My wife is wanting some dairy goats

Southern Gent · #1 09/25/11, 07:14 PM

I have talked with a couple of you on here the last couple of days about getting a couple of dairy goats for my wife. Let me tell you my situation. I work offshore down here in Brazil 28 on and 28 off. I live out in the country on a nice little acreage. We love animals. Ok well my oldest daughter is getting married November 19th. I only have 2 daughters no other kids. But my youngest is graduating in May. I think my sweet wife is feeling like she has an empty nest. I want to get her started in dairy goats because there is so much that you can make with their milk. Plus goats are so much fun to be around. Mind you we do not know a lot about it but we will learn as we go. So here is the second part of the story. This wedding that her and my oldest daughter is planing out has really got her stressed out. So I want to take her on a road trip when I get home just me her and her 2 dogs and get her at leats 2 dairy goats. I wish that they would already be milking but that is not a neccesity. But I do want them to be disease free and I do not want them to have horns. Because she has never raised goats before. So if any of you all withing a 500 mile radius of Laurel Ms. zipcode 39443 have something that you think we would be interested in will you please contact me so that we could make arrangements maybe to take our roadtrip to your farm? I dont want to spend a fortune on them because I am not for sure how well she is going to like them. I am pretty sure of it but not absolutely. Plus that daughter getting married is dragging me through the coals I tell you. I know the wedding will be beautiful. But I think I would have rathered her let me just give her 10,000 dollars to help them get started and ran off to a JP are something. Oh well that is all so if you have what I am describing here and it is not really expensive please help me out. Thanks

God Bless
Dion and Greta Byrd

HappyFarmer · #2 09/25/11, 08:33 PM

Contratulations on your daughters wedding. My son is getting married in April and it is sooooo exciting.

Expect to pay for disease tested stock. Cheap is not the way you want to go. Paying a little bit more now is a lot better than paying a lot later & losing an animal to a disease.

JMO
HF

rootsandwings · #3 09/25/11, 08:47 PM

my dad offered dh $10,000 and a ladder (my bedroom was on the second floor) 20 years later dh is still lamenting his youthful folly in not taking the deal. He says it's hard to find a good ladder.

buy quality. I don't know any women who wish they had paid less for their goats, but several who wish they had started with better stock. If you aren't sure and want to keep the price down, buy one good doe and a wether - maybe her this-year's kid, who should be a lot cheaper than a second doe. Then later you can buy another nice doe or keep a doeling. Then when your wife decides she needs a buck, you will already have a wether to keep him company....

KimM · #4 09/25/11, 09:58 PM

We're all still learning as we go however I think you would be much happier if you invested in some goat care books and (if you haven't already) learn the basics before getting your goats, that might help you in what to look for that would best fit your needs. Going into it well prepared would be so well worth your time.
"How To Raise Goats" by Carol Admundson is a wonderful book for beginners.

Congrats on your daughter's wedding!

Southern Gent · #5 09/26/11, 04:27 AM

Believe me the wife has done read so much until I am sure she is ready. I know your right about going into the business disease free will be much more a pleasure for her and that is what were going to do. But yes I am sure it is going to cost a little extra but I guess we will manage.

papat · #6 09/26/11, 07:39 AM

go fpr it i work 12hrs aday milk twice a day make cheese and soap it is cheaper than thearpy let her go for it

Southern Gent · #7 09/26/11, 08:07 AM

Yes that is why I am wanting her to do this. Although she does not know how to make anything with the milk yet I feel like she is going to enjoy learning how and I am as well. Anything to do with the old way of life well that is me. I feel that I was born a hundred years to late.

Quote:

Originally Posted by papat

go fpr it i work 12hrs aday milk twice a day make cheese and soap it is cheaper than thearpy let her go for it

saanengirl · #8 09/26/11, 04:14 PM

Look at Saanens in Georgia. There are several breeders in this state that maintain disease-free herds with high quality animals. You will have a hard time finding animals this time of year (although some people may still have some available). You are better off waiting until spring and buying then.

julieq · #9 09/26/11, 07:36 PM

Congratulations on your daughter's wedding! They aren't cheap are they?

Look for disease free, tested herds and save yourself and your wife a lot of headache/heartache down the road. You're going to pay more up front, but less later on.

LFRJ · #10 09/27/11, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rootsandwings

"...He says it's hard to find a good ladder".
..

Seriously though - Southern Gent, if you were close - you'd be welcome to visit us AND take a turn at milking our goat. We've given about three farm tours in the past month. We have only one milker (others goats for company). She gives plenty of milk for the two of us.

It may take your wife a while to learn to use milk for making other stuff - it has taken me a while - but we've managed to find a few customer who want to buy milk from us - which could be a small, but additional enterprise.

chshrkt · #11 09/27/11, 03:32 AM

I agree, start with one doe and a wether. Ask to try milking when you go on the tour.
We raised Toggenburgs and Saanens, though I preferred the Toggs.

My mom tried to make goat cheese back in the '70s before anybody in the US had ever heard of or saw chèvre in the grocery store. She though she had made a huge mistake when it did not firm up like the cow cheese and ended up throwing it all away before rereading the recipe and realizing it was supposed to be soft like that... lol