Goat milking question

daytrader · #1 03/30/06, 10:29 AM

I purchased my wife a nice little goat for our anniversery.

After some looking on the web. This looks to me a milk goat.

One, do we HAVE to milk her? Is she like a cow and have to be pregnant to milk her?

What if we do not milk her? If we do milk her. How do we do it? When? At what age do we start?

She was just weaned like 3 weeks ago.

When she got here to the farm she was only about 16" tall. Now, after putting her on high protein malassas horse feed she is standing 3 feet in 3 weeks. She is or normal size now and starting to get friendly.

stacygoats · #2 03/30/06, 11:09 AM

I'm assuming this is just a pet goat,if so beware because that's how I started too and now I have 30 goats. If I were you I would consider getting a second goat to keep her company, if you can stop at just two.
You don't have to milk her, she won't get milk unless you breed her when she gets older. If you do breed her, just let the kids have all of the milk.

Good luck!

daytrader · #3 03/30/06, 11:26 AM

We are looking for a buck. Just havn't found one yet. She has bonded real well. She was lonly at first. Now, she loves human attention.

We do look to breed her once or twice. We are just a little worried about that with the sheep. We will not be mixing the two.

Just the chance of bringing anything new onto the farm. That is starting to get vary risky.

mpillow · #4 03/30/06, 11:33 AM

All the info you'll ever need...

www.fiascofarm.com

**mygoat** · #5 03/30/06, 02:51 PM

If she is a dairy breed it is in both of your best interests to milk her. (milking does make way more milk than kids usually need, and you will get fresh nice milk every day!) Yes she will need to be bred to make milk. You should breed her sometime around her first birthday, but NO EARLIER than 8 mon. of age, and most people agree that if you are going to breed them you should do so before 2 years of age.
I agree, check out fiascofarm.com. The very best website on the planet! I made the milking stand that they have out of the very nice plans they provide and it is excellent! I highly suggest that everyone who owns goats has a milkstand, it is just soooo convenient!