LaMancha Milk Goats

Well, i have had my heart set on getting a La Mancha since i first saw one. And the lady i bought our Nubian kids from has some, one in particular i have commented i would like if she ever sold her.

Got a call this morning, "the goat is yours!". As soon as i can arrange some kind of transport that is [maybe 70 miles].

I am beside myself, luckily DH is sleeping in and can't object yet LOL

She has told me what she feeds, and to milk twice a day. She is very busy with her dairy operation, so i don't expect any help beyond that. And now i turn to your, dear friends,...........HELP! What am i getting myself into???...

oops! sound like we have our company here already. [busy day] so, i will look for your stories and advice and darling pictures later!

♥tf

Congratulations, TamaraFaye! What are you going to do with all the milk? Cheese? I love the idea of making goat cheese--although I know the milk is suppose to be very good too and easy to digest.

what i don't drink myself, we have kittens and of course, chickens will love it! none will go to waste, not a drop!

great source of calcium, Vit A, and Bs....

when i get her going good, and rebred, then i'll try my hand at chesse and yogurt and ice cream!

yummy!

Thats great! If I ever got a goat, I would get a milk producing goat. Will she always produce milk, or does she have to be pregnant to produce? I've heard that with some breeds they have to be pregnant to get milk, so people are always giving away babies, especially boys. Is that true??????

none of these kids are ever given away. they are usually purebred. but i know some will cross their milk goats with a boer to get a decent meat goat and sell it cheap.

she explained to me that she is just producing since she is 2 years old and this was her first time to "kid". as long as she is milked twice a day she will keep producing, but it is recommended to re-breed her now so she will be a strong milker.

well, i think that is what i understood her to mean by what i thought i heard her say LOL

our nubians will be one year old in June. we won't be breeding them till next winter/spring, so it was going to be a LONG wait, with increasing feed prices and no milk! so this is a BIG blessing!!! i love goats milk!

Ahh, so it is a pregnancy related milk thing. I like the idea of having a goat for milk. I just found out I am allergic to dairy products from a cow. Thats a huge change for me. I wish there were more dairy products that are goat or soy. I was looking a yogurt tonight at the grocery store. They had a kind made from soy milk, but it was loaded with sugar! It was 150 calories for this tiny little cup. Most of those calories are prob. come from sugar, argh! There is this sugar product sold in health food stores called Agavia that I want to try. Supposed to have minimal affect on glycemic index. Just have to get by butt to the natural food store.

i think i heard the same about stevia too...

we used to get a really good yogurt,,,,......,,,,,,.....what was that?................ seems there is one made from rice milk....... some people shouldn't overload themselves with soy, it is already in 2/3 of our food products..... hmmm, oh also have you tried and ORGANIC cows milk? if you are not officially lactose intolerant, than what you are allergic to could be as simple as some kind of medicine or feed they give the cows at dairies. so, you could find someone with a cow and get fresh cows milk... although I PREFER GOAT!

^_^
GET YOUR BUM TO THE HEALTH FOOD STORE!

Oh my bum will be goin on Monday! Yes, stevia is similar. I found out I was allergic by a blood test. My hair started falling out in one area on the back of my head. My doctor said it was stress, quite possible, but I wasnt quite so convinced. I had an autoimmune blood test come back as a low possitive. I work for an oral surgeon who is really into natural and homeopathic remedies. He strongly beleives most autoimmune problems are caused my hypersensativities. He ran this blood test on me called the Elisa/Act test It tests for 450 hypersensativities. Any food product containing cow dairy came back as a strong reaction for me. Coffee was another, decaf or regular, vanilla, nutmeg, whey, and string beans! Pretty interesting stuff. Hopefully it is what the problem is. I have to not consume these products for 6mos, so that my body can "reset" itself. The coffee is the hardest! At least I can still have caffeine, just not coffee. Iced coffee is my favorite : (

i don't suppose you are blook type O?

Nope, A+. Hey I like that A plus!!!

Hi janastasio, I am A+ too. It makes it easy to remember!

me three! blood type Os are more likely to have autoimmune disorders, whereas As tend to have more sensitivities. there is a cool web site somewhere. like a diet type thing, and recipes too. Dr. Peter D'Adamo...

Me four!!! And yep...have allergies up the ying-yang.

GG
§^_^§

Is that weird, or what? All four of us A+!

