Goats, goats, and more goats!
Goats are a fantastic animal for small homesteads! They take less feed and space than a cow and produce milk and meat.
Milk Goats
The quality and quantity of milk you get will vary on the goat breed. Standard-sized goats will produce more milk, such as the Nubian. For a short time I looked into the Nubian because they have multiple births, can produce over a gallon of milk a day, and have the cutest floppy ears. Nubians do tend to be on the more talkative end of the goat family. Because they are a tropical originated goats, they tolerate heat well. Nubians are also known for their 4-5% butterfat content and their colorful coats.
If you are looking for a small goat that produces really rich milk, many people will tell you to consider the Nigerian Dwarf. This goat's milk makes wonderful cheese. They come in every color and pattern with a longer rough coat. The Nigerian Dwarf is also heat tolerant.
Another great choice for homesteads, especially if you have a larger family, is the La Mancha. These goats are quiet, gentle, docile, come in every color, and have great milking abilities. A decent La Mancha doe will yield 1-2 gallons of milk daily with an average butterfat content of 3.9 percent. This is a medium sized goat. Does weigh 130 or more pounds while Bucks weigh in at 160 pounds or more. This goat is a seasonal breeder and usually produces twins or triplets. The La Mancha is characterized by its ears, or lack of them. There are two different types of ears this goat may have. The elf ears are two or less inches and pointed. The gopher ears should be under one inch length and round. La Manchas are also known for their heat tolerance.
If you require little milk goats, many breeds come as "minis". "Minis" are the standard dairy breed doe crossed with a Nigerian Dwarf buck. Keep in mind with a smaller build and less food intake, there will be less milk production, though most minis are comparable to their standard dairy cousins. Some are said to produce about 3/4 of the amount of milk from the standard sized dairy goats. Usually the milk will be higher in butterfat content as well. Some of the most popular mini dairy goats are the Mini Nubian and the Mini La Mancha.
Meat Goats
A popular meat goat in the United States is the Boer. These goats originate from South Africa and are very heat tolerant. They do not thrive as well in cold climates. Does weigh 200 to 225 pounds and the bucks can weigh up to 325 pounds. The Boer goat is known for it's fast growth rate and will gain around a third of a pound a day. Boer does produce enough milk for their young. The milk is high in butterfat and makes for a good cross with dairy breeds. Most Boers are characterized with a red head and coloration on neck; the rest of the body is white. Other colors are acceptable and the goats can come in solid coloration as well. The Boer goat also has a set of horns that point back at the tail.
More meat breeds consist of the Spanish, Kiko, Savanna, and Myotonic. The Spanish derives from Spain and is a slightly smaller goat. Spanish goats are known for their hardiness. Another meat goat is the Kiko which comes from New Zealand. Kikos are used for minimalist farms where the goats can survive harsh climates and conditions. They require less maintenance and are easy kidders. Some Kiko does are milked and are said to have a high butterfat content. An often looked over meat breed is the Savanna or Savannah, which comes from South Africa and shares a few similarities to the Boer. This goat is known for it's short white coat, adaptability, easy care, hardiness like the Spanish goat, and meat production of the Boer. The Myotonic goat is known for is "fainting" tendencies. Not to be mixed up with the Fainting goat, myotonic goats are bred for meat production and have the highest meat to bone ratio out of any other breed of goat: 4:1. Myotonic goats can come in all sizes and colors. Myotonic goats do not usually jump fences due to their risk of having a "fainting" spurt. Myotonic goats are very prolific and twins and triplets are common.
Dual Purpose Goats
A star choice for small homesteads are Kinder (pronounce “i” like children) goats. The goats are a half/half cross of Nubian and Pygmy. That makes these goats dual-purpose for both milk and meat. They will produce one to four quarts of milk per day during lactation with a 5.5%-7% butterfat content making great tasting milk and more yummy cheese. Unlike most goat breeds that have a 1:1 pound of milk to pound of cheese produced, Kinder goats have a 1:2 milk to cheese ratio. These goats also have fabulous meat production under their small framed build. At six months at 50lb live weight there will be 30lb dress out at 60% dress out rate. If you butcher at the age of 14 months when the kids are 80lb there will be 50lb dress out at 63% dress out rate. These goats grow fast and are climate tolerant. Since they have a smaller build they will also take less space and feed. They are goats and will also prefer brush and weeds to grassy pasture. These goats tend to have a sweeter disposition, though they may be just as talkative as Nubians.
A good option for large families that want a dual-purpose goat is to cross breed a meat goat and a dairy goat. We have decided on the La Mancha and the Myotonic. When you cross breed goats you can keep to separate breeds (two La Mancha does bred to a Myotonic buck) and sell or butcher the off spring (La Tonic kids {I made up the name haha}). Keep in mind that when you cross breed, you may get hybrid vigor where you will get the best traits from the parents, or you may lose parts of milk and meat production in the offspring.
