Tell me about Saanen goats

[Danaus29]

Got an incredible offer, 2 yearling does in exchange for the Narragansette hen turkey. Even to just butcher the does I would come out way ahead. But we have been considering a goat or two to keep weeds and brush down. We had thought about dairy goats and that's what Saanens are according to my research. Also relatively small goats too, right? The owner said about the size of a large collie. I've got no problem butchering them, but would like the brush clearing and milk from them. (I do know they have to kid before you can milk them) I've got a place we can set up for them.

I know I would have to provide feed and water for them. And shelter, I know they can catch cold and die from being out in the rain and wet. I know dogs and coyotes would kill them if they could get to them. What else are the essentials?

[madness]

Basic essentials: shelter, feed (grain for milkers), fresh water and minerals. They also need regular hoof trimming and a lot of people vaccinate. The most common vaccine is CD/T but there are plenty of others - see what is best for your area/conditions. They also need good fencing.

If you are expecting delicious sweet milk, you might have to hold back on the brush control. Some things can make the milk nasty. It doesn't bother some people, but others are very sensitive to off flavors in milk.

All the Saanens I've seen are good sized goats - 150 lbs or so.

I'd be a bit leery of the offer - seems "too good to be true". Good milking does, even from unregistered lines, go for $100+ each. Even just brush goats go for at least $50 around here. Is the deal from someone you know, just giving you a great offer? Just make sure you aren't getting a bum deal if you do want to keep them - or even if you want to eat them, you don't want them to be super skinny or diseased!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Saanens are large goats. We borrowed a Saanen buck last winter, and the kids are growing like weeds. The buck was over 200 lbs, probably close to 225.

Our Saanen/LaMancha cross doeling is going to be the biggest goat we have when she's full grown. Other goats we have are LaMancha and Alpine. Snowbelle was born July 31, and she's probably 80 lbs now!

She is a sweet girl. Very gentle. Personality wise, I like her the best of all the goats.

They must have shelter. Goats do not like rain or mud. If you don't want dairy goats with the inherent labor and housing requirements, this might be a deal to pass up.

Make sure they have been tested for CAE ( a nasty disease ) and don't have any lumps on their bodies. Check the other goats in the herd for lumps, too, if you can. That's CL, an incurable contagious disease.

A yearling doe should have been bred to kid this winter or spring already. Are these culls that didn't breed? Freemartins?

[deineria]

Sannens are actually large goats. I would say larger than a collie, but then a collie would make a rather large goat! lol.
You'd really be feeding grain, etc and getting less brush control if you're wanting quality milk and if they are full on a fair amount of grain if pregnant or in milk.
You're gonna want to vaccinate, perhaps give copper bolus and bo-se shots, an be ready to do the same for kids and treat for cocci. Disbudding is something you'd need to do if you plan to sell the kids.
Def. they will need a three sided shelter as they hate to be wet. Electric type fence will probably not work, you'd want a woven wire fence.
That is about all I can think of in the basic essential list.

[Danaus29]

Thanks for all the info. As far as I know the does have not been bred. The owner already has 8 does bred to kid this spring and what he told me was he didn't want to eat them because they were kind of pets, but they need to go to make room for the new kids soon to be born.

Looks like I need to do more research. I didn't want to add another expense or more work. Dh really wants to get them though. Of course he won't be the one stuck with the work, but then he is the one who has to clear the brush and deal with the poison ivy.

As for their weedy diet, do they eat burdock? If so that alone could make them worthwhile, even if the milk wouldn't be drinkable. And people do buy it to make soap. But even at that I don't know if I want to breed them. Are they like rabbits in that they should be bred before a certain age?

So many questions, so much to decide. You know how it is when you want something and it all kind of falls in your lap but you're not sure if it's the right thing? This is one of those things.

[madness]

Not sure about the burdock, but they sure love poison ivy! It's been the best way to clear it from our land.

Goats are a lot of fun. Brush goats don't need to be terribly expensive to keep either. They do need feed in the winter, shelter and good fencing, but they will eat a lot of browse!

I've heard various stories about getting goats bred by a certain age. Some folks swear by it, others say it is a myth. I don't have enough experience to know for myself. But certainly it's not a problem to wait until they are a full year+ before breeding. You need a goat in great condition to bred them to give birth on their own first birthday, so there's no need to breed this year at all.

Keep asking questions! I know it's a big decision to take on the care of an animal, especially a type you haven't had before. This is a great board full of tons!

[Idahoe]

I have abundant burdock and my goats didn't touch it, nor did the geese. I really hoped they would, that stuff is a PIA.

