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Author Topic: What's a good breed of goat for milking?  (Read 14274 times)

Offline JoelinGA

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #20 on: August 29, 2008, 08:02:43 pm »
Does the diet of the goat have any effect on the taste of the milk?

Reason asking, the field we are getting back into use is REALLY grown over with god knows what. So plan is to get the goats to clear it up a bit so I can get in with a wood chipper and open up some space to plant grass or what not.

Also, what's the best way to separate a billy from the rest? We have this one big field, should I section off a corner and make that the "billy area"?

Offline mtman1849

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #21 on: August 29, 2008, 08:08:17 pm »
I would go with Nubian, And someone said eailer fresh cows milk o my kingdom for a gallon of fresh cows milk,  Homemade butter and buttermilk :-P

Offline poka-bee

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #22 on: August 30, 2008, 12:58:59 pm »
JoelinGA, yes the diet can change the taste of the milk, you will just have to figure out what plants they eat you don't like. Separating the billy from the does is a must in my opinion.  The billy smells so bad that if he even brushes up against the does they will smell too & milking & handling won't be pleasant :-P.  They pee on their beards & rub it on the does...one of the most disgusting animals I have ever been around!!  ewwww! You will have to make a high, non climb STURDY fence.  They will go under, over & through to be where they want to be.  If he has horns he can lift hotwire with them :-x to get under so make sure its tight & close to the fence & posts.  Good luck!  I will have fresh cows milk next summer :-D mnnn, fresh butter & might even try simple cheese, wonder how hard it is to make fresh mozzarella?  It's so good on baguette with fresh pesto & tomato slice..oh my, I can't wait!!  :lol: Jody
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #23 on: August 31, 2008, 01:21:32 am »
JoelinGA, yes the diet can change the taste of the milk, you will just have to figure out what plants they eat you don't like. Separating the billy from the does is a must in my opinion.  The billy smells so bad that if he even brushes up against the does they will smell too & milking & handling won't be pleasant :-P.  They pee on their beards & rub it on the does...one of the most disgusting animals I have ever been around!!  ewwww! You will have to make a high, non climb STURDY fence.  They will go under, over & through to be where they want to be.  If he has horns he can lift hotwire with them :-x to get under so make sure its tight & close to the fence & posts.  Good luck!  I will have fresh cows milk next summer :-D mnnn, fresh butter & might even try simple cheese, wonder how hard it is to make fresh mozzarella?  It's so good on baguette with fresh pesto & tomato slice..oh my, I can't wait!!  :lol: Jody

Definite must, seperate billy from nannies if you want to drink the milk, unless you like beer.   Beer tastes like pee, at least it used to back in the days I still drank beer and had a sense of taste.
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Offline MarkF

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #24 on: August 31, 2008, 04:05:17 pm »
Here is a good website on making Mozzarella cheese,  looks pretty easy.


http://www.leeners.com/mozzarella.html
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Offline poka-bee

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #25 on: September 01, 2008, 01:46:35 pm »
Thanks Mark, doesn't look like rocket science!  I can taste it now! :-D  Jody
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Offline Cindi

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #26 on: September 03, 2008, 12:33:40 pm »
Mtn1849.  That be me that said, oh my kingdom for some fresh cow's milk, I still say that.  I am seriously and more seriously thinking of getting a milk cow that will calf next spring, so I can have that fresh cow's milk.  Ooops, kind of off topic here.  I am green with envy with Jody getting that cow  ;) :) :) :), the taste of the fresh milk, all the products that can be made with the cream, particularly ice cream.....beautiful day in this great life.  Cindi
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Offline Melilem

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #27 on: October 08, 2008, 01:50:08 pm »
We had a saanan, she was adorable. They are heavy milk producers, and she had a sweet temperment. There are other breeds with more creamy milk though. Don't know about that- I am a cow milk kind of girl.

Offline ArmucheeBee

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #28 on: September 24, 2009, 10:18:06 pm »
Joelin

Did you ever get milk goats after this post?  I'm interested too.  I'm in Rome so I'd like to know a breeder/supplier too.
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Offline LSBees

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #29 on: October 20, 2009, 11:47:41 am »
We are using Alipnes for milking, so fat they have been graet however we are just starting off.

Offline VolunteerK9

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Re: What's a good breed of goat for milking?
« Reply #30 on: October 20, 2009, 12:27:27 pm »
AS far as my personal preference, it would be an alpine. As mentioned in a previous post, Nubians are way to vocal for me (seems as if they never run out of things to say at the top of their lungs). My alpine doe consistently produced 1 gallon of milk every day.  The tricks I found to eliminating any off tastes in the milk was after straining, to place the fresh milk into the freezer in order to drop the temperature as quickly as possible and to remove all wild onions from your paddock :)