Hello All, I am so very excited and the first place I had to come was to the forum to tell you all my exciting news. We bought our place based on the Y2K event that never happened. Well I am just now after a year, meeting my #1 goal. I wanted to have a goat that I could milk. After numberous attempts on inferior goats, I bought a 7 year old Nubian today. She just had babies that the previous owner took away at birth and sold her to me. The owner didn't want her used for breeding anymore and called me to see if I would take her. He said she gives about 2 quarts aday. Well, I just milked her, she has really nice teats and I did it so easily. I got 3/4 of a quart jar and it is delicious. I have never tasted goat milk and I cried when I drank it. It is so creamy. I am really excited. I have reached a goal that I set for myself and it feels so good. I love being a homesteader. What a great life. I had to share it with you here on the forum, I have been lurking and posting alittle for well over a year and feel really close to alot of you even though you don't know it. Okay I have to go send an e-mail to my dad. Have a great night, you know what I will be doing tomorrow morning. Ha Ha Karole

-- Karole (Biz3boymom@aol.com), February 03, 2001

Answers

Hi karole,

CONGRATS!@!! On your new goaite. Isn't goat milk the best. And i bet before long you will be venturing into cheeses and fudge and soap. I raise alpines, but used to raise Nubians yrs ago. Good luck and if you need any help just holler.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), February 03, 2001.

Congratulations! Having a pleasant milker makes alot of difference. Hope you two have a long and lasting relationship! Just wait till you have some cute little kids to play with.

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle Mn. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), February 03, 2001.

Yeah!!!! How exciting....Congratulations on your newly founded milk maid status....Warning: The Surgeon General has not determined this but all evidence leads to the conclusion that goats can be addictive....get them at your own risk!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), February 04, 2001.

Good for you Karole!! Isn't it great? I love everything about milking...the routine, the peaceful quiet mornings and evenings,being out at sunrise and sunset etc...Congrats!

-- Judy in Md. (trailhppr@msn.com), February 04, 2001.

Hi Karole!

Goat's milk is the BEST! I have let my does dry up since they are due soon, and I can't stand not having any milk, the dogs are crying too. This year I staggered the breeding so hopefully I will have milk year round next winter and spring. Steve will take a mason jar of milk with him to work each day, and try to get the construction guys to taste it! We both love it.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), February 04, 2001.

OK, I have to ask.....was it absolutely delicious?? I know everyone here says it is, but since I only had it once (store bought) and it was really nasty, I'm terrified of getting a milkgoat and not being able to drink the milk. I'm sorry, I know this has come up before, but please Karole, tell me it was as good as cows' milk, yes?

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), February 04, 2001.

Karole,

Oh happiness is thine.

Enjoy!

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), February 04, 2001.

Cathy, In my experience, store bought goat milk does not have as good a taste as fresh goat milk. Store bought tastes goaty. But so can the fresh milk. The taste of goat milk has been debated on this forum in several threads. And everyone will tell you that the taste depends on several factors - the feed, the cleanliness, temperature and for me a lot depended on taking them off pasture 3 hours before milking. It is just another one of those things that you have to work on and fine tune. When goat milk tastes good it is just as good or even better tasting than cows'. And it is a lot easier to load a goat in the back of your car and take it to the breeder's than putting a cow back there!

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), February 04, 2001.

Congratulations on your goat experience. We have been keeping Nubians for a little over three years now and really love them. I'll bet you can't stop at just one. We thought we just wanted two to have some milk and now we have around thirty: 25 does, four bucks, and one wether. There are eight to ten does expecting to kid in March. We are also getting into Boers for meat production.

Fresh raw goat milk is the best. Nubians have the highest butterfat content so its really rich. Pasteurizing destroys the good flavor.

Please visit us at www.sundaycreek.com

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 04, 2001.

Oh my, you have goat fever now and your life will never be the same! Congratulations!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 04, 2001.

Congratulations on your doe! If the man didn't want her bred, at 7 she still should have several breedings left, you may want to start thinking about what you will continue to do for milk. Most does will milk a good 10 months possibly longer, at 2 quarts a day I would think the shorter period. They need to be bred to continue milking (with a 2 month dry period prior to kidding). You may want to consider adding another doe for companionship and future milk. It takes about 5 months from breeding to kidding. Two does work nicely as you can stagger kidding and when they are dry. Enjoy you doe and your milk.

-- Leslie Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 05, 2001.

Congrats! Welcome to Goating! I pretty much decided years ago I didn't WANT goats (ya know, smelly, icky things) and then I got some. Cheese, milk (Ladygoat nibbles my ear as I milk her), soap, etc. I thought, when I took them to be bred again, that I really didn't want them back. Then I made some cheese from frozen milk and couldn't wait! I really missed them as "companions" and am looking forward to kidding time. Should be interesting - they were bred to a Boer and he is giving some interesting spotted, striped, and even PINK babies! What a giggle! Enjoy your goatwoman, Karole...

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), February 05, 2001.