Which goat breed makes the most milk?

[SiameseVA]

I am looking to get a couple more does to add to my herd. The two I have now are LaMancha crosses. At their peak they made about 1.5 qt per day. I milked them in the morning, and babies were on them all day until evening. Only milking once per day.

Someone told me that they get 2-3 qts. per day from their Nigerian Dwarfs - is that typical of that breed?

A few more breeding questions... Is it too late in the season to breed a doe? And is 12 months too young to breed? Do you ever cross the sire to a daughter or is that a no-no? Sorry for so many questions!

Thanks for your help!!

[TroutRiver]

Others with more experience than me will surely chime in, but...

Milk production will increase if you wean the kids completely and milk twice a day. Does that are still nursing kids will hold back milk for the kids, so won't be giving you all of it when you milk.

Saanens generally have the highest milk production of all the breeds, and I believe also the lowest butterfat content (but individuals of any breed with vary depending on genetics). Saanens are kind of like the goat equivalent of holsteins.

There are some does that come into heat year-round and so can be bred at any time, but generally September through December is breeding season.

Nigerian dwarf goats, if bred for dairy, can produce quite a bit of milk for their size (not as much as most full-sized dairy breeds). But not all dwarf goats have genes for high milk production, so if you buy dwarf goats make sure you buy them from a breeder/owner who uses them for dairy and has records of milk production.

It's amazing how much you can learn here!

[SherrieC]

I know that kids will probably suck down a lot of milk, we always pull all of our kids and raise on CAE Prevention. Allthough this isn't Ideal for everyone, especially if Mom and Dad both work outside the home it works for us. My Nubians give as first fresheners usually 5 lbs - 8 lbs a day for around ten months, My older nubians give 10 - 13 lbs a day for around 10 months, and Saanens give more. Usually the Saanens and the Alpines give the Most milk in the dairy world.

[SherrieC]

Oh we are on Milk test, and I was surprised that Saanens do NOT have low fat milk, they are just as fat producing as my nubians. The first fresheners crank out the highest amounts of fat.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Saanens are the "Holstein" of dairy goats. In other words, the high producers. Also, they are, by reputation, the calmest of the goat breeds.

I have a Saanen cross FF, about six weeks after kidding, making over a gallon per day now, and still increasing.

I also have a Mini-Alpine making three quarts per day on much less feed.

[FunnyRiverFarm]

1.5 quarts is a reasonable amount for once a day milking on a doe still nursing kiddos, IMO. The kids are consuming atleast that amount and probably more so they are most likely producing atleast 3/4 to 1 gallon.

12 months is not too young to breed as long as the doe is 70% of her adult size. I breed by size not age and have a couple does that are going to kid at 13 months of age. They are both pretty much the same size as my 3 year old does at this point.

[CaliannG]

Crossing sire to daughter is known as "line breeding" and is often done if the sire passes on such awesome characteristics that the breeder wants does and bucks as genetically like the sire and/or the sire's dam as possible.

That breeding depends entirely on those characteristics. Line breeding will bring out the best, and the worst, of any line.

10-12 months is average for first breeding. Most folks breed their FFs at that age.

1.5 quarts per milking would be about average for a standard-sized doe. My minis average about a quart per milking.

[LoneStrChic23]

I started milking my alpine twice a day a few days after she kidded.

Up until this week she was nursing twins.....sold one of the babies and now she's just nursing one 4 week old doeling. I still milk twice a day and the past two days she's given me 7.8lbs and today 8.2lbs!!! (8lbs is a gallon)

Was going to lock up her baby at night originally, but I'm getting plenty of milk from her even with leaving the baby on 24/7.

My mini alpine is now averaging 6lbs per day......

I know there are "generals" in each breed, but I think it depends on the individual goat. Buy stock from good milking lines, regardless of breed. Sabrina isn't show quality in the slightest, but I bought her because of her mother and sister's milk production.....

On Nigerians, I would be very careful who I bought from. Many breeders popped out of the woodwork to fill demand in the pet market....meaning there are lots of pretty Nigerians with blue eyes and flashy colors, but not bred to milk....so you end up with tiny, hard to milk teats and subpar production. I would personally only buy Nigerians from people who breed for milkers...

