How is goats milk produced

It also has a distinct flavor, usually described as being earthy. For some, the milk may be too rich and the flavor too unique, but many people enjoy it. Consider the average volume of milk the goat produces, how easily they can be convinced to produce, how long they will produce for, and whether they are available and suitable for rearing in your area.

The average volume of milk that a goat breed produces is given in gallons per day, but it should be noted that there are no guarantees. The actual amount that your goats produce will depend on many factors. You could end up with a Saanen, which is widely regarded as the most prolific milker, that yields next to no milk. The other measure you should consider is the percent of the milk that is fat. Below, we have detailed 15 of the best goat breeds for milk production but remember that the amount of milk is not the only important factor.

Ensure that you can offer comfortable living conditions and that you choose a breed suitable for living in your climate. You may also want to consider the characteristics and temperament of the goat, especially if they will be mixing with other breeds, other animals, and people. The Saanen is a Swiss goat breed that is famed for its milk production, as well as its size. The billy can weigh as much as pounds, and the breed is considered friendly and can be kept as a pet while their meat and milk production make them ideal as a dairy goat breed.

With the Saanen, we had a large pound breed, and with the Nigerian Dwarf, we have gone from one extreme to the other. This Dwarf breed weighs in at around 50 pounds. While it may only produce a good half a gallon a day, the Nigerian Dwarf offers milk with a very high butterfat content, and its size means that you can keep more of them.

They are also friendly and get on great with children. The Alpine is a large breed, roughly the same stature as that of the Saanen. Developed in the Alps, these goats are hardy and do well in cold climates. They are gentle and they will produce milk almost all year round. The Anglo-Nubian, or Nubian, is a distinctive looking goat with a curved nose and floppy ears. It offers approximately 1 gallon of milk a day, and it has been described as being rich and sweet.

Nonconventional sources include bagasse, poultry litter, and sawdust. The main nutritional requirements are as follows: Energy sources, Most of the goat's energy comes from the breakdown of the plant fiber. The rest comes from the oxidation within the body of starches and fats from concentrate.

The energy content of the diet is studied in the laboratory by burning a sample and measuring the heat that is generated. The results need to be refined, because some of the energy in food is lost to the animal in the feces, urine, and gases.

Moreover, the body uses some of the energy just to do the work of digestion itself. In recent years energy measurements have been refined to account for the special needs of body maintenance, weight gain, or milk production. A continued shortage of dietary energy sources will lower milk production.

Goats at the very early stages of lactation milk production need more energy. Protein - Protein is the main source of dietary nitrogen, makes up the basic cell and tissue structures of the body, and is vital for growth, milk production, disease resistance, reproduction, and general maintenance.

Protein quality, a term nutritionists use when referring to the amino-acid content of food, has no significance in ruminant nutrition except at exceptionally high levels of milk production. This is so because rumen microorganisms manufacture all the amino acids needed by the host animal.

Excess protein, if any, is oxidized in the body for its chemical energy and the nitrogen is eliminated by the kidneys. Since protein is generally the most expensive part of the ration, it is unwise to feed more than is needed. Protein requirements vary from 12 to 16 percent of the ration dry matter the larger figure represents the need during high milk production. Urea and other nonprotein nitrogen products can be used by the microorganisms of the rumen for the production of protein.

However, they are not generally recommended for goats because the animals adapt slowly to foods containing them. Minerals - Most of the minerals needed by goats are obtained from forage and concentrate. The major minerals are calcium, phosphorus, and sodium as salt. These may be added to the concentrate or made freely available. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus should be kept around 1.

Equal parts of salt and dicalcium phosphate are recommended for free-choice feeding. Selenium is essential in very small amounts; in some areas of the world it must be added to the diet. Vitamins - The only important vitamins in ruminant nutrition are A, D, and E.

Generally, goats on green pastures with plenty of sunshine require no vitamin supplements. When goats are confined indoors, vitamin mix, which is not very expensive, should be added to the diet. Stored forages are poor vitamin sources. Fats - Fats are of little importance in the ruminant diet.

Practically all feeds contain small amounts of fat, and added levels are not practical. Levels beyond 5 percent in the grain mixture are not recommended. Water - This may be the least expensive feed ingredient, but a deficiency will affect milk production more quickly than the lack of any other nutrient.

Water is not only the largest single constituent of nearly all living plant and animal tissue, but it also performs exceedingly important functions during digestion, assimilation of nutrients, excretion of waste products, control of body temperature, and production of milk. Ready access to fresh water is important.

Goats with free access to water produce more milk than those watered twice daily. Although goats can sustain themselves in dry climates better than cows and sheep, their milk production also is considerably less. Feed Formulation in India Researchers at Ludhiana in North India suggest a diet of high-quality roughage fiber and concentrate grains.

Availability of dietary energy is important for high milk yield, while protein and fiber affect milk quality. High-producing does require quality forages and supplemental grain at a rate of 1 pound per 2. Forages generally do not contain sufficient minerals to meet dietary requirements, so supplements are usually required.

