Hi -- we've found one Nubian/Saanen X (sold by a dairy because she wasn't earning her keep -- we get about 1.5 quarts a day from her, and have had her for 2 weeks). She's very sweet, and has been the most perfect angel with me, a total novice milker. Anyhow, now we see that 1.5 quarts a day is a)too much drink, but b) not enough to make enough cheese, and the kids are big into cheese.

If anyone has any spare milking goats (can there be such a thing?) somewhere in the NY/PA area (we're near Ithaca, and are willing to drive about 200 miles RT to get a good goat).

Thanks!

-- Andrea Gauland (andreagee@aol.com), March 23, 2002

Answers

I know of a few good breeders back in western NYS. We used to live near Gowanda NY, near Forestville. We used to raise Nubian there and I know a few nubian breeders. I will e-mail you privately the e-mail and contact information for some of my friends back there. Any particular breed?

Know what you mean about the cheese, I am a cheese addict. I'll send you the information via my outlook e-mail. Good luck.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

Is the doe you have now toward the end of lactation or the beginning? 1.5 quarts is a very small amount of milk. I would definitely ask the seller of the goat you are looking to buy what they are milking, or what their dams have milked. We have purebred Nubians, which don't give as much milk as other breeds but have a higher butterfat, and any 2nd freshener better be giving at least a gallon a day a lot of them will peak at close to 1 1/2 gallons a day. My first fresheners are milking more than the doe you presently have. So, if you are looking for more milk I would definitely check out milking ability as you are going to be feeding that goat regardless if the give 1/2 gallon or 2 gallons of milk per day. I would also recommend checking for CAE.

-- Leslie in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), March 23, 2002.