Hi all; I've been milking my mixed-breed Buttercup for 6 weeks and am just not getting much milk (1 quart/day). I'm ready to get into a real registered milk goat or two, and happen to have some money right now, as well as the go-ahead from dh. My question is, what is a reasonable price (I'm in Northeast Texas) for a doeling, and an established milking doe, and a bred doe?

I've emailed several goat raisers whom I found at the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association website, as I'm most interested in the Nigerians. I just got my first answer, and the man wants $350 each for 2 5 year-old milking does, and $400 for a 6 month old show quality hand raised doe!!! Is that too high or am I just naive?? How much should I expect to pay? I really would prefer a Nigerian because of their size. I don't want noisy goats because with small children playing outside I'd be constantly running out, thinking it was my children calling!! I do understand that there are Nubians that don't make as much noise. I'm open to suggestions and advice pertaining to all dairy breeds.

I also want to get a breed that I can sell if I have extra doe kids, and help pay the feed bill. I think that covers it. Thanks--you all are great!!!

-- Elizabeth in e tx (kimprice@peoplescom.net), March 22, 2001

Answers

Elizabeth -

Don't know if that's expensive for where you're at, but I might have to consider coming down from Idaho.... Add about $100 to those prices for up here.... with papers...

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 22, 2001.

Elizabeth, if you want more than a quart a day I wouldn't spend $350.00 on a Nigerian Dwarf! The goat you have now is giving you more milk than most Nigerains will give you, and then to have wasted all that money! Get a La Mancha. They are very quiet, gentle, have creamy milk and they produce well. Unless you are going to get into serious breeding and showing, you don't need top show quality. The La Manchas are also a little smaller than the Saanens, Nubians, and Alpines, in general. Vicki had some La manchas a while ago, maybe she still has some that she'd set you up with, or knows someone with good stock. I didn't mind the short ears. It just makes their eyes look all the more beautiful :).

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 22, 2001.

I'll second that. You do not want dwarf nigerians! Lamanchas are a good bet. I lived in northeast Tx until last fall(just south of Tyler). I talked to a lady that had some very nice milking stock. The most expensive goat she had that she was willing to part with was $225....most were about $125(these were LaManchas). Keep an eye out in the thrifty nickel and you can locate goats for as little as $50 that are fine milkers. I've gotten good goats from folks that just decided they wanted out of the goat business and I've rarely paid over $50. You might even want to check out canton first monday trades days....always lots of animals there.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), March 22, 2001.

You have got to be carefull in Texas with the 50$ goat. Certainly anything that is of value, registered, tested, would not be sold for 50$. Even in a brokering situation where I may bring in 35 goats from a dairy, the price for registered, CAE negative stock is more than 50$. Elizabeth, put your money in the bank and take a weekend to go and visit farms. Don't buy. Call on the folks references. Talk to the persons vet. Then decide and purchase. The extra money spent in gas is well worth it, after all they will live at your farm for years to come, not only them but their offspring. Come visit and I can take you to other farms in our area that have stock for sale. Milk the does, see if you like them. Then make a decision. With a boer behind every tree in Texas, you don't have to settle for the first spotted doe! And yes I do have a beauty of a spotted doe for sale :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 22, 2001.

Around here prices for registered Nubians start at 100.00 for weaning age does not of show quality but guaranteed CAE free.Milkers can go from 200 up(way up) depending on appearance,amount of milk and ease of milking.Yes orifice size makes a big difference.This doesn't help you much in Texas but maybe will add a bit to your knowledge of what to expect.It makes more sense to buy an experienced milker,in milk.Milk her yourself and taste the milk-yeah warm.If she is CAE free,easy to milk,well behaved on the milking stand and the milk tastes' good pay whatever the owner is asking and count your blessings.

-- JT (gone2seed@hotmail.com), March 22, 2001.

Elizabeth:

I have to put my vote in for Nubians. We have a small herd of close to 30. They are generally sweet animals, easy keepers, and great milkers. Nubians are the jerseys of dairy goats. Our purebreed, registered, show quality does give more than a gallon per day of milk with 5% or higher butterfat. We are in Western Washington and have no trouble selling either adults or doelings in the range of $250 to $400, depending on pedigree and proven performance. We've only been in this for four years. More established breeders with more predictable performance command higher prices. We recently got to see a national champion buck that sold for around $5000 (yes, five thousand dollars).

