I have gone back and forth on if I wanted goats or not, there were many pluses and a few minus I had to figure either a way around or a way to accept it, basically this is what I came up with. On the plus side goats produce more milk then cattle for what the ingest, basically you get more output for less input. Goats are also very forage friendly, in other words they will get most of their substance from foraging, in most cases they prefer it. Goats also eat though underbrush and can help clear it, basically getting usage out of land that would not be used other wise for their substance. Goats are another multipurpose animal both producing meat and dairy. Unlike cattle goats also typically produce multiple births and the mature faster. An a interesting side note which I did not realize until I started doing more research, goat milk also has kind of a niche market due to it being more tolerable to digest for those with stomach issues.
Now for the down sides or reasons to potentially not get them. First off I am not a huge milk drinker that is more Terri, and how do I put it, Terri is not real big on trying new things so why worry about producing milk? Well this one I over came pretty easily in that with Pigs and chickens there will never be wasted milk, add to that while I am not a huge milk drinker I do like my cheese and butter so yes it will be used and not wasted, it will actually help the chickens with additional calcium for egg production. The next two issues were really the bigger ones for me, when you decide to go with Dairy animals you must commit to milking them daily meaning not only getting up to do it but moving them into the barn and going out to the field to get them for milking. It is one of the reasons I decided against a dairy cow, just was not sure how I would be able to match my desire for rotational grazing with milking. With the goats I will still have to make the time commitment but the goats will be closer to the barn and homestead and a smaller size to handle. The last issue and to be honest the one I had the biggest issue was with the Billy goats. From my research there is only one way to put this, Billy goats stink, bad. So bad you can not even put them near the milking goats because the smell will actually transfer to the milk! Of course to get milk from goats, you need baby goats and for baby goats you need a billy and I really did not want to have to set up a separate are for Mr Billy goat. The answer was go with AI (Artificial Insemination), this made sense to me on most aspects, The cost of the AI is offset with not having to purchase the Billy or feed or set aside land for him. I may change my mind about this later with my desire to be self sufficient but for now this will do to get me started!
So with objections over come and the pluses outweighing the minuses the fun part begins, picking a breed. So what did I want in a breed? I wanted a goat that would serve as a dual breed but for goats most could do that, I wanted a breed good in the cold, again most could do that without an issue, wanted one good for foraging, again almost all are good for that (what took me so long to decide on goats again???). Well considering I wanted cheese making and butter making (did I mention ice cream?) I decided I wanted a goat that produced a high butter fat and milk solid content. I also wanted something a little smaller so that they were easier to handle when it came milking time but I did not want to give up the milk quantity so the pygmy goats were out. I also wanted one with a good history of multiple births.
What I came up with was the Kinder breed. The Kinder is an American Breed that was first created by breeding Nubian does with a Pygmy Buck. The result was a mid-sided hardy goat that will produce about 1/2 gallon pf milk a day at 5-7% butterfat, produce a carcass that results is a yield of over 60 percent dressing. Kinders can also be breed year round (unlike most other goats). Kinder typically have a herd average of 300% reproduction rate basically meaning that mature animals will typically average 3 kids per birth. Kinder goats at maturity will be about 26-28 inches high with a weight of about 120 lbs. for does and 150 lbs for bucks.
When I purchase the goats I will probably start with 3 young recently breed does. Goats are heard animals so just getting one is really not an option. I will then refresh (re-breed) them at intervals to ensure we do not have a dry period. I have not been able to find breeders in Mn, with the closest being in South-east Wisconsin. With that in mind I will probably get registered pure-breeds of good lineage so that I have to option to be the only registered breeder in Mn. and Dakota area. No need to not have options! As always I look forward to your comments or suggestions, really all I have is book knowledge and I can use some first hand experience knowledge!
Now for the down sides or reasons to potentially not get them. First off I am not a huge milk drinker that is more Terri, and how do I put it, Terri is not real big on trying new things so why worry about producing milk? Well this one I over came pretty easily in that with Pigs and chickens there will never be wasted milk, add to that while I am not a huge milk drinker I do like my cheese and butter so yes it will be used and not wasted, it will actually help the chickens with additional calcium for egg production. The next two issues were really the bigger ones for me, when you decide to go with Dairy animals you must commit to milking them daily meaning not only getting up to do it but moving them into the barn and going out to the field to get them for milking. It is one of the reasons I decided against a dairy cow, just was not sure how I would be able to match my desire for rotational grazing with milking. With the goats I will still have to make the time commitment but the goats will be closer to the barn and homestead and a smaller size to handle. The last issue and to be honest the one I had the biggest issue was with the Billy goats. From my research there is only one way to put this, Billy goats stink, bad. So bad you can not even put them near the milking goats because the smell will actually transfer to the milk! Of course to get milk from goats, you need baby goats and for baby goats you need a billy and I really did not want to have to set up a separate are for Mr Billy goat. The answer was go with AI (Artificial Insemination), this made sense to me on most aspects, The cost of the AI is offset with not having to purchase the Billy or feed or set aside land for him. I may change my mind about this later with my desire to be self sufficient but for now this will do to get me started!
So with objections over come and the pluses outweighing the minuses the fun part begins, picking a breed. So what did I want in a breed? I wanted a goat that would serve as a dual breed but for goats most could do that, I wanted a breed good in the cold, again most could do that without an issue, wanted one good for foraging, again almost all are good for that (what took me so long to decide on goats again???). Well considering I wanted cheese making and butter making (did I mention ice cream?) I decided I wanted a goat that produced a high butter fat and milk solid content. I also wanted something a little smaller so that they were easier to handle when it came milking time but I did not want to give up the milk quantity so the pygmy goats were out. I also wanted one with a good history of multiple births.
What I came up with was the Kinder breed. The Kinder is an American Breed that was first created by breeding Nubian does with a Pygmy Buck. The result was a mid-sided hardy goat that will produce about 1/2 gallon pf milk a day at 5-7% butterfat, produce a carcass that results is a yield of over 60 percent dressing. Kinders can also be breed year round (unlike most other goats). Kinder typically have a herd average of 300% reproduction rate basically meaning that mature animals will typically average 3 kids per birth. Kinder goats at maturity will be about 26-28 inches high with a weight of about 120 lbs. for does and 150 lbs for bucks.
When I purchase the goats I will probably start with 3 young recently breed does. Goats are heard animals so just getting one is really not an option. I will then refresh (re-breed) them at intervals to ensure we do not have a dry period. I have not been able to find breeders in Mn, with the closest being in South-east Wisconsin. With that in mind I will probably get registered pure-breeds of good lineage so that I have to option to be the only registered breeder in Mn. and Dakota area. No need to not have options! As always I look forward to your comments or suggestions, really all I have is book knowledge and I can use some first hand experience knowledge!
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