Dairy Goats

 If you have ever thought of starting a hobby farm raising dairy goats, I am going to give you some information on the various breeds
.
Pick the breed whose appearance appeals to you. You'll be looking at your herd at least twice a day when you milk and feed, so you may as well enjoy the view. Whhether you get registered purebreds depends on your purpose in having goats. If you plan on showing them, or hope to get top dollar for your surplus kids, you should have registration papers
.
 Grade goats look like purebreds, but have only one parent that's pure, while the other is of a mixed or unknown ancestry. They are usually cheaper than purebreds, but may give more milk if bred for production rather than appearance. Start with the best goats you can afford to avoid future disappointment in milking and breeding results.

Here is a list of  dairy goats that you might consider. Then you can choose the one that best fits you.

1. Alpine
2. Lamancha
3. Nubian
4. Oberhasli
5. Pygmy
6. Saanen
7. Toggenburg
8. Nigerian Dwarf

I  will start with the Alpine.

You can reconize an Alpine by it's large, angular appearance and long, slender neck. Alpines are a variety of colors and combinations designated by French and Swiss terms such as cou blanc and sundgau. In most, the front quarters are one color and the hindquarters another.
Size and weight: Doe: 30" min. weight 135lbs., Buck: 32" 170lbs.

Nubian:

The Nubian is by far the most popular breed in the United States today. This goat can be recognized by the rounded shape of it's face- called Roman nose- and it's floppy ears. Nubians may be many colors and patterns, but are usually black, tan, or bay(red), sometimes with spots like a painted horse. Nubians can be more restless than other breeds and tend to be more vocal. Their is also a Mini Nubian that is just a smaller version of the full size goat. Size and weight: Does- 30"min weight 135lbs., Buck- 32" weight- 170 lbs.


La Mancha:

The La Mancha is the only totally American goat, having it's own origins on the West Coast. La Manchas can be nearly any color, and are disguished from other breeds by the absence, of external ears. If there is little or no cartlidge, the ear is called " gopher". Bucks used for breeding should have
gopher ears, and to be registered they must. A small ear with a bit of cartlidge is called "elf ". Female
La manchas may have either elf or gopher ears. This is perhaps the most docile breed. Size and weight: Doe- 28" weight-130lbs min., Buck-30" weight- 160lbs.

Oberhasli:

Until 1978, when the Oberhasli were officially recognized as a seperate breed, they were called Swiss Alpines. They come in shades of bay with black markings. Though they are one of the oldest established breeds in Switzerland, there are few of them in the United States. Size and weight: Doe-28"min. weight-120lbs min., Buck- 30"min weight 150lbs min.


These are just four of the dairy goat breeds to consider. I will do a blog on the rest of them in my next post.