Goat for my daughter

[fitwind]

My DD wants to get a dairy goat. She is almost 10 years old. Is she to young to have a milking goat? Should I get her a baby or one already in milk ? If I get a baby one would it be more attached to her? Would she be able to milk a goat? What kind should I get her? Would I be able to breed it to a meat goat? I think this would be really good for her.

[topside1]

Get her any type goat you want, but I would never expect her to ever milk a goat twice a day at 10 years of age. Get her a doeling (under a year old) that is hornless. Better yet get her two goats because one will just be miserable. Why not forget about milking goats and get her two wethers to enjoy raising....Bottle babies she would enjoy..

[Freeholder]

Hi, as long as you are willing to help her, and help her be responsible (because we all know that at that age, the child often loses interest after a while, especially when the fun begins to look more like work, and mom and dad usually end up having to take over), she is plenty old enough to take on a goat. My girls were helping with my goats when they were younger than she is; they were learning to milk by the time they were seven or so -- as soon as their hands were big enough.

First of all, you'll need to have two goats. Goats do NOT like to be left alone -- they are herd animals. If you get only one, count on someone spending all their time with the goat, or it will most likely be screaming it's head off.

Whether you get a baby or a milker is up to you. If you get a small kid that is still on a bottle it will definitely bond, but you have the disadvantage of not really knowing what the udder will look like, or whether it will be easy or difficult to milk. With a milking doe, you might not have quite as close an attachment (although if she was originally a bottle baby, she will most likely be friendly), but you will be able to see what you are getting. And, you will have an immediate return on your money in milk, something you'd have to wait at least a year for if you bought a kid.

You should be able to breed any of the large-breed does to a meat buck. I wouldn't breed a smaller breed doe to a Boer or Kiko buck as she would likely have kidding problems. Of, if you want both meat and milk, consider Kinder goats, which are a cross of Nubian and Pygmy. They make nice small family milkers and are also very nice small meat goats. And, their milk is the best you can get.

Kathleen

[chamoisee]

My recommendation: get her the best dairy doe in milk that you can afford. Make sure to buy one that's already tame and gentle. Kids very often don't have the patience and time (OK, well, they have the time, but they don't do it) to work with a small kid and enforce boundaries on behavior like they should. My personal experience is that you're best off getting an older doe.

If you get one in milk, and the best you can afford, her heart won't be broken when the udder turns out to be the type that grazes the ground with every step, or if she only gives a pound of milk per day, or has teats that are impossible to milk. If she is papered, your daughter can do so much more with her (shows, fairs) and there is the added bonus that the kids will be higher quality, too, so you won't have to butcher them- they will be more likely to be purchased by a good home.

[vancom]

I have an 8 year old who has been around goats for 3 years. She milks every evening, and loves it. The 6:00 a.m milking is way too much but she is up at 7:00 a.m. to bottle feed the doelings and get ready for school. She is very very motivated to milk and care for the goats so she is a little different from your normal child--she's the only one of three that loves our farm life as much as i do, so I am thrilled to have even one!

I'd suggest a bred doe that will give birth in spring. That will give her time to see the progression, watch the birth and participate in the new task of milking. But be aware that as with any "pet" you may be the one that ends up with the work...

[PygmyLover]

I was milking at age 11...........so nope she isn't to young.

[matt633]

We just started w/ goats 1 yr ago and don't have milkers yet. We had 4 mixed breeds, 2 bucks, 2 does. 2 w/ horns, 2 w/o. We got them young and my (then 9 yo) daughter was the one who went into the pen w/ them, sat in a chair for an hour or tow a day for several weeks until they were perfectly socialized. She feeds them twice a day, gets fresh water, helps groom them, and "romps" w/ them every day (dh and I do help and supervise, esp w/ the horned goats since anything could happen). she (along w/ 6 yo ds) also helps to care for rabbits, chickens, dogs, a parakeet and a turtle. She is homeschooled so she has plenty of time, and it NEVER gets old for her. She loves animals and is as patient if not more so than most adults. I think that only you can answer your question by knowing your daughter's temperament, dedication, patience, etc. Whatever the case, I wish you well and hope you have fun doing it together!!

[Freeholder]

Originally Posted by topside1

Get her any type goat you want, but I would never expect her to ever milk a goat twice a day at 10 years of age. Get her a doeling (under a year old) that is hornless. Better yet get her two goats because one will just be miserable. Why not forget about milking goats and get her two wethers to enjoy raising....Bottle babies she would enjoy..

I think this depends on the family, because my grandmother had her own string of FIVE COWS to milk by hand, morning and night, when she was eleven years old. She still remembers getting teased by the other children at school for smelling like a cow barn because she didn't always have time to change her clothes before walking to school.

Kathleen

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

When a child has a passion about something go for it. Buy her the best milker you can afford, something she can show, have it come with a breed back for free for this fall. My daughters both showed...4H in Texas is a joke, they showed open youth and open shows against adults from the age of 8. They are now in their mid and late 20's and the experience was invaluable. After showing for my oldest daughter for several years, my middle daughter got into LaMancha, showing and breeding them for 8 more years. Both girls dispersed their show strings to pay for college. Both girls milked goats evenings after school (I milked mornings during the week) and morning and night on the weekends, they paid for their goats feed with milk sales and kid sales. It teaches them responsiblity, sportmanship and gives the girls the competetive drive that is usually only opporunities given to our sons with sports. It builds self esteem.