This works both ways. If you buy an inexpensive mix, you will have offspring that will sell for maybe $50 each: not hardly worth your effort and expense involved with kidding and raising. A $300 or $400 doe bred to a good buck will give you offspring that will command equivalent prices. A good return on your investment. You always get what you pay for. Why not expect your livestock to help earn their own keep? Nubians can be noisy, but not all are. We send the noisy ones on to other homes where they will be loved despite their vocal natures. We breed for quietness, among other things. www.sundaycreek.com

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), March 22, 2001.

I have to agree that if you want your goats primarily for milk I wouldn't go for Nigerians either, unless you want to have several several does. We don't have many Nigerians around here but I have purchased them from OH and TX and for starter does I think you would expect to pay at least $200 each for registered animals.

If you are looking for a smaller sized goat that is wonderful for milk please check out Kinders. We have several breeds including Nubians, ND, Aplines and of course, Kinders. If I had to choose just one breed to keep as milkers it would be the Kinders. They are inbetween the sizes of the Nubians and the ND but are wonderful milkers. The line our buck is from produce over 2000# per lactation. We have also found that they a bit easier to milk than the Nigerians. The teats aren't as small. For more info visit the KGBA website at http://hometown.aol.com/kgbassn/index.htm

There is at least one breeder (that I know of) in Texas.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), March 23, 2001.

Elizabeth, Okay is Buttercup a first freshener? If so that is not too bad, even your registered goats give small amounts the first time.(okay goat poeople I know some give lots more) If you want milk, think about buying the high priced show animals a lot do not milk a lot, either. Show people do not want too much milk in the udder, weakens the muscles holding up that perfect udder. Nubians make lots of noise. I should know cause that is what I raise. The loudest goat I ever had was a Toggenburg, so go figure that one out. My quietest goat was the LaMancha also the sweetest disposition too. I like animals that talk to me and I love the Nubian milk. The first thing you do BEFORE you buy any dairygoat is milk the goat, some goats are very hard to milk, nervous, or jumping around, or small teats, or small openings. Then taste the milk, right there, warm and foamy, it should taste sweet and creamy. If possible check out the dam and sire, all those wonderful qualities are inherited and all those bad qualities are too. All goats need fresh clean water every day and fresh green hay with no dust or mold. They need to be dewormed regularly too And all these things or lack of them effect the quantity and quality of the milk. Oh yes, good 16% feed with no urea. I have had great milkers of all breeds and am down to one breed due to space and time and cost of rasing more breeds. I have never had a Nigerian Dwarf goat but if you want milk you need to remember even tho they give a lot of milk for their size, it will still be less than the regular size milk goat. Good luck

-- karen (kansasgoats@iwon.com), March 25, 2001.

Elizabeth, I have Nigerians. I cannot recommend them as the family milk goat unless you get a couple of experienced does who have been milked regularly and who have good production (very unusual find!). Most people who raise them don't milk them. They let the kids do the job, and it's really hard to tell what kind of production you're getting under those circumstances. Length of lactation can also be an issue. Some people will pull the kids for a one-day test, sometimes every month, and that will give you a lot more information, but again, those folks are pretty rare.

If you want a quiet, gentle goat, I would recommend Oberhasli, a medium-sized goat. I have one with my Nigerians. I did quite a bit of research before making that choice, and I've been very happy. My doe is VERY quiet. She makes the Nigerians look noisy, and they're pretty quiet, too. She gets along well with the little goats and doesn't bully them. She is very docile and safe around small children (here in the city, I have lots of small visitors.) She was WAY less expensive than my Nigerians. I purchased her for $200, and she is a very, very nice doe. At her peak, she was giving about a gallon and a half per day. Her lactation curve is really quite level. She kidded last May and it looks like she will milk through nicely into next winter, even though I didn't breed her last fall.

So she may be unusual, but maybe not. Maybe she's just a regular, well-bred Oberhasli. Oh yeah, she's beautiful, too. Looks like a deer.

Hope you get some very nice goats!

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), March 26, 2001.

Of course, I'll agree with Laura! Oberhasli's make excellent goats for folks who enjoy their peace and quiet. I am always amazed to walk into a barn of 10+ goats and do chores and not hear a peep for the whole time I'm in there...they are exceptionally quiet...I can go for weeks and not hear a peep out of them. Honest! They are also excellent as milkers...but I think they tend to be a little less hardy than some of the other Alpine breeds I have raised.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), March 29, 2001.