[betsy h.]

http://nationalsaanenbreeders.com Lots of info and links to breeders there- you may find one near you. Fond yourself a 'goat mentor' and learn all you can. Have fun!

Saanens are the 'Holsteins' of the dairy goat world, and Nubians are the 'Jerseys'. Nice does can easily milk more than a gallon a day.

Plan on using more hay than grain. I'd do an actual vet check before you bring them on your property. Worm and vaccinate them well in the beginning. Go to adga.org for more info on dairy goats.

[Cheribelle]

My Saanen is the sweetest goat on the place, really sweeter than my original "lap goat" without NEARLY as much handling.

[Alice In TX/MO]

My mother in law used to say that if a woman doesn't have enough to do, get her a goat. I have found out there was a lot of truth in that.

My dairy goats are time consuming.

I think you might want to get something else to clear your brush.

[southerngurl]

I've not had any off flavors from my goats eating brush or even garlic. I'm not sure but I think mine eat burdock. They'll eat pine, oak, cedar (not as much as the former), poison ivy, green brier, brambles, bindweed.... They will not, however, eat perilla mint and they don't care for white clover so much.

[Danaus29]

Alice, you've pretty much summed up my reservations against them. As if I don't have enough to do already. I'm wanting to reduce my work load, not add to it.

[wintrrwolf]

As a new Saanen owner my Sugar is freakin awsome! She cleared the ivy on and around the house just wish I had had her when I first moved in would have saved me weeks of itching and scratching, Does run lighter than Bucks of course my girl is around 125 - 130# very calm around me loves to be petted and she learns quick!
"The Saanen doe has a majestic air about her, which coupled with her milk producing ability, identifies her as “Queen of the Dairy Goats”. Man I am just green with envy that you got 2 of em they are pretty scarce around here. Mine is also clearing a lot of brush.

[Danaus29]

Haven't got them yet. Had the offer just today. Haven't made the final decision yet. I will need to put up a pen for them. I have a dog crate and a plastic dog igloo they could use for shelter but I have no pen as yet. Wouldn't be too hard to put one up, with all the duck pens I've made recently a 10 x 10 chainlink goat pen would be a piece of cake.

[copperpennykids]

You might want to get a few Boer goats instead. Either wethers that will eat your weeds and then go into the freezer, or else bred does that will eat the weeds and produce kids which they will nurse (no milking for you) and then you can eat any and all of them.

[betsy h.]

What you have for shelter will not be big enough.

An 8x8 shed may be best for your use, and sometimes you can find a used 'calf hutch' for cheap on craigslist, or the like. They like to jump on top of these and the hutch can be turned up on its' end for easy cleaning. I put pallets in the floor of mine to keep the goats off the ground.

They need a place to eat hay in the dry too. Eating hay off the ground is not good for them and wastes a lot of hay besides. That small 8x8 shed would fit your bill better bacause it could have apace for them to sleep and store hay above. A pen 16x32 (6 cattle panels from Tractor Supply) is OK for two does to live in at night, but the larger the better.

[Alice In TX/MO]

A 10 x 10 pen for what? You need them out and about. Your whole place needs goat fencing.

[wintrrwolf]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

A 10 x 10 pen for what? You need them out and about. Your whole place needs goat fencing.

Agree with Alice. Will say that I went with alternate fencing option and it is still working for all 3 of my goats (Saanen, pygmy, and Nigerian Dwarf Buck) a pet containment in ground fencing, just didn't bury the wire so I can expand or change the area as I need. Just another option and probably wont work if you have more than a couple goats.

[Danaus29]

We decided against them. We don't have a place to put them, don't have a pen built, don't want them eating everything here, don't have the equipment, and so on.

I do know you can't keep goats in a 10 x 10 pen all the time. That wasn't my intention. I was thinking a 10 x 10 pen with tarps on 3 sides and the top until we got a shelter built. And letting them out either on a lead with someone right there or in the yard which is fenced, not the best fencing to keep goats contained though.

Goats are still an option in the future, maybe we'll contact the local rent-a-goat to get the brush cleared (LOL, I know there is no rent-a-goat here). But the idea of buying a wether in the spring and letting him clear the brush, then eating him sounds good. Except you need 2 goats to keep each other company. I don't know.

Thanks so much for all the help and advice. It was so sweet of you all to not say, "You are an idiot! Make the pen and shelter before you go goat shopping!"

wintrrwolf, the electric dog fencing works for goats???? Hmmmm. That's an idea! I'll have to let dh know. We could lay the wire around the brushy areas and let them loose. How did you train them to respect the wire?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Electric NET fencing works for goats for me. I have not had success with electric wire/tape fence for goats. Some have, just not me.