Okay, guys, I'll kick off the "new forum feature" with a thread about raising and utilizing dairy goats. I have a bit of experience with meat goats, none at all with fiber goats (angora), but I've had a whole lot of dairy goats over the years, and would be glad to share what I know with anybody that's interested. IIRC, Little Red Riding Hood and momof23goats have or had dairy goats, as well. They, and anyone else that has raised dairy goats, are welcome to chime in.

To start, I'll give a little bit of general information about dairy goats....

Goats are "ruminants" -- that means they have more than one stomach and chew a cud. They "browse" like deer, rather than grazing like cows, which means they like to eat leaves, twigs, briers, vines, and saplings.....not grass (although they will eat grass if nothing else is available). Legume hay, like alfalfa, clover, orchard grass, and lespedeza is better for goats than grass hay, although -- as already mentioned -- they will eat grass hay if it's the only hay available.

Most dairy goats breed in the fall, from about September through December -- called "the rut." Gestation is 5 months, so kidding season starts about February, and "litters" can number from one up to five born at a time. Goats only have two teats, so competition for the "faucet" among quads can be fierce, and the runt of the litter sometimes needs some help to not fall behind.

As a general rule, I leave the kids on their mama for one week, then take them off her and bottle feed. I milk morning and evening, and some of the milk from each milking goes to the doe's kids.

Regarding terminology: Males are "bucks" (not billies); females are "does" (not nannies). Kids are doelings or bucklings until they turn 12 months old, then they become a yearling buck or doe. A castrated male is called a "wether," and can be fattened up for butcher or trained as a pack goat. The big round thing where the milk originates is called an "udder" (not a bag).

A good dairy goat will give 3 quarts to a gallon of good, sweet milk per day.

Breeds of dairy goat registered by the American Dairy Goat Association are:
Saanen, Toggenburg, Nubian, Alpine, LaMancha, Oberhasli, Sable, and Nigerian Dwarf.

The ADGA will send out a packet of information about dairy goats on request. The American Goat Society also registers dairy goats, but I know nothing about them.

Does anybody have any questions?