I need goat help/advice/information!

[Duker17]

I've been trying to sell one of my horses all year with no luck. It seems that absolutely no one is willing to pay for a horse with cash right now. So, I put an ad on craigslist offering to trade her for numerous things, one being dairy goats. I've gotten several responses this time, mostly wanting to trade for other horsess, but this morning a lady with goats emailed me saying she may be interested in a trade. Problem is, I know nothing about goats! Well, maybe not nothing, but not enough to feel like I can make an educated decision about this.

This is the email:
Hi,
I may be interested in this horse for my daughter. I have Nubian dairy goats from Blissberry and Lakshore lines I could trade. I also have a beautiful Alpine and Sable bottle babies just born last week with outstanding lineage. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks!

My mare is priced at either $800 or $1000, depending on how lucky I'm feeling that day, but in a good horse economy she is easily worth double that at least. She is very well-broke and beginner safe. So, some of my questions are: how much would goats like this be worth? Which should I trade for, or a combination? (I'm assuming she is willing to trade for more than one goat, at least I hope!) What do I look for in a good dairy goat?

Yesterday I went to the library and noticed they had just gotten in a book about raising dairy goats, so I checked it out....looks like I will be reading that today!!

Thanks for your help!

ETA: Will I be able to keep goats with horses, or will they need to be separate? I have 4 strand electric fence currently, and I know goats can be escape artists, what would you recommend?

 

[Wannabefree]

It really depends on what you want. Nubians have high butter fat in their milk. Alpines produce a lot. Sable is just an Alpine of a different color. I would have to see the goats myself. You want to ask about milk production, check udders and teats for ease of milking. Find out if any are currently in milk or not, the ones who are are worth more. You have to ask yourself what you're willing to let go as well. Myself, I would trade three goats for a horse. I would be willing to accept a lower deal though if necessary because the goats produce something for the family on a regular basis. Horses do if you don't use machinery, but otherwise they cost ALOT more to raise than goats! I'm guessing these goats are registered too by her knowing the lines, but they may not be. Ask about that too. Another advantage to the goats is you can sell off one if money gets tight, and still have goats for milk. The value of the goats no matter the breed and quality depends highly on your area. However, milk goats are all the rage now, whereas you can't hardly give away horses at the moment, and that's everywhere. I'd personally jump at the chance to trade and consider it trading up.

Running the goats and horses together is a good thing, and sounds like you have a great setup in place already for them. The goats browse, and don't eat a lot of grass like horses do. They will eat the weeds and other usually unwanted things out of the pasture and improve the grass for your horses, so running them together is a win/win for you and the animals. Electric fencing is really what you want for goats, and four strands sounds like plenty to deter their escape attempts.

If/when you get them we NEEEEEEEEEEEED pics! I hope this helps you and answers all your questions

 

[Duker17]

Thank you so much for the reply, I'm definitely looking at this as a good trade!

What equipment would I need? Do you have to supplement their diet with grain or is hay/pasture enough?

We drink raw (holstein) milk now, how does goat milk compare in taste?

 

[Wannabefree]

They need hay in the winter. They'll need minerals too, loose minerals are sold at feed stores and the loose are better than the block IMO. Basically you'll need a good dry stall, some hoof trimmers, and possibly a stanchion if you're gonna milk them. Grain is pretty much optional unless they're lactating and need the extra. Mine get it when they're pregnant, when I'm milking, and sometimes when winter is hard on them. They get hay daily in the winter, and next to none in the summer when there is plenty of forage. They ALWAYS get their minerals though.

As long as you don't run a buck with your does, the milk tastes just like cow milk to me. I've had both raw, one glass of cow milk, then one glass of goat milk, and the only difference is if you let the cow milk sit for a few minutes the cream rises and you can SEE the difference Goat milk has just a smidge of a texture difference since the cream is in it. It's a bit thicker texture. There is no "real" taste difference though. If I hadn't known the difference I would not have been able to tell which was which and I have a pretty sensitive palate and grew up on cows milk. I'm a picky eater. I've been known to quit going to my favorite restaurant because they changed the cheese...I still get picked at over that one I have no idea why some say it tastes so much different unless it's just in their head. I have heard it is because of the buck stank tainting the milk, and if it tastes anything like it smells......yeah I'd think that would be pretty funky