Alpine/Nubian mix goats available on CL

[FarmerDenise]

What do you guys think. I am trying to talk SO into getting a couple of doe kids. These are supposed to be 2-4 weeks old and the ad says they will need to be bottle fed. They are asking $45 each for the does.
They are in our area, so will be easy to go and pick up. Our house sits on 1 acre and we already have the chickens, dog and rabbit. We also have fruit trees and grow assorted crops on most of the property.

I really want my own unpasturized milk!!
We also think it would be nice to have them help us keep the weeds down in winter. We don't get rain here in the summer, so we would need to supplement their feed in the summer and possibly take them other places to graze.
I know that you cannot have just one goat. So I am thinking of getting 2. The neighbors have 2 wethers. So there would possibly more goat company. But we prefer to keep our animals seperate from the neighbors.
Since we really do survive on what we grow and process, we need to really think this through. We are already very busy with what we do. And I might end up getting a job, or not

 

[freemotion]

Well, of course, I am going to say...go for it!!! Just don't take them if they are on their mama's now as it is a nightmare to get them on a bottle, no matter what anyone says, DON'T DO IT!!! If they have been bottle fed from birth, go for it. If not, put a deposit and arrange to pick them up at two months old. That is a great price. Is there a picture we can see?

 

[FarmerDenise]

Here is the listing

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/grd/1622571231.html

And thanks for the advice.

 

[freemotion]

Oh, poop, they must've been sold. The posting was deleted. Rats.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Rats I guess it wasn't meant to be.

 

[ksalvagno]

Alpine/Nubian will end up being a pretty big goat. You may want to consider smaller goats. Oberhasli is usually on the smaller side and then there are the Nigerian Dwarfs. Do you care if they eat your fruit trees? I can guarantee they will if they have access. At least a smaller goat couldn't get to as much. Not wanting to dissuade you from getting goats, of course.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

how's about if you get a doe in milk -- and a whether to be her little friend? the doe will be more expensive (around here about $200) but you wouldnt have to feed her for a year before you say the pay off. if you have to supplement feed you may as well get some benefits immediately. the cost to feed two little ones for a year (plus a buck fee to breed them) is probably worth the extra you'd pay for a milking goat.

we love our lamanchas - our full sized gal is small, extremely efficient in her feed to mix ratio, and easy easy easy.

and yep - before you jump in, hop right over to tractor supply and get electric fence to keep them goaties out of your garden and away from your trees.

go goaties! yay for you!

 

[freemotion]

Unless you will be a cheesemaking fanatic like me....one large goat is not enough, two is more like it!

 

[FarmerDenise]

I heard back from the goat dairy today. They have lamancha crosses about to kid and some alpines. They want to know what breed I want.
Remember our whole property is only one acre. And we do have fruit trees, the chickens and use 3/4 of our field for our crops in the summer. We plan on fencing of 1/4 of the field to be summer pasture for the goats and chickens. Then switch things around for the winter. The critters go into the larger yard and we grow our winter garden in the newly vacated summer pasture.
I like the idea of maybe getting one doe and one wether. Would it affect the tate of the milk?
I am still very much on the fence about this, since this will be a serious financial and time commitment.

 

[Blackbird]

No, a wether won't affect the taste. When bucks go into rut they give off that nasty smell, since a wether has no.. jewels, there really is no rut season. They will smell the same as the doe, which is a pretty neutral smell to begin with.