[Chipmaker]

Went outside hooked up the trailer to the JD and gathered up the trash to burn, and then decided to wash off the weeks accumulation of dirt and clippings from the tractor and utility trailer. In the process of washing I just happened to catch a glimpse of a shiney watery reflection and a goat that appeared to be drinking from it. It had my curiosity up as there is no liquids in that area the goat was at. I walk over to take a gander and low and behold I find one baby goat already on the ground, with another about 1/2 way out. I call the wife and by the time she got to the goats (she is the "Goat Lady" around here) it was finishing its venture out into the world. Almost imediately out comes another sack and out pops yet another kid. Total surprise for the wife and I. In the end we wound up with 2 very pretty marked little bucks and a tiny pretty doe. I did not expect this doe to be bred as her kids are less than 6 months old that she had last, and she was only exposed to the buck I had for a week or two after her last kidding. She has always been a big fat doe so not much attention was really paid to her. I have another now that I believe is also bred. Usually other than feeding them on occassion this time of year and just a general scan of them in the field, not much care has to be given a goat. So it does appear I have yet another doe thats bred and not all that far off from kidding.

 

[Live Oak]

I suppose congratualtions are in order and maybe a few cigars. In any case glad you got a pleasant surprise and all went well.

 

[Argee]

Do you raise them for meat or dairy...or both??

 

[Chipmaker]

I and the wife do not eat goat meat PERIOD! But we have been known to indulge in dairy products of goats. We have a small Alpine doe (dairy breed) and she supplies us with enough milk to use. The majority of my goats are rasied for meat though, and usually are sold to Latinos, who have a fondness for Chevon (goat meat).

We had at one time a herd of 26 milking Nubian ghoats (Holsteins of the goat world) and sold quite a bit of raw goats milk. It freezes well and keeps for long periods, is rich in butter contents and made great butter and cheeses. But you do have to keep a buck far far away from any milking does unless you want your milk to taste like the buck usually smells! Sometimes like with a dairy cow, you may get off milk due to what they eat, but you can usually tell when your milking them. The nubians we had were a lot of work and if it was not for the state changing its laws on sales of raw unpasturized milk, we probably would still be raising Nubians. Getting 5 to 8 quarts a day per goat was common.

Boer goats (meat type which we have now) resemble Nubians, but have a lot more meat and frame to them and are not all boney looking like a milk cow usually is. I try to raise 7/8 at a minimum of a pure bred boer goat, as that little bit of nubian cross in them make for a great momma in giving lots of milk, and the kids grow off faster. With a Nubian we always let the kids nurse for 2 or three days then took them off momma and fed them excess milk or milk replacer by hand. With a Boer, you let em on the momma until momma weans them.

Image attached is of Pointer and Gwen, both purebred Boer's. Pointer is on the right side and is the one that just had triplets. She is the head herd doe and runs this place. Should really have been a mule as stubborn as she is. I have already had to use the tractor to drag her to a different pasture if she is in oone of her uncooperative moods. Gwen is the one looking over her shoulder. She is also getting ready to have kids shortly, and I would not be afraid to bet it will be another set of triplets with the size she is right now. Boers are typically brown and white, with usually a lot of brown on the head and shoulder areas.