out...just trying and succeeding to get to the girls!!) The posts are both wood and metal T posts. Our land is very hilly and we have to check the spots where the fence doesn't quite reach the ground so that we keep the kids from wandering...they would go under...not over.

I use a mixture of fencing. What kind of fence (mesh size) you use may vary -do you plan on disbudding your goats or having horns? Goats with horns get stuck - they're a huge pain in the rear. I disbud all kids, but I do have disbudded and horned goats. Most are so old with large horns that they can't get their heads through to get stuck - though one proved me wrong a few weeks ago, lol. Some are old and crafty enough they've learned how to get out once they get through - but it varies with horn set, shape, and size. :)

I have everything from huge holed field fence to 4"x4" goat fence. It all holds goats - but then, mine have zero reason to test it. It's all in good shape and 10 years or less old. They have food where they're at, no need to escape. That, and loneliness/hormones (does in heat and bucks that smell a doe in heat are far more prone to escape to leave on a honeymoon, lol) are the two main reasons why goats will try to start escaping. Or, if they find *better* food outside (such as breaking into the feed room, lol). Of course if one did learn the secret to escape, they'd all quickly follow suit. Very slippery slope, lol.

If it were me, I'd get a dairy breed. Kinders sound nice at first but they're too variable. And hard to find. Pygmies have short lactations, TINY hard to milk teats and though they are technically meat goats, they have been part of the pet market so long they aren't really selected for fast growth at all. Nubians aren't known for oodles of milk production but it's usually fairly high quality milk. I would assume that the higher generation kinders are more consistent in theory... but I don't think I've ever seen one so much as advertised around here. Hard to find new stock to bring in, and that right there prevents serious advancement of Kinders IMO.

Personally, I like the purebred full size dairy types. Finding good ones at a good price is easier for the most part, they produce more for longer, are *more* consistent. The wethers make perfectly decent meat animals for home use especially if you dam raise the bucklings. The purebred doelings will be easy to market so long as they are of good quality, and registered animals generally have a good demand.

Boers are meat animals. Big lunky dorky floppy eared sweethearts. The babies look like beagle puppies. :) But then from other peopel I've heard they're high strung, wild, insane, prone to jumping fences etc...

What I will say is that every animal varies - and so will lines. While you may purchase goats from one place and decide you hate that breed, understand their only a small representation of the breed. Buying the same breed from elsewhere may allow you to find yoru dream goat. Selecting individuals and paying for the quality you want pays off in the long term. If you want a goat to reproduce easily on it's own with no kidding problems, milk 1.5 gallons per day, and be sane and sweet with few health problems, chances are your best bet is to not buy the first cheapest goat off of craigslist. Decide what your goals are, and reasearch the breeds. Then go look at a breeder who has multiple animals for sale and choose ones that fit your needs. And, don't be afraid to cull them if they turn out to not work in your management program - what one person does may allow animals to thrive, but a change in management can mean totally different results. When I went to buy my alpines, I knew right away which one I did NOT want... the crazy one that was biting, jumping on me/the owner, attacking everybody and was downright insane. (The owner said she wouldn't sell it to me anyways because she wouldn't do that to anybody, lol).

No, that helps a lot! Thank you very much!!!


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I agree with mygoat as well.

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Thank you mygoat that taught me a lot, I appreciate every bit of it. I just need one more weekend and should be able to finish fencing and then the following week for the equipment (commission paycheck week) then should be good to go. I'm excited as to this is me and my wife's first stride into self sufficiency. Once I get some time in with the goats this upcoming year and get the hang of it, then, the following year is when the chickens are getting started. I'm so excited to have a forum with such experienced people!! Thanks a bunch and I'll let you guys know if I have any other questions!!! God bless!!


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We have Kinders - though I think we have the best of the breed. Our Kinder doe milked for well over a year and I fought to dry her off. She has beautiful teats and her milk was definitely high in butter fat if that's what you're after. We butchered our first buck a year ago - he was smaller for a buck (he was a bargain deal) and we got 35 lbs from him. We bred that same Kinder buck to our Kiko/Boer (who also had some Oberhasli in her background) and are now experimenting with breeding the offspring from that mating - our Kinder/Kiko buckling - back to our Kinders to increase size and vigor a little. (Those Kikos are unimaginably resilient to crap weather)! Overall I can't complain about the Kinders though. They provide the two of us with more than enough milk and have been very easy keepers.

There's lots of options though, and lots of breeds to choose from. I'd visit farms and see what you like. You don't have to have a dual purpose breed to accomplish dual purpose objectives. As mentioned, with a dairy breed, most of your bucklings will be available to fill the freezer so crossing your dairy doe with a meatier buck is an alternative strategy.

