Great Little Goats

It's breeding time here at our farm, but it's almost "baby time," too. I've had lots of people ask me why I breed my little dwarf dairy goats. Well, between the luscious milk, sweet personalities and darling kids, it's a pretty rich life. 

Nigerian dwarf goats are great for people who want their own personal milk supply, or want their children to learn about biology before it hits them head on. Laborador retrievers are bigger than my goats, and have bigger litters, though my ND's have had as many as 5 kids in a grouping. 

We are a family of only 3, so when my goats give me 1/2 gallon a day, that's more than enough for us. Especially when I'm milking 15 goats in a session sometimes. Our milk is sweet, creamy and only tastes "bucky" or "strong" if we haven't cooled it down quickly enough and kept it for too long. When people come by and taste the free sample of milk they often ask where we're keeping the cow.  No cows here!

I have to say "free sample," because it's against the law in MA to sell raw milk without a permit, and since I don't have such a permit, and can't afford all the equipment I'd need to get it, I have to deny those who ask. We try to help people get their own goats if they have a strong desire or need, such as a child with digestive problems and severe eczema. 

Making cheese from our ND's is a joy because there's so much cheese from that gallon. The least I've ever gotten is 1 lb. of cheese per gallon, but I usually get 2.5 - 3.5 pounds of cheese for a gallon of milk. The difference is sometimes the type of cheese, the time of year, and how long my does have been milking. It's always a surprise to see what gift I get from my girls with each batch.

Same with our soap, which we can sell. There's a technique soapers use called "superfatting," which adds extra oils to the soap to make more available fat for moisturizing. We don't have to do that. Our milk is so rich it's automatically superfatted.

But one of the best benefits of goat keeping is watching tiny goat kids, 2.5 lbs in size, find their legs and pretend they have wings as they bounce and leap for sheer joy. I dare anyone to stay sad if see it. There's no way to put in a bottle, or a photo. It happens too fast!

If this sounds like an interesting adventure for you, check out Personal Milkers: A Primer to Nigerian Dwarf Goats. I confess, I wrote it. But it's a look at that first year in the adventure of keeping Nigerian dwarf goats, and I think you'll like it.

Whether the book fits into your plans or not, visit some Nigerian dwarf goats, especially in the spring, when the kid are "flying" into the world.