Dairy Goat Defintions and Terminology
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Definitions and Terminology
Goats are related to deer, so the terminology and its habits are similar. People who raise dairy goats do not refer to the goats as nannies and billies. This is sometimes heard in the meat goat segment, but for serious breeders who take bloodlines seriously, these terms are offensive.
For the novice goat herder who wants to focus on dairy goats, staying only with does greatly simplifies life. Of course you'll need a buck to help make babies, but if possible try to find a goat breeder that you can ship your goats to when the time for a date arrives.
For the novice goat herder who wants to focus on dairy goats, staying only with does greatly simplifies life. Of course you'll need a buck to help make babies, but if possible try to find a goat breeder that you can ship your goats to when the time for a date arrives.
Does
Female goats of greater age than one year old are referred to ads does. If they are less than one year, doelings. Does are not smelly or mean. They are generally very friendly and can make nice pets. As you spend time around your goats raising them, breeding them, helping raise their babies and milking them, you'll grow fond of them - even if you would prefer to think of them as a food source livestock.
Bucks
Males goats are bucks over one year of age and bucklings if younger. The first thing you are likely to notice about a buck is they are significantly larger - sometimes 50% larger than does. They are also quite strong physically and even the socialized ones can be a bit intimidating when working with them.
The next thing you're likely to notice is the smell. Bucks have two major scent glands located between and behind their horn area and others in their neck. You'll notice that as soon as you wean a buckling, he will immediately begin to get a "goaty" smell and the odor will increase as he ages. The smell is used to attract females and is powerful enough to send a doe into heat. The odor is the strongest during the breeding season.
Lastly, bucks are not polite animals. They are designed to do one thing - help produce more goats. Accordingly, their habit such as urinating on their front legs and faces and lapping up the urine of the does is a bit disconcerting for some keepers. Of course the upside of keeping bucks on hand is you don't have to keep vigilant check on your does for when they are ready for a drive over to a buck for mating.
The next thing you're likely to notice is the smell. Bucks have two major scent glands located between and behind their horn area and others in their neck. You'll notice that as soon as you wean a buckling, he will immediately begin to get a "goaty" smell and the odor will increase as he ages. The smell is used to attract females and is powerful enough to send a doe into heat. The odor is the strongest during the breeding season.
Lastly, bucks are not polite animals. They are designed to do one thing - help produce more goats. Accordingly, their habit such as urinating on their front legs and faces and lapping up the urine of the does is a bit disconcerting for some keepers. Of course the upside of keeping bucks on hand is you don't have to keep vigilant check on your does for when they are ready for a drive over to a buck for mating.
KidsA generic term for young goats, male of female. Kids are a delight. Playful and cute, they'll provide hours of entertainment. When it comes time to sell the ones you don't want to keep, it's not unusual to get a little lump in your throat as you see them driving off to their new home.
WethersWethers are neutered males. Many breeders who have males inevitably come across a male that they would like to keep. By castration the male you'll not only eliminate the urge to mate, you'll eliminate the smell and create an excellent companion goat for your does or kids. Wethers have also been known to make great work animals and pull carts or are used as pack animals.
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Registered Purebred
A registered purebred is an animal with registration papers showing the genealogy of that particular animal to the origins of the recognition of the breed as "pure" in association with a particular registry association's herd book. Not all purebreds are registered. The breeder might not think the animal is good enough to warrant registration or it may have some flaw. Although many small herd breeders prefer not to register because of the additional work and expense, it is fun to track the pedigree of your animals and the exercise also helps to offer the best opportunities and prices possible when looking to sell offspring. For the very best offspring pricing, it is frequently necessary to get into showing your animals at goat shows, but this is often beyond the scope of many backyard goat herders.
Pedigree
A pedigree is the piece of paper issued by the registgry association showing the anestry of an individual animal.
Registration Papers
Registration papers are official documents that show the animal has been entered into the herd book of a registry association.