Don't forget that doelings are just as edible as bucklings. ;)

Cattle pannels on six foot t-posts worked for us. We also had good luck with a cattle pannel set into a wooden pannel (an upright on each end and one in the middle, a top rail, bottom rail at ground level and two middle hoizontal rails) also set on t-posts. Corners were joined with doubled over lengths of tie wire.
For latches we use short lengths of chain with bull snaps on each end. Three per gate; top middle and bottom.

Kept in nubians, boers and crosses. Even when the suffolk rams teased the bucks thru the fence.

Only trouble we ever had was if a t-post got pushed over and that only happened once or twice.

We chose Nigerian for a bunch of reasons, they were small and easier to handle, because we don't drink much milk, but wanted our own fresh source, plus wanted some for butter. If we did butcher any young, it would be enough for just my DH and I.

We put up 48" horse (wrapped, not welded) fence, smaller holes at bottom, larger at top. The only time we had issues with escapees was when they figured out how to use the "H" brace at the corners to launch themselves over the fence. Once we put a piece of fence over that area, they stopped trying to escape. The fence that separates the doe from buck will be reinforced in the spring with hog panels, he's banging his way through the wires. He is with them now for breeding but will be taken back out in Feb.

Make sure you check your pastures for poisonous plants etc before getting the goats.

Mattie, the people in these forums are always so generous and helpful with their experiences; so it's no wonder you're getting great information.

I personally like the larger goat because milking is easier. I have the large Nubian which lactate easily for a good 10 months, each doe giving about a gallon every day. (Had a few that would even continue lactating without being bred.) You can see my little tail about our goats at http://motdaugrnds.com/motdaugrnds/h...one/dairy.html

Since we strive for self-sufficiency, we eat what we don't sell. By letting the kids get about 8 months of age then placing them in an area to start them to gaining weight, we wind up with enough red meat to last us until next time we slaughter. (There is a lot of meat on a Nubian!) At one time I had given some thought to getting a Boer "buck" to breed my Nubian does to. The large Nubians can deliver such kids without problems and the kids would be more meaty. I changed my mind about this because, over time, I could easily wind up without my great milkers...unless I went outside my herd for replacements when the breeding does got old.

As for fencing, goats love to browse and this means they will eat the leaves off trees and bushes they can reach, even if it means standing on a fence or sticking a head thru a fence. The way we deter problems with this is by using "woven" fencing attached to well-grounded posts (mostly treated fencing posts every 6-8 ft with a few metal T-posts in between). We also take the horns off our breeders so they will be less liable to get their heads caught in the fencing. (Still, there have been times when we've had to go out and get some "horned" kids out of the fence.)

TIP: Do not use "welded" fencing. A goat's standing on such wire will simply tear that type of fencing apart so it is useless. (I only use the "welded" type as a deterant by attaching it to the woven to keep the goats out of my blueberries and away from my asparagus.)

As for gate/latches: ROFL I've discovered some of the Nubians I've had had no problem at all learning how to raise a latch...even turn on a water faucet. So get the type of latch with that in mind.

So I want with a Nubian/Saanen cross for my buck and a Pygmy for my female, the kids that they produce will be for eating and I'll get what I can from the Pygmy for milk. Thanks for all the help everybody!

It is all a matter of personal likes and dislikes i am a huge alpine fan i have 10 of them lol ,, i have a few boar crosses as well but i like there milk and i love there temperment as well i have had all the breeds i also love the togg's but once in a while you will get a strong flavored milking line, with them I bought a yound togg buck this spring to cross with my young alpine does to see what i get ,, I have had nubians but they were to loud for me lol,, so really it is all about what you like as far as looks and temperment ,, i have had smaller goats as well and i find the larger ones are much easier to milk for me as i have carpel tunnel in my hands ,, and we have used electric and panles and ever pallets for our goats and it works very well once in a while you will get a escape artist lol,, all apart of raising goats ,,but they are so much fun and the babies are wonderfully cute!!!

Wait did I get that right? The MALE is a full sized goat and the FEMALE is a pygmy? That does not seem like a good idea - I'm a noob, but won't such a big buck throw kids that are too big for the pygmy doe to birth? Again, noob, but that sounds like a recipe for disaster to me...

DO NO DO THAT TO THE PYGMY DOE. Pygmies are prone to kidding problems alone, and a saanen/nubian buck is way too big to breed with her safely!

Switch that around, as others have said. Purchase a pygmy buck and a standard sized doe. If you want to try for kinders, then get yourself a dairy doe. DO NOT try to force that on a pygmy doe. Not only could she get hurt during mating, but her kidding would seriously risk her health..if not her life!