Milk

[danarutan]

We're thinking of getting goats---- Can you get any milk from a meat breed? If so would 2 does produce enough for a family of 3?

[MaddieLynn]

With meat goats it's not so much the volume of milk that's the problem. It's the length of lactation. Dairy goats will easily go for nine months or more if not forcefully dried up but boer goats will only go until their kids are weaned. If you want milk and meat, your best bet would be to get Nubian does and breed them to boer bucks. The kids will be plenty meaty.

[ani's ark]

In terms of numbers I guess it depends on how much milk you want. For comparison:
I have one Saanen dairy doe and I milk once a day, letting her raise her kids as well. She's my first dairy animal and I'm thrilled with her. I ended her first lactation when I took her to the buck to get bred again, becuase 9 months after her first kidding he was weaned and she was down to several cups of milk each day. I understand some dairy does will milk through for a year or more without a rest though, depending on how you manage them. I enjoyed sleeping in over winter :-)

Right now a month after kidding, she gives me 2/3 gallon each day and that is enough for our 2 person household to drink all the milk we want plus make one soft and one small hard cheese per week as well if we want. We ate her buckling last year, this year we'll eat the buckling and raise his twin sister as a second milker. They arent as meaty as a meat breed, but still good eating. We got 4 family size roasts and plenty of other meat, but more wouldve been better. Next year I'll put both girls to a boer buck for meatier kids, 2 milkers will be more than enough for me.

For a family of 3 if you use a lot of dairy you'd want 2 dairy does to cross with meat breeds as said above I'd think. Hope that helps you consider options to suit your needs.