I am looking into/wanting to get a couple of ND for milk purposes withing the next year to three years, but first I want to become very knowledgeable about them first. I have no experience with goats. Only horses, dogs, and rabbits. I have been scouring the net and have seen pictures of them with slick short coats and some with long fiber. Is this two different kinds or just ones that have been sheared. If I am going to have to shear, I think that I would prefer the Light Nigora and at least try to do something with the fleece. Anyone know if they would make good milkers as well. Also, typically how much land does one ND need to browse, or how many could typically be kept on an acre?
Also are there any farms near NE Arkansas or NW Arkansas?
Thanks
James
Replies
Regardless of pet needs, if you have any intentions of milking, you should work to get the best possible milking lines you can afford. Pasture rotation is becoming more and more popular for goats, but remember that goats are actually browsers, and not grazing animals. You might want to do some research into planting your fields with "goat" variety. I know I've seen discussions on things along these lines on line... not sure where. It was in Googling for goat browse I think. No matter how great your milking lines, the amount of "pet" you get will be directly determined by how much time you put into your goats. The more time you spend with them, the more friendly they get. :)
One option you might consider, is purchasing a milking goat that is pregnant or has a doeling with her from a buck with good milking lines (as a package deal) this will allow you to jump right into milking, and start growing your herd slowly. IMO it's a nice way to start out with production, and ease into what goat keeping will mean for you. I think everyone has different needs, and expectations, and even the best advice will need to be modeled to fit into your life. Remember when you're shopping, that a buck's mother directly impacts the milk production that his offspring will have. It's 1/2 of the milking equation, and it's often overlooked when people choose their does.
Thanks
What I am looking at is dividing and rotating pasture and feeding the least that I can. Most of the hay in my area is fescue, and from what I am reading isn't great for the goats? I am not interested in showing at all, just want some pet milkers, for lack of a better description, for milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter if it's possible out of goat milk . Also, would need to try to sell kids, as I don't want to get things out of hand.
Goats are clipped for showing, and even though we no longer show, we try to get our goats clipped for pictures. You can't see anything in a photo of a goat that is in full coat. They could have excellent/horrible conformation, and you wouldn't know if you're looking at one that's hairy. Goats are clipped using dog clippers, NOT sheep shears, which are scary sharp and can cause serious cuts, even in the hands of someone experienced.
I don't have experience with Nigoras, however, if you want max amount of milk, you should go for NDs from good milking lines. Angoras are not good milkers, and that's what the Nigie is crossed with, so I can't imagine that you could find a Nigora that could come anywhere close to the production of a good Nigerian.
The answer to your land question is really long. Depending upon how many goats you want to have (how much milk you want), and how much hay you want to feed, you could go a couple different directions with fencing, rotational grazing, etc. There are a lot of threads on this site already that explore those options.
I don't personally know anyone in Arkansas that raises Nigerians, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. Depending upon how serious you are about milk, however, it's very important that you buy from someone who milks their goats and knows what they're capable of producing. There are people who just raise NDs for pets (because of their small size), and it's a crap shoot as to whether or not you'll get a good milker from one of them. You might need to go a bit beyond your area to find good quality stock. I'm in Illinois, but I never bought a goat in Illinois because there weren't any serious breeders here when I got started.