Milk Goats
The quality and quantity of milk you get will vary on the goat breed. Standard-sized goats will produce more milk, such as the Nubian. For a short time I looked into the Nubian because they have multiple births, can produce over a gallon of milk a day, and have the cutest floppy ears. Nubians do tend to be on the more talkative end of the goat family. Because they are a tropical originated goats, they tolerate heat well. Nubians are also known for their 4-5% butterfat content and their colorful coats.
If you are looking for a small goat that produces really rich milk, many people will tell you to consider the Nigerian Dwarf. This goat's milk makes wonderful cheese. They come in every color and pattern with a longer rough coat. The Nigerian Dwarf is also heat tolerant.
Another great choice for homesteads, especially if you have a larger family, is the La Mancha. These goats are quiet, gentle, docile, come in every color, and have great milking abilities. A decent La Mancha doe will yield 1-2 gallons of milk daily with an average butterfat content of 3.9 percent. This is a medium sized goat. Does weigh 130 or more pounds while Bucks weigh in at 160 pounds or more. This goat is a seasonal breeder and usually produces twins or triplets. The La Mancha is characterized by its ears, or lack of them. There are two different types of ears this goat may have. The elf ears are two or less inches and pointed. The gopher ears should be under one inch length and round. La Manchas are also known for their heat tolerance.
If you require little milk goats, many breeds come as "minis". "Minis" are the standard dairy breed doe crossed with a Nigerian Dwarf buck. Keep in mind with a smaller build and less food intake, there will be less milk production, though most minis are comparable to their standard dairy cousins. Some are said to produce about 3/4 of the amount of milk from the standard sized dairy goats. Usually the milk will be higher in butterfat content as well. Some of the most popular mini dairy goats are the Mini Nubian and the Mini La Mancha.
Meat Goats
A popular meat goat in the United States is the Boer. These goats originate from South Africa and are very heat tolerant. They do not thrive as well in cold climates. Does weigh 200 to 225 pounds and the bucks can weigh up to 325 pounds. The Boer goat is known for it's fast growth rate and will gain around a third of a pound a day. Boer does produce enough milk for their young. The milk is high in butterfat and makes for a good cross with dairy breeds. Most Boers are characterized with a red head and coloration on neck; the rest of the body is white. Other colors are acceptable and the goats can come in solid coloration as well. The Boer goat also has a set of horns that point back at the tail.
More meat breeds consist of the Spanish, Kiko, Savanna, and Myotonic. The Spanish derives from Spain and is a slightly smaller goat. Spanish goats are known for their hardiness. Another meat goat is the Kiko which comes from New Zealand. Kikos are used for minimalist farms where the goats can survive harsh climates and conditions. They require less maintenance and are easy kidders. Some Kiko does are milked and are said to have a high butterfat content. An often looked over meat breed is the Savanna or Savannah, which comes from South Africa and shares a few similarities to the Boer. This goat is known for it's short white coat, adaptability, easy care, hardiness like the Spanish goat, and meat production of the Boer. The Myotonic goat is known for is "fainting" tendencies. Not to be mixed up with the Fainting goat, myotonic goats are bred for meat production and have the highest meat to bone ratio out of any other breed of goat: 4:1. Myotonic goats can come in all sizes and colors. Myotonic goats do not usually jump fences due to their risk of having a "fainting" spurt. Myotonic goats are very prolific and twins and triplets are common.
Dual Purpose Goats
A star choice for small homesteads are Kinder (pronounce “i” like children) goats. The goats are a half/half cross of Nubian and Pygmy. That makes these goats dual-purpose for both milk and meat. They will produce one to four quarts of milk per day during lactation with a 5.5%-7% butterfat content making great tasting milk and more yummy cheese. Unlike most goat breeds that have a 1:1 pound of milk to pound of cheese produced, Kinder goats have a 1:2 milk to cheese ratio. These goats also have fabulous meat production under their small framed build. At six months at 50lb live weight there will be 30lb dress out at 60% dress out rate. If you butcher at the age of 14 months when the kids are 80lb there will be 50lb dress out at 63% dress out rate. These goats grow fast and are climate tolerant. Since they have a smaller build they will also take less space and feed. They are goats and will also prefer brush and weeds to grassy pasture. These goats tend to have a sweeter disposition, though they may be just as talkative as Nubians.
A good option for large families that want a dual-purpose goat is to cross breed a meat goat and a dairy goat. We have decided on the La Mancha and the Myotonic. When you cross breed goats you can keep to separate breeds (two La Mancha does bred to a Myotonic buck) and sell or butcher the off spring (La Tonic kids {I made up the name haha}). Keep in mind that when you cross breed, you may get hybrid vigor where you will get the best traits from the parents, or you may lose parts of milk and meat production in the offspring.
Mini Goats