what breed to get?

[lorihadams]

Okay, we currently live on 3 acres and one of our side yards (we feel) would be a suitable site for goats. Our question is this...what breed do we get? I have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old and my husband was thinking about meat goats but I wouldn't mind having some milk. Neither of us has ever had goats and a neighbor up the road has boer goats that he raises for meat. We have considered a dwarf or miniature breed as well and we just need some input as to what breed might be good for our situation. We are thinking of a space about 1/4 to 1/2 an acre. We need to build a barn but we need to know what breed we are going to deal with before we do that.

We also have three labs that are kenneled outside and we are locating the goats near them. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

[stanb999]

Just get the breed that suits you best... By that I mean in the way they look. The one that when seen screams "GOAT" in your mind. This will be the one that will suit you best.

Look here first.
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/

Then look up the individual breed website. Most have them. Then you can decide which breeder to buy from.

[Goat Servant]

We have Boers (with horns) sell kids for meat, pets or show and one Nubian (hornless) for milk. We sell most of her offspring for meat. She gets bred to a Boer.
The Nubian is the herd queen.
Some may not take this chance but young children can be taught their way around horns, especially with Boers as they are pretty laid backcompared to other breeds.
Also their horns grow in a gentle curve back, not straight up or out like some.
I have been accidentally horned a couple of times cause I didnt get out of the way fast enough and happened to be between a couple of them hogging their way into a feed pan but they are not aggressive unless its feeding time, and that with each other not me.

[southerngurl]

Nubians, er I mean, whichever breed appeals to you

Highest producing breeds are the Saanans, Alpines, Toggenburgs.

Nubians tend to have higher butterfat milk, and are the nicest looking goat- oops, did that slip?

Lamanchas are good producers too, and very good natured, quiet, some like the no ears effect, some don't care for it. I'm kind of of the latter group, but I have a lamancha doe and she's a sweetie I like their temperment.

Nubians tend to be more hard headed and maybe too smart for their own good. I like em though. I'm told alpines tend to be more aggressive with other goats. Some say their milk doesn't taste good, but they say the same about toggenburgs and my (American) toggenburg has very good milk. Though the nubian milk is creamier. Nubians are more dual purpose too, for milk and meat.

Diary goats will provide meat as well as milk, you will have excess bucklings

[lorihadams]

what about myotonics? There are some in our area and I heard they are good for meat.

[LaManchaPaul]

whispering LaMancha....LaMancha....lamancha..laaammmaaaannnnn cha. You won't regret it... Ya don't milk or eat the ears. AND their heads look like little seahorses.

Great milk, good milkers and not bad on the meat side.

I don't know about Myotonics; there are a lot of those for sale in GA also. I've never seen them listed as milk goats.

Paul

[n2gardening]

Nubian owners-

Is it true that they have a horrible "scream" when they are young?

[DairyGoatSlave]

*coughlamanchacough* n2gardening, yes they have this horrible horrible scream when they are little and older! they are very pushy...my friend has a few and i really dislike thoes goats..but thats just me*coughlamanchacough*

[chamoisee]

I guess my answer to this is, get more prepared first. Breed is the least important factor right now. Please know that even with several acres, you will need to buy hay and grain, etc. They cannot live on pasture alone and produce well unless they have lots and lots of free range.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

*cough* Nubians *cough*

They aren't that pushy, they just tend to have minds of their own, They are very sweet, have the most beautiful ears, come in a wide array of colors, and have wonderful milk. As far as noise, our pygmy mix wether is the loudest on our place with the most awful scream. The Nubian voices aren't bad at all and for the most part, they are pretty quite.

Aside from picking a breed, read,read,read, get prepared, read some more, buy supplies,read some more etc.

[chamoisee]

I don't like Nubians either. They're not just loud, they behave in bizarre fashions that other breeds do not. My impression was that they weren't smart, but Vicki's are, so maybe they've just fingured out how to be manipulative. All I know is that I have no interest at all in dragging a 150# doe around a showring because she forgot what legs were for, or having her collapse onto the milk pail because she doesn't feel like being milked, or bellowing obnoxiously on a regular basis because she *needs* my comapny every blasted second of the day! I just don't have the patience.

I had Alpines. I loved them dearly, but what I recommend, unless you have the Alpine breeder personality, are LaManchas.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I actually have had none of those problems with my Nubians.

[chamoisee]

Sure, and my Alpines didn't exhibit the sort of wanton agression described here, either, because if they did, I culled them right away. Disposition was a critical component of my breeding program. That doesn't mean that disposition/aggresion isn't an issue for Alpines in other herds.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Very true. I guess if one is to get Nubians, ones with good disposition would be something to look for.

[Madfarmer]

Disposition is a heritable factor in most species of livestock. There will be both calm, sweet, tractable individuals and obnoxious stinkers in every breed. But most breeders are like the posters above--they blame it on the breed rather than their own choices in selecting breeding stock. Successfully breeding livestock is both a skill and an art that requires keen powers of observation and long experience to do well.

Madfarmer

[Alice In TX/MO]

Yes, but..... if you are just starting, those things are good to know.

I have a Nubian who is a complete airhead, but she's quiet.

I have an Alpine who is herd queen.

I have several LaManchas who are gentle, mostly quiet, but one of those is the morning vocal greeter.

I have a Nubian/Dwarf cross who is the sweetest thing in the universe.

I have another Alpine who is jumpy, twitchy, ADHD.

Yes, a lot of variation, but overall, they conform to breed expectations. Except for the Nubian's lack of noise.

[cathleenc]

I'd go with whatever breed is most available, within your price range, close to home. It would be a real drag to fall in love and commit to a breed that required excessive work to have access to.

Can you ask your vet for local goat recommendations? Call up local goat people, ask to spend a few hours with them, ask to see if you could help milk or clean up or groom or something? See if you like the goats - and the goat people? If it is all a yes then you've just found the perfect source for the perfect goats!

[chamoisee]

And above all, get whatever breed is available from a disease free herd with test results to prove it.

[southerngurl]

My nubians are quiet unless something is wrong. My Toggenburg is the most talkative, but not loudly so.

[LaManchaPaul]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Yes, but..... if you are just starting, those things are good to know.

I have a Nubian who is a complete airhead, but she's quiet.

I have an Alpine who is herd queen.

I have several LaManchas who are gentle, mostly quiet, but one of those is the morning vocal greeter.

I have a Nubian/Dwarf cross who is the sweetest thing in the universe.

I have another Alpine who is jumpy, twitchy, ADHD.

Yes, a lot of variation, but overall, they conform to breed expectations. Except for the Nubian's lack of noise.

(Edited to say: Never mind... I realized my error.) Great mix you have.
Paul