Goat people......Should I buy it??? Should I????

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Well, I came home with the doeling. I went with plans to get the doe and have two to milk, but the owner graciously allowed me to sit around and chat and play with all the animals, which I did for over an hour on our first gorgeous day this year. I didn't like the matriarch that much, and she was rather poky with her horns, rather than butting to get her opinion across, she would hook with her very sharp horns. I then noticed daughter, my prospective doe, doing the same thing only milder. Baby came out and played with us quite sociably and is disbudded. She won.

He is breeding miniature dairy goats, and tells me that I can breed to his Nig/Pygmy buck for a miniature Nubian. I do like the idea of the first breeding being to a tiny little buck for tiny little baby or babies. So I will likely take him up on it, which will solve my buck problem for another year. Then I can plan properly and get one next spring along with a whether, and move them right into a ready LARGE pen with a snug and sturdy shelter.

On the other hand, I may still look at the kids that are due at the end of May from that other place, the one with the Togg buckling. The doe is bred to the Toggenburg buck, and she is a small little deer-like creature. Then I can also get a good look at her udder.

Watch for my next goat thread, help with my new baby!

 

[Carolyn]

Minis are a Nigerian Dwarf bred to a full sized doe. A pygmy buck bred to a Nubian doe is a Kinder. I have no idea what any other breed that a pygmy breeds is called. That was a good idea to sit, visit and watch the goats for a while. I had Kinders one year when my brothers pygmy came up, crawled over my fence and bred my Nubian doe. I now have 4 Mini (2nd and 3rd generation) Nubian does and 3 full sized Nubian does. We just got the papers back on the buck, so I will have to check what gen he is--I think 2nd gen. The first breeding of the cross may be born small, but often don't stay as small. It can take a couple of generations. You will have a good time with your little girl . Congratulations.

 

[Carolyn]

check out Echo Hills Farm and Green Gables for to see some nice mini Nubians. My girls came from Hearts N Dixie--she doesnt' have her website up any longer, but the orginal stock came from Echo Hills Farm and she bought Godiva, Cookie Boy and Indian Boy from Marla at Hearts N Dixie. I have Indian Boy's dam ( Shoofly Pie)and Apache--full sister to Indian Boy and daughter of Shoofly Pie. I am wheeling and dealing for a doe out of Green Gables. Someone bought the does from Green Gables, one of the does kidded, but they sold 2 and kept on one the doe, now the lady wants a milkers price, but lets her 11 yr old milk and really has no idea how much milk she gives. Unless I have decent milk records, not gonna pay a milkers price. Well check out the sites, we love our minis. Carolyn

 

[Carolyn]

When you consider a buck, be sure you get something that has good milk lines behind him--I know that Nigerian Dwarf is Dairy--I am not sure if I am right, but I think that Pygmy is a meat goat although there are people that say their Pygmies are good milkers. When times get tougher-- and it might get really tough-no one really knows. Personally I would want to have kids that would develop into good milkers (does) or produce good milkers (bucks) or a goat that produces meat, not something that is right inbetween and not good for anything. If things get tough, people will want a couple of good milkers, doesn't really matter if the goats are crossbred or not, not pets. We do not keep a goat that doesn't milk at a least a gallon a day as a second freshener. My FF minis started out at 6 1/2 lbs a day (3 qts +), Apache was at 2 qts a day, but very small, she has grown and I am hoping that she will follow her dams footprints. Shoofly not only freshened at 6 1/2 lbs a day, but milked for 18 months, so although I wouldn't have problem selling her kids (I always have a waiting list for good milkers kids), I don't have to worry about it. We are staggering our breeding so we have year around milk. will be waiting to hear more about your goats. .

 

[freemotion]

Check out the other thread I started, "Newly adopted doeling" for some updates! Pictures later!

 

[Carolyn]

I was looking for the new posts about the little girl--how is she? She was young to be weaned--did I miss something somewhere. Carolyn

 

[freemotion]

See http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2272 for the continuing saga.....