Why are dairy goats so important to the Dairy industry?
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Question by Benduker: Why are dairy goats so important to the Dairy industry?
I am doing a speech on Dairy Goats, and I was wondering: Why are goats so important to the Dairy industry…What would we do without them?
Serious answers only please
Feel free to answer in the comment section below
5 Responses to Why are dairy goats so important to the Dairy industry?
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Trouble is, goats milk is not so important compared with cows milk.
Goats milk is used for milk, cream and cheese. Milk has benefits as it has low lactose so its suitable for people who can’t take cows milk. It has low cholesterol so it is healthier in general.
There are some distinctive cheeses made from goats milk.
It used to go into baby formula milk but I think this has now stopped.
Peter K
October 8, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Because how else would Disney make any films?
offlicence
October 8, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Historically, dairy goats have been important to the dairy industry because they can subsist, and produce milk, on forage that is insufficient or of such poor quality that it can’t support cattle. Goats can also graze on steep hillsides and in areas where cattle are unable to go, enabling dairy culture to evolve and be sustained in areas where cattle cannot be raised.
Without goats, dairy culture (i.e., the acceptance and use of milk and milk products as a staple food) would have been much more confined than it is.
Modern day, goats continue in many third-world countries to offer an economical source of milk protein in areas where cattle cannot be raised.
Karin C
October 8, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Without goats you would not have any goat products Like goats milk and cheese. I would certainly miss the cheese!
Rachel
October 8, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Dairy goats are very personable, hardy, and a very rewarding animal. They are often preferred by people who strive for a self sustaining life. A female goat is called a Doe. A male goat is called a Buck. If the male goat is castrated it is called a whether.
Goats milk
It is the most consumed milk in the World.
More people drink the milk of goats than any other single animal in the world. Does are milked by hand or machine.
Goat milk has a more easily digestible fat and protein content than cow milk. It is more recommend for baby humans and animals. The glycerol ethers are much higher in goat than in cow milk which appears to be important for the nutrition of a nursing newborn.
Goat milk can successfully replace cow milk in diets of those who are allergic to cow milk.
Many dairy goats, in their prime, average 6 to 8 pounds of milk daily (roughly 3 to 4 quarts) during a ten-month lactation, giving more soon after freshening and gradually dropping in production toward the end of their lactation. The milk generally averages 3.5 percent butterfat. A doe may be expected to reach her heaviest production during her third or fourth lactation.
Feeding
Dairy goats need a good supply of roughage. Alfalfa hay is the most use choice for the basic nutrition Kids and bucks need a balanced grain ration and milkers should be fed a standard dairy grain ration. Kids are milk fed until two to three months of age, but should be consuming forages such as pasture grass or hay by two weeks of age and grain within four. All dairy goats should have loose minerals in a container that is free for them to lick whenever they want. Also fresh clean water is important. Dairy goats are very particular about the cleanliness of their food. There are a naturally curious and may lead them to investigate newly found items by sniffing and nibbling, but they quickly refuse anything that is dirty or distasteful.
Housing
Dairy goats adapt well in all climates. They do not need elaborate housing, but do require clean, dry, well ventilated, draft free shelter. They need at least 15 square feet of bedded area for each goat. The pasture area should be a minimum of 25 square feet of space per animal, well-drained and properly fenced. Dairy goats have a strong herd instinct and prefer the companionship of at least one other goat.
Bucks should be kept in separate quarters away from milking does.
Other products- goat cheese and chedder.
People are drawn to the vibrant tangy flavors found only in goat cheese. Great goat cheeses capture the essence of their native pastures and often exhibit fresh flavors such as of thyme tarragon rosemary lemongrass and pine.
goat milk is used in the preparation of body soap.
Maverick
October 8, 2011 at 6:15 pm