Goat information will be posted here regarding herdsmanship, management, and product production

For those new to goats

There are eight dairy goat breeds as recognized by the American Dairy Goat Association:
Alpine, LaMancha, Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen, Sable, and Toggenburg. Click on the breed(s) that interest you for more information or review the ADGA Breed Standards.

Some advantages of goat ownership:
*Goats are excellent producers of delicious, naturally homogenized milk. Consumed by most of the world’s population, goat milk is lower in cholesterol than cow’s milk, and the milk can be enjoyed as a fresh beverage or converted into wonderful cheese, butter, ice cream or yogurt.
·*Goat meat is a lean, low cholesterol red meat.
·*Hides can be used for leather products.
·*Goat manure and used bedding make valuable organic fertilizer.
·*Being natural browsers, goats can help clean up unwanted or excess vegetation.
·*Since goats are smaller than most livestock, they require less space and simple housing.
·*Goats are hardy, strong and cooperative. They can be trained to pull a cart or to carry a backpack.
·*Since they mature early, goats can be in production by their first birthday.
·*Goats are clean, friendly and fun to be around and make ideal companions.

Dairy Goat Terms:
Buck — An uncastrated male goat
Doe — An adult female goat
Kids — Baby goats, may also be called bucklings or doelings to denote their sex
Wether — A castrated male goat. If done before puberty, a wether makes a very nice pet and does not develop male characteristics.
Polled — Naturally hornless
Disbud — To remove the horn buttons on very young kids before they have had time to develop Dehorn — To remove the horns from a goat after they have had time to grow or the animal is mature. Horned goats are not allowed at shows
Freshening — Giving birth and beginning to produce milk
Lactation — The time during which a doe is producing milk. Most breeders strive to have their does in milk ten months a year, with two months off for maternity leave.
Registered — Qualified and recorded on the basis of pedigree (purebred or full-blooded) and breed characteristics
Recorded Grade — A non-purebred doe recorded with the American Dairy Goat Association. She can be shown and used in a program of upgrading. This doe may have one purebred parent or both purebred but different breeds, or she may be recorded as Native On Appearance if she conforms to a breed standard, or Native on Performance if she meets or exceeds the minimum milk or butterfat requirements while on official milk test.
Star — (milker or buck) Earned by a doe if she meets or exceeds the minimum milk or butterfat requirements while on official DHIR test or an official one-day milking competition. A number in front of the star indicates how many consecutive generations of does in her line have earned stars. Bucks inherit their stars from their parents.

Interesting Facts About Dairy Goats

Dairy Goat Management Calendar

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