Raising Goats for Milk: What You Need to Know

 Raising dairy goats is incredibly rewarding, but it's a significant commitment. Here’s a comprehensive guide to what you need to know.

1. The Big Considerations (Before You Buy)

• Time: Goats are not low-maintenance. They require daily care—feeding, watering, milking (twice a day for most of the lactation), and stall cleaning. You can't easily take a weekend off without arranging care.

• Space & Housing:

  • Land: At least 1/4 acre for 2-3 goats, but more is always better. The pasture is for exercise and browsing, not their primary food source.

  • Fencing: This is CRITICAL. Goats are escape artists. Use 4-foot high, no-climb woven wire fencing with sturdy posts. Electric fencing is often a necessary addition.

  • Shelter: A dry, draft-free, and well-ventilated barn or shed (minimum 15-20 sq ft per goat). They need protection from rain, wind, and extreme heat.

• Local Regulations: Check your city/county zoning laws for livestock restrictions, including number of animals, distance to property lines, and rules about owning unaltered males (bucks).

• Cost: Initial costs include goats ($150-$500+ each), fencing, shelter, milking supplies, and veterinary care. Ongoing costs are feed, hay, bedding, minerals, and hoof trimming supplies.

2. Choosing Your Breed

The main dairy breeds in the US are:

• Nigerian Dwarf: Small size, rich milk (high butterfat, great for cheese/yogurt), easier to handle, need less space. Milk volume is smaller (1-2 quarts/day).

• Nubian: Known for long, floppy ears. Milk is also high in butterfat and protein, with a rich flavor. They are vocal, affectionate, and handle heat well.

• Alpine & Saanen: Swiss breeds known for high milk volume (1+ gallon/day) with lower butterfat. Saanens are often all-white and quiet; Alpines come in many colors and are hardy.

• LaMancha: Distinctive for their very short or absent external ears. They are calm, steady milk producers with mid-range butterfat content.

• Oberhasli: A beautiful reddish-brown with black markings. They produce a good volume of milk with moderate butterfat and are known for their gentle demeanor.

Start with at least two goats. They are herd animals and get desperately lonely alone. Start with does (females) or wethers (castrated males). Bucks (intact males) are for breeding only and come with strong odor and challenging behavior.

3. Daily Care & Nutrition

• Forage & Browse: Goats prefer bushes, weeds, and brush over grass. They are browsers, not grazers like sheep.

• Hay: The cornerstone of their diet. Provide high-quality grass or alfalfa hay free-choice.

• Grain/Concentrate: Dairy goats need extra energy for milk production. Feed a dedicated dairy goat ration (16-18% protein) during milking, adjusted to production level. Overfeeding grain causes serious health issues.

• Water: Always available, fresh, and clean.

• Minerals: Non-negotiable. Provide a goat-specific loose mineral (with copper—sheep minerals are toxic) free-choice.

• Hoof Care: Trim hooves every 4-8 weeks to prevent lameness and infection.

• Companionship: Never keep a single goat. They thrive with a buddy.

4. The Milking Routine

• Frequency: To maintain supply, milk every 12 hours, roughly at the same times each day.

• Setup: You need a milking stand, stainless steel pail, strip cup, udder wipes, teat dip, filters, and milk jars. Sanitation is paramount.

• Process: Lead goat to stand, offer a small grain treat. Clean udder with a mild disinfectant or warm water. Milk into a clean pail, then dip each teat in an iodine-based solution to prevent mastitis.

• Handling Milk: Filter milk immediately into jars, cool rapidly in an ice bath, and refrigerate. For long-term storage, learn proper freezing or pasteurization techniques.

5. Health & Reproduction

• Annual Tasks: Vaccinations (CD&T), deworming (based on FAMACHA scores, not a calendar), and hoof trimming.

• Common Ailments: Parasites (the #1 killer), mastitis (udder infection), hoof rot, and bloat.

• Breeding & Kidding: To produce milk, a doe must have kids.

  • Does are bred in the fall, gestate for ~150 days (5 months), and kid in spring.

  • You must be prepared for kidding complications. Have a vet's number and a kidding kit ready.

  • After birth, you will either fully separate kids and bottle-feed (to get all the milk) or use a partial separation system (kids stay with mom at night, you milk once a day).

• Find a Vet: Locate a livestock or goat-savvy veterinarian BEFORE you have an emergency. Many small animal vets are not trained in goat care.

The Rewards

• Incredibly fresh, delicious milk you control from start to finish.

• Home-made cheese, yogurt, kefir, and soap.

• Wonderful companionship—goats are intelligent, playful, and have big personalities.

• Sustainable living and a deeper connection to your food.

Final Verdict

Raising goats for milk is a lifestyle. It's a joy for those who love animals, don't mind hard work, and are detail-oriented about care and sanitation. It is not a cheap or easy way to get milk, but for the right person, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Best First Step: Visit a local goat dairy or a hobbyist, volunteer to help with milking, and get hands-on experience before you dive in. Join online forums and local 4-H or goat breeder associations to learn from experienced owners.