I'm sittin' on the fence here....goat vs cow
- Thread starter miss_thenorth
- Start date
freemotion
Food Guru
So, all you goat-crazy people who skim cream....I just cannot see the cream line on my goat's milk. I store it in clear glass jars and bottles, and I can see the cream when I pour it because it clings to the glass at the top, but I cannot see the line to skim or drain.
Tell me more.
I will be building my cheese press this weekend, hopefully.
Tell me more.
I will be building my cheese press this weekend, hopefully.
Carolyn
Power Conserver
What kind of goats do you have? It also depends on the individual goat--some goats don't have as much, but we always have some cream on top. Some say it depends on feed as well as breed. With Bettys milk, we were using a friends separator. The tea jar does work, but of course the separator is the best.
Carolyn
Power Conserver
Oh I do have a horse also
. He is a paint gelding and I think part percheron. . I do love my horse as well. Carolyn
. He is a paint gelding and I think part percheron. . I do love my horse as well. Carolyn
freemotion
Food Guru
You tell me what she is! Boer/Alpine/Togg? I take a bit less than a gallon a day from her, she offered more early on, but she is still too thin, so I measure when I milk and just take two quarts AM and PM.
Carolyn
Power Conserver
What is she fed? Alfalfa hay or pellets? She is giving up her calories to milk, we add beet pulp, a few black oil sunflower seeds (boss) and a little calf mana or something similiar to oats. I think it is 1 lb of feed for every 2 lbs of milk she produces--guys am I right here? We put them in the stand, let them eat until done, unless there are more than one to milk. put one in each stand and milk them one at a time while they eat--so we jsut fill the pan and let them eat unless they do lose a little weight, then let them eat a little extra while we finish up. We had some crossbreeds, but most of them were Snubians. I had one Togg and a couple of Alpines, but I really like my Mini Nubians and Nubians the best., but everyone has their favorite. Carolyn
freemotion
Food Guru
She was rescued and dangerously thin in late December, had the one big buckling in the picture who didn't make it. She gained some weight and runs and plays a bit with the others now. I only let her out for an hour or two once or twice a day, as there isn't much to eat yet in the pasture and the other two are obese! So she is kept inside with the best food at all times in her stall.
She is getting all the mixed alfalfa hay she wants at all times, and about 4 lbs alfalfa pellets a day. At milking, her food is 2 handfuls of beet pulp soaked in warm water (she won't eat any more than this, I've tried), a half cup of sunflower seeds, two double handfuls to a full quart of sprouted barley (depending on how far along the sprouts are, if just barely, she gets a bit less and will get digestive enzymes and probiotics or she gets "dog poo." If the sprouts are getting to the grass stage, she gets more, and tolerates them quite well.) I add veggie scraps from preparing our supper, and 2 cut up carrots as well. For example, tonight for veggies she got the two carrots, about a cup of carrot peels and trimmings, about 1.5 cups brocolli trimmings, and an apple core. Last night it was the two carrots and the skins of an acorn squash with some squash still on it along with the squash seeds.
And she gets half the alfalfa pellets, two pounds, at milking time.
It actually took me a while of experimenting to get this combination that she will eat and won't give her dog poo.
I am really hoping that with pasture she will fatten up a bit. If she isn't in much better condition by fall, I will give her the year off.
Sorry for the hijack, miss_thenorth. Another thought in your decision-making, if something goes wrong, goats are much cheaper to replace than a cow!
She is getting all the mixed alfalfa hay she wants at all times, and about 4 lbs alfalfa pellets a day. At milking, her food is 2 handfuls of beet pulp soaked in warm water (she won't eat any more than this, I've tried), a half cup of sunflower seeds, two double handfuls to a full quart of sprouted barley (depending on how far along the sprouts are, if just barely, she gets a bit less and will get digestive enzymes and probiotics or she gets "dog poo." If the sprouts are getting to the grass stage, she gets more, and tolerates them quite well.) I add veggie scraps from preparing our supper, and 2 cut up carrots as well. For example, tonight for veggies she got the two carrots, about a cup of carrot peels and trimmings, about 1.5 cups brocolli trimmings, and an apple core. Last night it was the two carrots and the skins of an acorn squash with some squash still on it along with the squash seeds.
And she gets half the alfalfa pellets, two pounds, at milking time.
It actually took me a while of experimenting to get this combination that she will eat and won't give her dog poo.
I am really hoping that with pasture she will fatten up a bit. If she isn't in much better condition by fall, I will give her the year off.
Sorry for the hijack, miss_thenorth. Another thought in your decision-making, if something goes wrong, goats are much cheaper to replace than a cow!
FarmerChick
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Hey Missmiss_thenorth said:
it seems since you don't have fencing for a goat, don't want to pay to refence to keep them in (which is alot of money, I sure know fencing costs...lol)
your basis was land size.....but in the end I think you do have enough space for a small cow definitely.
So conclusion for me is cow if you really want one...LOL-LOL
enjoy the ride
Sufficient Life
I do not milk so can't comment on either but I know someone that had a dexter and even though a lot smaller than a regular Holstein type cow, she was still bigger than a large pony. She tore up their ground alot. But the real sinker for my friend was that she would have to haul her miles away to get her bred.
The nice thing about goats is that you can breed a dairy type to a meat type for both milk and meat.
I have read that a lot of dairy goat people dry lot their does anyway as they have to be brought in twice a day for milking and it's too much trouble to get them out of a field each day and clean them up.
BTW people who say they love horses but don't have one simply don't know the depth of passion that runs in some other people. I can remember huddling under layers of blankets in my cruddy first apartment eating a constant diet of boxed mac and cheese in order to keep my one horse at a boarding stable. Not having a horse has never been an option- I would sacrifice everything up to losing my house to keep my retired girls. Not practical but passion does not count cost.
Additionally- I have seen some lovely Jersy cows that were fairly small- an they have, in general, wonderful dispostions- they were always called the family cow breed. They have high butterfat sontent. I was not impressed with the dexters- for a dual purpose cow, I suppose they needed all that meat but a beautiful Jersy is a glorious creature.
The nice thing about goats is that you can breed a dairy type to a meat type for both milk and meat.
I have read that a lot of dairy goat people dry lot their does anyway as they have to be brought in twice a day for milking and it's too much trouble to get them out of a field each day and clean them up.
BTW people who say they love horses but don't have one simply don't know the depth of passion that runs in some other people. I can remember huddling under layers of blankets in my cruddy first apartment eating a constant diet of boxed mac and cheese in order to keep my one horse at a boarding stable. Not having a horse has never been an option- I would sacrifice everything up to losing my house to keep my retired girls. Not practical but passion does not count cost.
Additionally- I have seen some lovely Jersy cows that were fairly small- an they have, in general, wonderful dispostions- they were always called the family cow breed. They have high butterfat sontent. I was not impressed with the dexters- for a dual purpose cow, I suppose they needed all that meat but a beautiful Jersy is a glorious creature.