In my neck of the woods, Nigerians from clean herds, with easy to milk teats and good production are around $500....so I have mini alpines now I like the mini's....you can get any dairy breed in a smaller package, very respectable production and good butterfat content to the milk, but most aren't as short as Nigerians, so IMO, easier on the back...

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'm just in from evening milking. The Saanen cross topped ten pounds today!

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Both of my LaMancha girls are FF and each only had a single. One is averaging almost a gallon a day and the other is giving 3/4a gallon a day at just barely a month fresh.

[The Tin Mom]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

I'm just in from evening milking. The Saanen cross topped ten pounds today!

10# - am I converting this correctly? Is that 20 cups or one and one half gallons in one milking? Seriously? Man. Whey to go! That is really great!

[The Tin Mom]

Originally Posted by Oat Bucket Farm

Both of my LaMancha girls are FF and each only had a single. One is averaging almost a gallon a day and the other is giving 3/4a gallon a day at just barely a month fresh.

We are so looking forward to our Ronan doelings next year! Not only beautiful - but great milkers! Anticipation!

And, it only gets better! The third year freshener that I have maxed at 8 cups with no kids on her when she was a FF. This year she is hitting 10 cups in the morning with a kid on her 24/7.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Ten pounds total today, two milkings. Five pounds is over half a gallon.

Ten pounds is ....roughly..... a gallon plus a quart.

I weigh after each milking and total for each goat at the end of the day.

[The Tin Mom]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Ten pounds total today, two milkings. Five pounds is over half a gallon.

Ten pounds is ....roughly..... a gallon plus a quart.

I weigh after each milking and total for each goat at the end of the day.

What do you do with all that milk? I need to find more ways to use mine.... Sounds like you even have more than I do.

[Kye022984]

Dang I feel terrible. My Oberhasli who is being separated from her babies at night is only giving me one quart in the morning. I am only milking her once a day. And, my LaMancha who is a FF is only giving me a few squirts in the pail with a single baby on 24/7! I am mid changing their diet to more protein and calcium. But, wow, I feel awful!

I am, however going to look at an Alpine doe who is on her second freshening and milking 22.75 cups of milk a day! And she just began milking about a month ago. Excited!

[Creamers]

Saanens, according to the adga, and some folks says first gen saanen crosses, too

[chewie]

my FF saanens are giving me half gallon each, one is 2.5 weeks fresh, the other is 3.5 weeks fresh. I believe the 2.5 week doe will give more, as she had trips, feeds them well, and altho I did not manage to corral the babies for the full overnight, (sneaked out a small hole in my gate of the 'baby corral!) she still gave 3 pints. she often gives a pint or more at the end of the day after trips on her all day.

the other one is feeding her twins all day long, and after locking them up overnight, I get almost 4 lbs milk. they are not large does, and I do worry a bit about how thin the trip mom is. (she is snubian) my full sized does are all pure saanen, and give from 9-12lbs per day for most of their lactation.

for extra milk, I get a bucket calf. I also 'share' with neighbors and they 'share' feed costs. I do not have show goats really, but am veyr happy with their production--which means way more than a ribbon. but, selling kids wont' gain as much since I dont' have the show wins or other paperwork to prove how nice they are.

[JJFarmer]

Our saanen peaks at 2 gallons and is still at one gallon a day though I'm in the process of drying her up. FF alpine peaked at 1 gallon when she was only milked once a day and my older alpine peaked at 2 gallons and never gave less than a gallon. They're all from high producing lines though and bought for their production ability.

[PurpleMartineer]

I have 2 saanen does. One is on her third lactation. She produces 3 qts for me in the morning after 12 hours with her kids locked away for the night. She is nursing her babies who are 6 weeks old as well. She has grown those kids from 9 lbs at birth to 33 lbs in 6 weeks, so she is making them a lot of milk in that 12 hrs. They only just recently started eating a lot of hay and grain. I am sure I would get a gallon and a half out of her if I milked her twice a day. She gets 3 lbs of grain a day plus broken up alfalfa cubes pretty much free choice. Plus hay, which she eats little of now that the grass is green and growing.