Mineral mixes of salt with calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals are typically used. Legume forages e. If pasture is the predominant source of forage, then vitamin supplements are not critical. If only hay or silage is used, then supplemental vitamin A, D, and E will be required.

Vitamins can be supplied in a free choice mineral source or in the grain mix. Commercial cow rations or custom grain mixes varying from 14 to 20 percent protein can be fed to goats. Most products formulated for sheep will not contain enough copper for goats. It is important to routinely use a technique called "body condition scoring" to evaluate the adequacy of the nutritional program you use. Body condition scoring categorizes animals in scores from 1 emaciated to 5 obese based on the amount of palpable subcutaneous fat over the loin, ribs, and sternum.

Does should have adequate score 3 body reserves in late pregnancy as they enter lactation. High-producing does lose significant body condition during early lactation but should regain it again during late lactation and early pregnancy.

Details on body condition scoring can be found on the Langston University Web site see reference listing for Web address. Goats, for the most part, are a hardy species that requires minimal, basic necessities to survive and produce a quality product. Most herd problems relate to nutrition and reproduction, but a number of diseases are of concern. Some goat diseases can also infect people, so handlers must be aware.

Services of a veterinarian should be sought to develop an appropriate herd health program. Parasites, both internal and external, are the most important health concern for goat health and productivity.

Weight loss, rough hair coat, and diarrhea are common signs of parasitism. Anemia pale mucous membranes due to internal parasites can also be an indicator of problems. A veterinarian or trained herdsman can determine if internal parasites are present by examining a fresh fecal sample. An increasing problem with parasite control in goats is parasite resistance to dewormers. Repeated use of dewormers without other parasite-control management is increasing resistance problems.

Below are other parasite control measures:. Because of year-round parasite problems, goats from the southeastern United States often harbor dewormer-resistant internal parasites. You will need to address this biosecurity issue if you plan on purchasing animals from this area. Important infectious diseases of goats include caseous lymphadenitis CL , caprine arthritis-encephalitis CAE virus, Mycobacterium avium spp. All these diseases are best controlled by practicing good biosecurity since they are readily passed by animal contact or through milk from an infected doe.

There is essentially no treatment for these diseases and vaccines are available only for CL and sore mouth. It is recommended that you only vaccinate for sore mouth if there has been a history of the disease on your farm or within the herd. Work with a veterinarian to establish good screening test protocols for purchasing animals and a basic farm biosecurity program to prevent disease spread.

Other health problems for goats include footrot, abortion, and mastitis. Footrot is typically a bacterial infection of the skin between the claws. Footrot control starts with biosecurity to prevent infected animals from being brought onto the farm. It can also be reduced by good preventive care including routine hoof trimming. Nutrition as well as infectious agents can cause abortion in goats. Toxoplasmosis, transmitted by younger cats, can cause abortion in both women and goats.

Prevention requires keeping cat feces from contaminating feed consumed by pregnant goats. Mastitis, an infection of the udder, is a major concern with dairy goats. Providing sanitary conditions, good milking procedures, well-ventilated housing, and dry bedding are the best defenses against this disease. Injuries to udders and teat ends also contribute to this disease, which can lower milk production and cause permanent damage to does.

There are four requirements for efficient dairy goat housing. First, the building should be adequately ventilated and the walls and ceiling should be free from condensation. Second, the bedded area should be dry and clean. Third, feeders and watering devices must be well built and located so that feed and water are not contaminated with animal wastes or inefficiently wasted. Ready access to good-quality water is essential for milk production and herd health. Does giving birth to twins produce more milk and have greater total kid weight per maintenance doe unit.

Daily weight gains after birth range from 50 to grams per day 0. Rate of gain will be determined by diet and the end product desired replacement doeing or various weights depending on the meat market.

To ensure efficiency and productivity of a dairy goat enterprise, the three most important recommendations are as follows:.

To maintain milk production and good health, goats should be fed a diet balanced for energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins based on requirements defined by the National Research Council. To reduce costs, forages such as hay, silage, and pasture should constitute a majority of the daily diet. Goats are efficient browsers and can select a high-quality diet from lower-quality forages, especially when consuming nontraditional pasture plants e.

Available forages should be evaluated based on plant species and maturity, with the highest-quality forages reserved for pregnant, lactating, and growing animals. Supplementing the diet with grain mixes to provide additional energy and protein is important, especially during lactation. Grain mixes may also contain supplemental minerals and vitamins.

Feeding grain should be limited because a high-grain diet with low fiber intake can lead to rumen health problems e. Availability of dietary energy is important for high milk yield, while protein and fiber affect milk quality. High-producing does require quality forages and supplemental grain at a rate of 1 pound per 2.

Forages generally do not contain sufficient minerals to meet dietary requirements, so supplements are usually required. Mineral mixes of salt with calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals are typically used. Legume forages e. If pasture is the predominant source of forage, then vitamin supplements are not critical.