I don't use a milking stand. My does stand quietly in the barn stall (concrete floored) and eat grain while I milk them. If you're at all handy they're supposed to be pretty easy to make, anyway.
I think that goat care can be as expensive as you want it to be (save some basic supplies). For example, I bought a fancy stainless steel milk tote to milk into. It cost me about $50. Some people buy a stainless steel pot from the Dollar Store for $6. Both work just fine. I bought a stainless steel strainer, some people just use a Brawny paper towel or a coffee filter. So I would make sure to get many opinions on what extras you "need", as there will be many of them.
We found out that, around here, if you have the feed store mix up your own blend it costs a *lot* less than the premade 50 lb sacks of feed. It's more nutritionally sound for lactating does, too.
Heck, we didn't even buy collars. My favorite doe wears a collar made out of a string from a hay bale.
Some people don't use straw as bedding and just use a plain floor. Some people use straw. Some people empty their stalls twice a year. Some people never do. I know a few who do it daily (that's a lot of straw!) Fencing is another thing with lots of varying opinions. I'm 6 months pregnant and don't feel like putting up a lot of fence so I buy cattle panels. They are pricey but instant--you attach them to the fence posts and walk away. I'm sure if I bought a roll of farm fence I would save a bundle.
Even geographically you're going to have huge differences in prices. Around here goats are pretty plentiful. The prices I've seen people here mention make my eyes pop. Also, there is going to be differences in hay costs in, say, New Mexico over somewhere in the Midwest.
Are we saving money buying milk? That depends. We're not really into homesteading to save money at this point (we're still investing--in the future hopefully it will all work out), we're more interested in self-sufficiency. If I bought a gallon of milk I would only buy local, organic milk because I'm very concerned about hormones and additives as well as the ethics of largescale dairy farms. It would cost me about $3.50 a quart. The last time we bought fresh mozzarella from the health food store it was, IIRC, $3 a ball.
Keep in mind that my 4 and 6 year olds can polish off a ball just pinching pieces off as they walk through the kitchen.
If I bought milk and cheese from the discount store it would probably take me a long time to break even. Buying the way we do (organic, preferably local) we can tell a huge difference. For one thing, availability. We would ration cheese before because we needed it for dinner the next day or whatever. Now we can eat whatever we want and just make more. I know how my goats are treated, what conditions they live in, what goes into their bodies, and how the milk is handled. Also, unless you find an 'underground' source for raw milk you can only purchase pasteurized dairy in my state.
If that is important to you, there is nothing like raising your own dairy animal.
As for general tips--I've had some of every dairy breed except for Sanaan. I have heard that Sanaan's are the Holstein's of the goat breeds--lots of milk but not a lot of cream. I like cream.
*My* experiences are that Nubians are very fussy. They give a lower amount of milk than the other breeds but it's high in butterfat. I had a soft spot for my Alpine but she was as wild as a deer--I never got her tamed enough to milk easily (and, of course, a lot of this is how they were treated before they came to me and not just breed characteristics).
My Toggenburg is a dream to milk--like I said, I don't have a milk stand and don't bother tying my does now. She gives a lot of milk. They say that Togg milk has a stronger taste which makes sense as they were bred for cheese production. However, I haven't noticed this and my kids drink her milk without complaint. In fact, my non-goatsmilk-drinking MIL came over yesterday and took a quart jar with her after having a drink.
My Oberhasli is beautiful (I have always thought that goats' beauty lies in their usefullness, but I do think that Obers are pretty goats). She has a gentle personality, nuzzling my 4 year old whenever he comes near. Even my Ober buck is gentle. She, also, gives a good amount of milk.
I have a LaMancha doe as well, although she's dry and I haven't built that milking-relationship with her yet.
People tend to have their favorite breeds, though, and swear by that breed. You'll find one that works for you.
When we started I didn't care about pedigree either. After all, I was just in it for the milk. I'm starting to understand, though, that it makes sense to pay
some attention to ADGA-registered status since the kids can be sold for so much more. When one kid is going to the auction house and selling for $20 and a registerable kid is going for $120, well, that makes a difference to even a novice. Ethically, I also know that the kids with papers are likely going to have a much better life than the auction house kid.
Wow, didn't mean to write a book! Good luck on your venture.
