Hi, im new here and i was wondering if you could tell me what to look for why buying a goat. I will use it for milking but i dont see mating on the horison. Can you people give me some help on this. Please email me your tips(lizzy090985@hotmail.com) if you can rather than posting them here. Thanking you in advance Lizzy

-- Lizzy (lizzy090985@hotmail.com), July 23, 2002

Answers

To get milk a goat must be bred. She produces milk for her kids not us humans. Dairy type goats come into heat in the fall when you will have to take her to a buck to be bred. Gestation is five months. Then she will kid (usually twins) and will stay in milk for about nine or ten months. You will need to milk her twice a day. You then let her dry up to give her body a little rest before you breed her again in the fall and start all over again. This is the usual course of action. As to what to look for: first find a goat person who knows what they are doing and you can trust. They will be the one you turn to when things go wrong or you have simple questions. Find out the goat's breed, try milking her if she is in milk or find out how her dam produced if the goat is still a kid. The American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) has a great website that descibes how a dairy goat should look. Ask why the person is selling the goat. You really should consider getting two goats, as they are herd animals and get very anxious and noisy if all by themselves. Read books, websites, check 4H clubs, but most of all find a mentor.

-- Kristine Taylor (kristylr@pacbell.net), July 24, 2002.

Listen to Kristine. We started out just buying around the neighborhood. Now were smarter and have an idea what we want. TAKE SOMEONE WITH EXPERENCE WITH YOU. It would have saved us a lot of work.

-- bergy (bbergbower@hotmail.com), July 24, 2002.

Welcom Lizzy, Make sure you have the dairy goat tested for Leptospira and Brucellosis before you purchase. Leptospira you can vaccinate for but you want to make sure they do not have any desease that is communicable to humans. I didn't know you should have the goats tested before drinking the milk. I know now not to buy from local markest, a registered breeder is worth the money and saved time. We are looking at 6 weeks before we will be able to drink our does milk.

Good luck and do some research before you purchase. Breeds have their advantages. I strongly agree that you take a goat person or a vet with you. This is a great forum and a wonderful resource.

-- SeattleGirl (roongoddess@yahoo.com), July 24, 2002.