Just goes to show you....great minds think alike.

GG
§^_^§

I'm either A or AB. Not sure which of those two.

MollyD

If you aren't sure you are probably AB. A's are more sure LOL

I'm an aries, I thought that had to do with being more sure!! Or is that stubborn.............!

no comment, oh Ram's Head! ^_^

I'm an aries too!

MollyD

Oh, no! I am surrounded by ArieHeads!!!

Not me--I'm an archer!

Theres nothing wrong with us aries heads!!!! Not that you will tell to our faces anyway, lol!!! So back to the original topic of this forum, when do you get the goat?

planning on Wednesday. gotta have major gas $, and DH to stay with two of the kids, i mean, children...

So you are getting time off for good behavior tf ? LOL I will probably have to go alone to pick up my girls but I have a short trip of about 45 mins.

MollyD

when do you go?

May 6th. A week from tomorrow and their shelter isn't ready yet :-( Can't get that man off his butt. I've been working on it but there is only so much I can do by myself.
What kind of manger do you prefer with your goats?

MollyD

Congrats on the La Mancha, TF! DD wanted one so badly when she was little, but DH wasn't into the idea. Now DH is thinking "Hmmm...milk?!!!" DD is moving to Colorado next month and isn't happy with the delayed decision to get a goat! DH is always about ten years behind us!!!

Tf I just found out the place I'm getting my puppy from has milk goats too ^_^ http://toddfarmsboergoats.com/index.html Sooooo I just may add a milk goat by years end :-) hehehe I asked Paul and he said absolutely we should have one milk goat!

MollyD

yippe Molly, didn't know you were getting a puppy, what kind? and what kind of milk goat? you have to get a LaMancha, we can exchange stories, besides you posted on the LaMancha thread LOL

tf the puppy is a Great Pyranese. To be a flock guardian since we've got coyotes among other nastys. Paul thinks we're just going to look at the litter ;-) Little does he know hehehe.
The milk goats they've got are Sable and Saanen. That's it I'm afraid. Doesn't seem I'm destined to get the Nubian I wanted.

MollyD

i don't think i have heard of those breeds. i would love a guardian dog, maybe some day...

half the time the goat-kids would get in the way of the boy-kids dumping their grain in the bucket, and it would spill on the ground. they clean it up right away, and so do the puppies, chickens, etc. they are now in a pen with just the puppies. they are all so cute together, bonded very well.

at the fair i noticed folks had fancy nets to try to keep the hay off the ground, but the goats just pull it right out. you don't wan tthem to always eat off the ground, esp in crowded conditions with standing water, urine, feces, etc.

i just never overcrowd anything, and rotate around as much as possible. i don't ever want a pen looking like a pig pen.

maybe someday i will get my burmese dog and you will get your Nubian...

I've been told you have to get at least two goats, or they're lonely and don't do well. Is this true?

(edited for spelling)

This message was edited Apr 28, 2008 1:39 PM

i would say so! they are a herd animal. ours love each other to pieces, but are much happier with three puppies. and then one more goat should make everybody happier, esp at breakfast time LOL

Nubians are very noisy goats. I cannot imagine having just one!

It's true jasmerr. That's how I ended up buying two. I started out looking for one but everything I read indicated it had to be two or more.

btw I just got off the phone with the new vet for my girls! She's really nice and spent half an hour running through everything with me. She recommended we not feed the goats the leftover horse feed. Seems while copper won't poison them the way it does sheep it can build up in their systems if they get too much at one time. She said horse feed and mineral blocks had too much copper for the goats. So our friend who has a horse will get all that stuff.
I really liked this vet and their staff is on rotation to cover emergencies so less chance of not getting a vet when you need one! She said the place I'm getting my girls from is top notch so they shouldn't have any health problems to start off. She also said that since the girls are going into Bucks old shelter and paddock that it will be a good thing for them since all the bacteria in there is horse and not one that will bother them.

MollyD

that is really good news since eventually we plan to convert the smaller horse barn for the goats. and the bigger one for turkeys and guineas...

i am on the edge of my seat for you Molly, and for me too! whole new routine for us around here, should be good!

tf

You both probably said earlier, but how long have you been goat herder's. ☺

I know what you mean Tf. I'm preparing by waking earlier than I need to right now so when they get here next week I'm more use to being up at an earlier time.

MollyD