Raising goats, what do I need to know

[JessicaR]

My family and I are considering getting pygmy goats in the future (not the near future). Problem is I have never had goats before I don't even know where to begin! We will be going to the library to get some books on goats.

What we want to do is raise goats for milk for us. We don't have a huge yard so figured pygmy goats would be good for us.

What is everybody's experience with goats. What should a beginner know, The good and bad about raising your own goats, anything you can think of would be appreciated!

 

[DBA]

I planned on getting pygmy goats as well, for milk, because of their small size.
I was advised against it because of their very small teats. It is a harsh strain on your finger tips to milk them.

 

[Phacelia]

I've never owned goats, so I don't have any personal experience. But I've been reading all about it for the past 10 years!

From what I've heard, Nigerian Dwarves & Kinders (Nubian/Pygmy cross) are usually preferable to Pygmies. But then you have to make sure you get them from good dairy lines, not just show/pet lines. There are also mini-Nubians and mini-Lamanchas.

The smaller goats can actually be more difficult to contain because they can climb really well and wiggle through just about any hole (especially the tiny babies!).

They can be pretty noisy, so that's something to take into consideration if you have close neighbors.

Dairy animals take a lot of care (grooming, parasite control, etc.), high quality feed and maintenance, and handling the milk takes careful handling and sanitizing of equipment (if you plan to drink it fresh); but the milk is worth it!

You'll find a lot of good info on general care if you hit the books, but I'm sure we have some goat people on the forum who can give you some good advice on that. opcorn:

One of these days I hope to take the plunge too!

 

[FourRingCircus]

Nigerian Dwarf goats might be more suited for what you are wanting... they are the smallest milk breed available. I was just getting started with them when life got crazy so I never made it to milking, but there is a lot of info available.

 

[Marinea]

We, too, are planning on goats- some day. I have been reading about them for about three years. One site I really like is the goat forum at www.homesteadingtoday.com .

 

[Random Rabbit]

Pygmy and Nigerian goats are very different types.
A pygmy goat would be similar to a Beef cow breed... while the Nigerian is a Dairy type goat.
Some of the Nigerian are Fantastic milkers as well !

Good fences are a Must with any animal... but goats are Very inquisitive.. and seem to Like trying to get where they should Not be. ( and they can jump much higher than one would think )
Goats are very social animals..... One by itself will express its displeasure and loneliness Very loudly... and longly....
we have always recommended a minimum of two at a time.
Most goats will happily eat... brush, trees... roses ... lilacs... they do not seem to graze grass.. as other ruminants do. Maybe a bite here and there...but browsing is goaty thing.

They are very entertaining ! Expect to lose a lot of chore time just watching their antics.

 

[Dood]

Hybrid or cross breds can also be a good choice

Have you tasted goats milk? I personally cannot stand the taste of it but milked a Nigerian cross goat for my sisters kids. I didn't find it too difficult and our nanny produced more than enough for her kid and ours (thankfully she never had twins or triplets) I did make a platform to raise her off the ground to make the udder more accessible and to save my back

Do you have a local billy available to breed your nanny? Or did you plan to have a billy yourself - be warned that they STINK as they use their urine as cologne and pee all over their heads

Keeping them confined and away from farm equipment can be a big problem, our Nubian wether and Katahdin ewe are MUCH less destructive and we don't need to worry about then ripping the wiring off the tractor or leaping the fences to visit our neighbours BBQ party

 

[Rainey]

We've had dairy goats since 2003, saanens and then alpines, never pygmy or dwarf of any kind. Lots of information on line and in books, some more helpful and some less.

How small is your yard? They will probably need more space than you think. Ours do graze as well as browse, but they don't crop the grass down evenly as I think perhaps sheep do. They climb and they test the fencing so you have to keep it in good shape and keep an eye on any weak point.
I was afraid I'd need to get used to the taste but when we got the goats I just thought the milk tasted like fresh raw milk, like what I had growing up at my grandparents' farm from their cow. We only keep 2 does, breeding one each year and the other one the next so we have a continual milk supply. They dry off a couple months before kidding and we don't like having to get store milk which now tastes like plastic to me.
Having goats to milk ties you down--don't know how many people ask how often we have to milk--"like a couple times a week?" We have to clean out the stall area every 10 days to keep the flies down during the warm season. The mix of hay and droppings goes onto the compost pile. You need a plan for disposal of waste, for storing feed and bedding. Think about the work involved and whether you'd enjoy spending your time and using limited space for goats.
We like having the milk and the cheeses we make from it. Goat kids are cute for 2 or 3 weeks--then you need to be figuring out what to do with them. The whey goes to the pig or to soak the grain fed to chickens or into biscuits or occasionally onto the compost pile.
Hope some of that is helpful

 

[JessicaR]

lots to think about, thanks everyone! Maybe I shouldn't get goats Our yard is not huge, I would say 300 feet by 150 feet, enclosed by a 4 foot high chain link fence. I thought that would be good enough for 2 dwarf goats ( I meant dwarf not pygmy) but maybe not? Anyways if I do get some I was planning for it in about 5+ years.