Star Milker
Star Milker, often indicated with just a Star symbol, is a term frequently encountered in publications like the American Dairy Goat Association newsletter. The star is based on a one-day test where the doe must produce 10 to 11 pounds of milk. Points that count toward stars are based on the stage of lactation the doe is in.
Advanced Registry (AR)
The AR is a designator that the doe is a good milker. An AR doe is one that has produced a certain amount of milk within a year. The amount varies with the age of the goat and other factors,
How many goats do I need?
Goats are herd animals, so you'll want at least two. The yield of the goats will be variable depending on when they kidded - with maximum production generally occurring about 8 weeks after kidding and then slowly tapper off from there. Milk production varies with the breed, age, quality, and diet of the doe. On average, a good quality dairy doe will give at least 6 lb (2.7 l) of milk per day while she is in milk. A first time milker may produce less.
It is not unusual to get milk for over 300 days a year, but whether or not you'll want to milk that many days is a personal decision. Freshening (coming into milk production) occurs at kidding.
Two lactating goats, can generally meet the needs of a family of two adults and two younger children for both milk as well as occasionally making cheese. If you have teenagers in your family, you'll likely appreciate having at least one more goat in the mix. Four goats is about the maximum size herd needed for the consumption for even a large family.
It is not unusual to get milk for over 300 days a year, but whether or not you'll want to milk that many days is a personal decision. Freshening (coming into milk production) occurs at kidding.
Two lactating goats, can generally meet the needs of a family of two adults and two younger children for both milk as well as occasionally making cheese. If you have teenagers in your family, you'll likely appreciate having at least one more goat in the mix. Four goats is about the maximum size herd needed for the consumption for even a large family.
How long do goats live?
The average life of a goat is about 12 years. However, like all animals, this number will vary depending on how hard she is worked - meaning how many times she gives birth and produces milk. Many people will retire a goat after 10 years of age, but the doe will never stop going into heat, so take care that she is not accidentally bred.
Where can I buy a goat?
Goats are available from a variety of sources.
- Goat breeders: generally the most reliable source, especially if you are looking to raise large volume producers, patriciate in show events, or improve your herd. Also, if you have health problems with your goat, you will know the source of the goat. Goat breeders can be found on the internet and you can check sources like the American Dairy Goat Association.
- Feed stores: It is not uncommon to see kid goats at feed stores, especially the Pygmy breeds. You can inquire with the store as the source of the goats.
- Auctions: Generally not the ideal place for a novice goat owner, but sometimes desperate goat owners need to reduce their herd and this is the fastest way to do it. You do sometimes find paper animals at the auctions, but be sure to check the health of the animal as best as possible before purchasing. See the below for more on what to look for in a healthy goat.
What to look for when selecting a dairy goat
1. You want a healthy goat. so look for:
3. The teats and orifices are very important. Teats that curve off in crazy directions or are small can be a pain to milk. Goats with small teats that have udders full of milk are often difficult to milk until you've milked the doe out a bit. If you somehow have a doe with small teats, milking twice a day helps with this. Teat size is genetic.
4. Temperament is helpful, although not a requirement. How you socialize, raise and interact with the goat will have a large impact on its behavior, especially if you start with a youngster.
- Check for general condition. Skinny goats can be underfed, but can also be a sign of parasites.
- The goat will undoubtedly produce excrement while you are there, it should be tight , almost dry balls, not wet or chunky - which indicates a disease or parasite.
- Check its eyes for clarity.
- Check its hooves and legs. Bad feet or poorly formed legs can often become a problem for pregnant goats. This is often related to the nutrition the goat received as either a fetus of youngster.
- Long legs are beneficial in that the doe will not be too close to the bucket while milking.
3. The teats and orifices are very important. Teats that curve off in crazy directions or are small can be a pain to milk. Goats with small teats that have udders full of milk are often difficult to milk until you've milked the doe out a bit. If you somehow have a doe with small teats, milking twice a day helps with this. Teat size is genetic.
4. Temperament is helpful, although not a requirement. How you socialize, raise and interact with the goat will have a large impact on its behavior, especially if you start with a youngster.