At the very least get something nice enough so that if she chooses to show later on, the quality will be there, not just for pet or local 'county' shows.

Don't let anyone talk you into some wild horned babies born this year nursing dams. And don't buy anything until you know about CAE and CL...Let us all help you! The best way to buy a goat is from someone you aren't going to buy from helping you! Vicki

[cjb]

We bought two kids for my son when he was 9. He raised them both, faithfully taking care of them every morning and night. This was 6 years ago and he is STILL faithfully taking care of them. We bought a milking doe for my 12 year old a few weeks back and he and I take turns milking her.

I think children should be expected to be responsible for another living being at a young age, as long as the parents will watch to be sure that the animals don't suffer from the learning curve.

C

[PygmyLover]

Originally Posted by cjb

I think children should be expected to be responsible for another living being at a young age, as long as the parents will watch to be sure that the animals don't suffer from the learning curve.

C

that is the important key.

I have two rescues because the kid was not held accountable by his parents. He would forget to feed them, they would run out of hay for weeks etc. One of them was in terrible condition when I got them.

So parents............PLEASE keep your children accountable for their responsibilities.

the parents finally realized this and then gave me the goats.

[topside1]

Well here's a good idea, get her a weaned doeling or a bottle doeling, and see how your daughter handles her new daily responsibilities. If all goes well then have the doeling breed so she can witness the miracle of birth, raising the newborn kids, and of course milking the doe as needed. Buying a goat already in milk that sounds a bit overwhelming for a 10 year old, who may or may not have any prior livestock exposure. By all means buy her a goat. I'd choose a LaMancha because they are smaller framed, docile and yet intelligent.

[vtfarma]

The only thing I could add to all the wonderful advice is that you do end up with goats with no horns. Our buck, who is moving to a new home this week, has horns. He is gentle but doesn't realize that when you rub your head on someone that when your horns get stuck it hurts. It leaves bruises and actually picked up a kid the other day. Kid is fine, a little stunned but fine. The reality is they don't try to be mean he was just loving up against us, very gently, and when he turned his head it hooked the horns. It could have been a disaster I suppose. That is why he is moving - we do not want horned goats.

A bred doe may not be a bad idea either. We started out with 2 pygmies for dd (at the time 14) and she has made them into the family pets. Momma pygmy has had one little guy who is a duplicate of her and is expecting again. Please be a girl! THe kids (now 17 and 15) both enjoy the birthing process and watching the babies grow. We have to say that the bottle baby that we have is tame, he will come an snuggle up on my lap when I am sitting outside. I have to go pick up the pygmy baby to get him to sit on my lap. He does come for love and snuggle, just isn't a lap goat - which isn't all bad! Our bottle baby is going to be a full size fellow and he certainly takes up a whole lap.

Laurie

[cjb]

ok - now that the incredibly cute Mancha baby was posted - she will HAVE to buy a goat!!! What cute kidlet!

[HHR]

Great advice on buying the best doe possible!

At 5 years old my daughter wanted a Lamancha (I have Nubians), well it just so happened the lady I bought my nubians from was growing her Lamancha herd and loves to help kids start out. She gave me the same good advice "buy her the best doe (or doeling) I could get, so she will stay interested. Now at the ripe old age of 8 (almost 9) she is so happy to feed her bottle babies, help deliver kids, even beg to milk her goats by herself. She has a nicer herd than I do. She sells some of her stock to buy from the same lady every year and she just keeps getting better animals.

Some people are amazed when my daughter walks in showmanship with her 175# doe, but she has never lost control of her doe or had problems, because they respect her. She raised them and she is their herd queen.

Of course now I am selling out and buying some of my daughter's goats

[rich2748]

We have five children they were all milking their own goat twice a day by the time they were 8 years old. She should be plenty able to handle it with some help. It is a very rewarding experience and a great learning experience for your child as well. Go for it. Get the best milker you can find around 3 or 4 years old.

[fitwind]

[QUOTE=topside1]Well here's a good idea, get her a weaned doeling or a bottle doeling, and see how your daughter handles her new daily responsibilities. If all goes well then have the doeling breed so she can witness the miracle of birth, raising the newborn kids, and of course milking the doe as needed. Buying a goat already in milk that sounds a bit overwhelming for a 10 year old, who may or may not have any prior livestock exposure. By all means buy her a goat. I'd choose a LaMancha because they are smaller framed, docile and yet intelligent.

[/QUOTE

Thankls everyone for the encouraging words and thoughts.... I love the pic of this baby goat..... After seeing this I want to get her a baby... I guess I have to let her make her own choice (baby or adult) and just get the best that I can afford. Topside that pic is way to cute for me what a doll...

[topside1]

The little LaMancha doeing in the first photo was only three days old and here she is today (2 months old). She's on the right, with mom and Grandma...enjoy goats!

[fitwind]

Topside she is adorable Thanks I will enjoy....