Milking Goats

Steve1111

Anyone have any thoughts on milking Goats! Is it a waste of time ?

Cow Porter

A few milking jersey cross breds around alright, seem to be doing OK





Lol,
there is a guy a good bit away with them and cows aswell, different machine etc, don't know where he sells to, would it be kept separate from cow milk?? Is there any price premium?

Steve1111

Think Glenisk are the only real big supplier that takes it . U would want to be milking at least 100 to get anything out of it . If u had a good setup to work it part time would be ideal. Not much equipment like parlours etc, around .

ganmo

very supply/demand delicate, most bought by glenisk(or used by small cheese producers)

whelan2

ganmo wrote: »

very supply/demand delicate, most bought by glenisk(or used by small cheese producers)

Bit on page 4 of journal

ganmo

this weeks? havent had a chance to look yet

Steve1111

I seen the page on the journal .housed all year round ,wouldnt take up too much land .anyone know much about the breeding season?

ganmo

Steve1111 wrote: »

I seen the page on the journal .housed all year round ,wouldnt take up too much land .anyone know much about the breeding season?

seasonal, but because they're inside you can use the lights to control when they come in heat. the one thing that always amazed me was when they're kidding they stop when its dark

Buford T. Justice XIX

Steve1111 wrote: »

I seen the page on the journal .housed all year round ,wouldnt take up too much land .anyone know much about the breeding season?

You would generally be kidding down 2-3 times a year, depending on their yields. Iirc, goats wouldn't generally milk longer than 6 months or so, unless you were using some of the more milkier breeds, you would want a good number kidding down later in the year for continuity of supply.

Milking is fairly quick, tbf, a friend of mine is milking sheep up in Mayo and he flies through them every day.

ganmo

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

You would generally be kidding down 2-3 times a year, depending on their yields. Iirc, goats wouldn't generally milk longer than 6 months or so, unless you were using some of the more milkier breeds, you would want a good number kidding down later in the year for continuity of supply.

Milking is fairly quick, tbf, a friend of mine is milking sheep up in Mayo and he flies through them every day.

the goat farm i know of kids once a year, milking up to the day they kid