What is the best dairy goat to get?
Question by Melly: What is the best dairy goat to get?
I know breeds such as Alpine, Oberhasli, Saaen, and Toggenburg are good but which is the best?? I will be showing this goat as well.
I was also wondering if a Nigerian Dwarf was a good choice.
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
3 Responses to What is the best dairy goat to get?
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It depends on what you want. Each has a different milk, in matter of levels of butterfat and whatnot, and each produces different amounts. You might also want to take into condition where you live- Although goats tend to be hardy anyways, if you lived in, say, a northern state you might want a goat like the Toggenburg, that is a tad more suited to the chill.
Another thing you might want to take into consideration is availability. Look around- see what breeds have breeders near you, and see which of those breeders have the highest quality kids, how they place in shows. Also, the rarer breeds may cost more- how much more depends.
But really, when it comes to show, the breed shouldn’t matter. He will probably be against those of the same breed.
As for a Nigerian Dwarf- Well, it’s your choice. It might be the right one, especially if you might not have the time, space, or need (Milk-wise) to deal with multiple full-sized goats. However, if you plan to sell the milk for a profit, you might want a full-sized one. However, Nigerian Dwarfs are nice because they, unlike some milking breeds like the Saaen, are dual-purpose- so, yes, they might not produce as much milk. But having Dairy goats involves them having kids- and the male kids will likely end off on a dinner plate, so them being more like a meat goat won’t hurt too much.
Alice K
May 28, 2012 at 4:40 am
ok ok. first of all a nigerian IS NOT a meat breed. it is a DAIRY GOAT! As stated, it all depends on what you want, your needs, and availability.. here’s my opinion.
If your budget is tight.. nigerian. they don’t eat that much, milk very well.. most of my does will give about 1 1/2 quarts -2 quarts a day. 2 quarts is a half gallon. Nigerians also have the highest butterfat of all the breeds. Also. I have a very large market for nigerian kids. .they are cute, small, and can have blue eyes. i have never had a hard time selling my kids. most of mine are sold before they are even born! And wethers sell very very quickly. FOR PETS NOT MEAT!
Personally i have a place in my heart for nubians and lamanchas as well. which are what i raise. They are totally different personality wise.
What i would do is go to a couple farms with different breeds. look at them. see what YOU like. also.. around here.. if i had saanens, or alpines or toggs. I would not win. I would have kapricorn farms and chery glen to compete with.. which wont’ happen. I stand in line with nubian breeders around here though. my lamanchas do okay. and my nigerians i am usually in the top 3 or 4. but i have only done it 3 years. so i’m not doing bad.
Nubians give around 3/4 of a gallon to 1 1/2 gallons a day. it depends on bloodline. all the other breeds give 2+ usually. but the butterfat is lower. so its up to you.
to see examples
my nubian webiste is http://www.foxfiredairygoats.com you can see color, style, and size.
and my nigerian is http://www.heartsnhooves.com.
i am not advertising! just as an example. I don’t currently have anything for sale anyway..
if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at barehnh@aol.com
I feel I must add, Most breeds do well in cold climates, nigerians do great.. i know a ton of breeders in ME, VT, MA, and their goats do fine. My nubians do fine and i’m in MD. Lamanchas are also very tolerant of cold, nubians do great in heat, being an african derived breed.
Also, not to bash the other answer, but not all breeders like nigerians, i can’t tell you how many times i have won over a large goat with one of my milkers, i have seen breeders storm out of the ring cussing, because my goat won. I personally hate alpines, they are just too “into everything” they are notorious for getting out of gates, but some people wouldn’t have anything else.. i love my nubians, but i can’t tell you how many people truly hate them.
as far as nigerians not being the best choice, it all depends on the bloodlines.. whatever the breed, ask if the parents have been appraised, or put on milk test. and ask if the dam has earned her milk star, if she has been assinged superior genetics. etc. ask about milk records. and so on. but remember just because the mom has a nice udder does not mean the kid will. you will learn what to look for when you start showing.. also when you decide on a breed, let me know what state you live in, and i can direct you to a reputable breeder in your area, that will sell you something you can win with. some people are convinced that just because a goat is registered it is automaticaly show quality.
Also, you can show bucks as well, yes under adga as well. I have several best of breed, and gch wins by my nubian buck.
Also, Not all shows will sanction recorded grades, and personally, I try to stick with purebred.
Also, you will find a lot of people trying to sell you an “american” goat. you do not want that. its not purebred.. they “cheated” so to say a few generations back.. this has been done so much with nubians, its hard to find purebred anymore. Nubians are not known for phenominal udders like alpines or toggs. so they used an alpine or togg or saanen back in the pedigree to improve that. When you really get into showing.. americans are often frowned upon. and in the case of nubians, you seem to really lose that classic nubian look.
You will find once you get showing and breeding, you will see, everyone has their opinion, just stick to what you like, and you will eventually (generations down) develop your own look. like goldthwaite nubians have a certain “style” that i simply love. your goats will get a style that shows your taste.. its very interesting…
Good luck with showing. its a lot of fun!
heartsnhooves
May 28, 2012 at 4:51 am
nigerian dwarfs, i’ve found, aren’t the best for dairy. i show and prefer toggenburgs and alpine. La Manchas, though they look funny , are also a great choice. If you plan to show be sure to check for things such as extra teats, correct, level topline, ears conforming to the breed, hooves that are not too far split, and so forth. you should keep at least 2 goats. one goat will become lonely and spend her days crying incessently.
if you live in a colder region you will want to go with Toggenburgs. I find that when you are showing, my Recorded Grades do AWESOME. I’ve gotten best in show, best of breeds, senior champions and everything else with my grades. most of mine are toggenburg and alpine or tog and nubian. some of my grades produce 2 gallons of milk in each milking session. never skip a day of milking, it will lead to mastitis.
Nubians are also good dairy goats! Signing of for $ -H has many benefits, such as double the prize money, and learning much more about your animals!
Be sure to learn how to properly clip a goat, and know all parts of the anatomy for Fitting and Showmanship classes!
Of course, have a bottle fed Kid will help GREATLY in ownership and showing. they will be much less rammy when showing, and easier to set and handle. they will also not put up a fuss when you are clipping them or tattooing them.
To show dairy goats, you need to have your goat registered with American Dairy Goat Association, and your goat must have registered parents. you can only show does.
please email me at valeriegrace55@yahoo.com for any more questions you have, i’d be more than happy to answer them!
good, luck! hope i helped!
Animal Expert
May 28, 2012 at 4:53 am