there can be only one

[Bornacentury2L8]

I am new to goats and am sure this has been asked, but couldn't find an answer searching. If you could pick one goat what would it be? For milk and meat? Also I want to know , does a goat have to have a kid before you can get milk from her?

[issylthesthlia]

Welcome!

Goats aren't happy alone-- so there always has to be at least two.

And, yes, a doe has to have a kid before she'll produce milk.

[copperhead46]

If I could only have one, I'd probably go with a good Boar doe, they are great for meat goats and mine seem to give a lot of milk. And, no, they don't like to be alone, they are very social animals. I used to just have one, but she had a donkey to run with, and seemed happy enough.
P.J.

[Bornacentury2L8]

I guess what I meant was one breed or mix. Sorry for the confusion.

[Goat Servant]

Well of course Im going to say Boers for meat!

[Bornacentury2L8]

Originally Posted by Goat Servant

Well of course Im going to say Boers for meat!

Do they give enough milk for a small household? Or would you get a milk goat as well?

[Goat Servant]

*shhhh* dont tell anyone but we have a Nubian for household milk. The Boers Ive never tried serious milking...first of all their teats are relatively small and the orifices seem to point every which way but into the bucket!

[Cheribelle]

One Breed!?!?!?!
You are kidding, right?

HAHAHA just messin with ya, but I have 7 out here now, no 2 are alike!

[Shazza]

The breed I would say a Saanen, cos they have a lovely temperment, and probably a Nubian for company...the Nubian for the meat bubbas and the Saanen to have enough milk to feed the bubbas and the house. And NO a goat does not have to have a kid to produce milk. I have a doeling with an udder (which I havent milked, I have just mated her) and a fellow breeder down the road has 2 Toggies they are milking that have not kidded. They are from big heavy milk lines....lots of *Q*'s aka Milk awards and Dagger Bucks aka Mother and grandmothers have milk awards. I havent recommended Toggies even though I have lots of them as they are the most naughtiest and not good for a beginner...I started with Saanens.

[Bornacentury2L8]

So.... There is no way to have just one. lol That's fine I was leaning toward boers for meat and a nubian for milk. Thank you all!

[dancingfatcat]

From everything I have read, if you only want one breed for both milk and meat, that would be a nubian or kinder. They have a high fat content, so you can make butter and cheese and the kids gain weight quickly. So one of those is what I would go with if you only wanted one breed.

You will have to have two goats to keep each other company, but they can be the same breed.

[LaManchaPaul]

You KNOW I HAVE to say LaMancha.... because they are the best. (however, I haven't tried eating one of them yet) Let's see, Suzie or perhaps Ruben?? Sorry, I just don't think I could do it.

Kinder are cross between Nubian and Pygmy. They inherit the heavy milking, nice udder and high butterfat from the Nubian and the short-stature, meaty body from the Pygmy. Compact and very productive. So if I had to choose and I had to choose the most beneficial, I'd choose Kinder. As a devout LaMancha man, I can't believe I just said that!!!

So far I can still buy chicken and pork, therefore I won't eat one of my own stock just yet. I do like chevron - just some elses!!

Paul

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Nubians, when homesteaders dream of their place it always includes Nubians, not saanens or alpines and who ever heard of LaManchas

They are easy to sell, which is super important when you figure you get 2 or 3 or 4 kids a year from one doe!

Basic stuff here, a mammal is bred and feeds the baby mammal milk....although it is supply and demand, like how some women nurse their children until 3 or 4 or even older, if you keep milking your goat she will milk even if you never breed her back.

Boers are notorius for having extra teats, poor lactations of very high fat milk, but they only milk for about 3 months, from that point on it's about will....your will to go out to the barn to milk out the cup of milk she has Vicki

[Minelson]

If there could only be one...I would pick my three Gretta is a Pygmy and her 2 babies Frankie & Flossie are 1/2 Nigerian dwarf. So that's my favorite breed..it's called MINE

[Goat Servant]

Yes, Boers have extra teats. More room at the table if they are working teats.
Poor lactation? One of mine flat out doesnt bother to wean...she will let her kids suck for 6 to 7 mos unless I intervene.
On the other hand the Nubian will quit nursing everyone if one of her boys leaves.

[Rockytopsis]

Even though I have Boers, Kikos, Alpines, and a Nubian, if I had to pick just one breed for milk and meat I would have to pick the Nubian.

[kreddish]

Pygmy's rule for the cutest babies!!!

[RiverPines]

Angoras!
Fiber!!

You can also milk but its less than dairy.

And if you want you can eat them same as any goat. But I couldnt see doing that as that would be some expensive meat!

[Starsmom]

I guess it comes down to what you want to accomplish with the goats. You do need two, one will be unhappy. If you want the milk for the family and maybe cheese, then you need a dairy goat and saanens, alpines and nubians are my goats of choice. If you want brush eaters, most any will do, but I have to say my alpines can clear a field in no time flat. Sometimes when I look at them I swear they are going to explode they are so huge. If you want meat, then the boer is what you want. So really, you need to sit down and think of what you want. Of course if you want meat and milk, get dairy goats and raise up the kids for the freezer.

[shiandpete.1]

As a La Mancha person I would have to suggest La Manchas! They have attitude give great milk and aren't nearly as noisy as those Nubians In reality you can eat any breed so I would choose a milking breed instead of a meat breed.