Milk goat ?

[airotciv]

I have been thinking of getting a milk goat or two. Have been reading here about how different breeds of goats have different tastes in their milk. If I were to get one or two milk goats, drinking and making cheese, etc. What breed would you reccomend? Thanks.

[Eunice]

It all boils down to personal preferences. I am milking two Alpines, one Saanen and one Nubian (and two sheep). My choice is Alpine for the disposition and rich milk. I have no judgement on the Nubian because she is still nursing a kid and the bit I milk from her goes into the same bucket as the Saanen. The Nubian has a loud bratty voice, but her disposition is nice.

[starjj]

I never had milk goats just raised Pgymys so I wouldn't be a good one to know the answer however I was talking to a woman at the flea market who sold goat milk soap and she said she had Nubiens and Sannen and she said Nubiens are whiney. I had a pygmy Sannen cross buck that was just the nicest little thing.

[mary,tx]

I expect everybody loves the breed they have. Mine are Nubians. I'll admit to having had a couple of "whiney" ones. They're gorgeous, personable. You never know what the kids will look like, which makes birthing more fun. The ears are awfully cute. Well, they are the prettiest goats.

[banjopicker41]

i have had alpines oberhaslie and now nubians. from time to time the alpine or oberhas would produce somewhat of ishy tasting milk. all though it was never unusable. I dont really know if different breeds really matter but in three years of milking nubians the milk has always been great. it doesnt even seem to matter if they are on pasture or feed dry hay

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

You will want to pick a breed you like, certainly not based on milk taste. You will have enough of a time finding healthy stock, then look for a doe you can easily catch and milk, taste her milk if it's sweet and nice even warm from the udder than snatch her up. There are poor milkers, good milkers, and does who have awful tasting milk. Most of this is from feed (molassas) from staph mastitis, and from plain being wormy or milk handling. Don't pick a breed based on anything but that you like them, will enjoy raising them and the goats are easy for you to milk.

Even though I am a Nubian breeder I do recommend LaMancha's. Being the only USA breed they do better in our weather, they eat less, produce more and have longer lactations with better all around udders, even in backyard hobby farms than the other breeds. As a whole they are quiet, come in all colors and are really good mothers without making their kids hate you. They have more meat on their bones than most other breeds who milk as well as they do, giving you more meat on your weaned bucklings for the freezer. Being on the highside of butterfat, as long as they don't come out of Saanen's, their milk is sweet and rich, but alot more of it than most Nubians. But you either love them or hate them ears, and the same goes for your customers who you will be selling the kids to eventually. Vicki

[TexCountryWoman]

I, too, am a fairly new LaMancha lover. I used to raise and milk Nubians and Alpines but now would not have anything but my Lamanchas for dairy goats. They are of wonderful temperment, have tremendous milking ability and do well on less feed than I fed the other breeds. They have sweet little voices instead of the obnoxious Nubian ones. They are tougher than Alpines in this blistering Texas heat, not slowing down production one bit in 100 plus temps. They milk for great lengths of time, as long as you want to milk them...they finally out did me and I quit on them, not vice versa! I have had mine a year now and am in there second milking (for me). I have a set of twins from each. Three does and a wether. I let them nurse their moms and I did not bottle raise them. They are VERY tame and the little doelings already "squat into the imaginary bucket" if you touch their little udders...just like their moms. The moms do not require a stanchion to hold their heads, they just jump up and eat their feed out of their bucket while I milk. Yes, they are the only breed made in the USA. I love their smooth earless heads. Especially if there are wattles involved. Then it looks like little ear rings!

[airotciv]

Thanks everyone, more things to think about. Sorry this was not answered sooner, but the husband surprised me with taking off a week, to get some projects done around here. So thanks again for the info.