Aleecia - Nubian Doe
Management of goats involves much more than milking, feeding, worming and medication.
Responsibility in maintaining the “numbers” is essential. Meaning, focus on the goats that you can easily manage, and part with anything above that number.
If you are considering raising goats, keep your costs in mind. Before you begin breeding your goats, or even before you purchase additional goats (or first goats), know what the feed costs are going to be. Know what the fencing costs are going to be. Shelter is another factor that must be considered. Above all, stock the medicine cabinet before you purchase goats. Do not assume they will not get sick, they will, and they do.
When you begin breeding your goats, remember that a doe generally produces 2 or 3 kids per season. A goat herd multiplies quickly! That is why I part with goats once or twice a year.
My farm rules are (because I cannot keep a lot of pets): if you produce nice kids (even if it is only one nice kid per season), you raise your kids well, you are easily housed (you do not jump or destroy fences excessively), and if you are maintained without microscopic care (an animal that thrives on feed, browse, and an occasional worming and medication)…you are a keeper, you produce well for my farm. And, very importantly, both the dairy and meat goats (boers) must be able to produce milk. I have had to part with a few beautiful animals that showed a record of little or no milk.
You might say, “That sounds rather tough.” Yes, it is. But I have to run a herd with tight measurement. If I didn’t, I would not be able to keep goats at all.
Now I need to prepare for the 2nd goat sale within the week. Busy day ahead…and tomorrow I will smile at the remaining herd and say, “Get yourself ready for new milk and kids!”
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
Good morning Mary –
Wow, you sound like an expert on goats. I hadn’t thought of all that about keeping goats. I guess if ever decided to keep them, I’d learn it purty durn fast! There’s an awful lot to think about. I guess they are kinda hard on fencing the way they climb and jump around.
Aleecia is beautiful. I love her coloring. Good luck with your sale – hope it’s successful. Thinking of you…
Vickie
I can see how you must. If you didn’t sell them, you would eventually run out of room to put them.
That would not be healthy for the goats.
I don’t have goats, but it’s common sense.
I desperately need to thin down our small herd of goats. Didn’t mean to allow the buck to remain in with the does this summer – but health issues and life interfered with tending too much to goat issues. Need to cull a couple of goats – persistent infections we should not pass along to some unsuspecting buyer. Hate to do it – but only way to deal with the problem. Do have some sprightly, pretty wethers and doelings who could be a nice purchase – just have to get it together and get them sold – before the January birthing cycle starts all over again! I agree- Aleecia is a gorgeous animal!
Aleecia is a very pretty Nubian! I agree wholeheartedly with this blog post Mary, we’re trying very hard to get our herd size to a more manageable size for us to work with and that is one reason we’re not breeding anyone except for buyers though and people have e-mailed me but have backed out though.
Amy
[…] to part with a few beautiful animals that showed a record of little or no milk,” Mary said in this post, where she gives us a few of her guidelines for managing herd […]
Sheep numbers, as with goats, can increase rapidly and I too have to decide every year just who stays and who goes. As time goes on I have stricter criteria for which sheep can stay, but it isn’t easy, is it? However it does cost to feed and house our animals, and no one is giving me hay…
How much milk does your average Boer produce? I had never thought of the meat goats also having to produce enough milk, but it does make sense given your farm requirements.
Kathy, I get a bit more intense with my requirements as well. I remember a time in my life when I thought it sounded cold, as if a person were demanding too much out of an animal. Now I am in more strict shoes. It is best for the animals, and for us.
With the boers, I am concerned about the milk that they have for their kids. But, I have milked out a boer from time to time, one that had kids on her. She was milking out as much as a young nubian. That isn’t the norm.
Linda Sue, I know, it can get away from us. It takes disclipline on my part to get them raised, weaned, and then move on with the best of the best. I watch the dam’s closely each kidding season. You could almost say I grade them in many respects.
Thank you Becky, Vickie, and Amy. I hope to help a person from time to time that is considering purchasing goats. Try to save them grief from the common mistakes.
Then, there are the pets…Spot, Sandy, Shadow, Sarah, Amalie, and Annie. Yep, they get bred…but they have been told, “You can retire here. Green pastures. A good life filled with feed, hay, and love.” Regardless.
I have 6 girls now, I plan to run a retirement home for them. I have 5 males, 3 I’d like to sell when the right homes come along, and 2 (Dud and Cahoot) that will also reside at the retirement home.
I understand, you just can’t keep everybody.
You didn’t tell us the size of your herd.
Sounds like some of the guidelines I have. I only have so much room and can’t keep them all no matter how pretty. I have enough room for one more doe and then that will be it.. I will probably save one out of the kids born this next spring.
I also have the ones that will retire here…..
The pets, and the retired ones, fit right in there. But even they have to be a manageable number. If I raised pets only, there would hardly ever be a breeding. But, must cover feed and upkeep costs.
Joanna, I cut the herd down by more than 50%. I have right at 15 boers and 15 dairy girls at this point, and the handful of retirees/pets, along with 3 bucks.
Tonia, I need to visit your site. It is difficult to not melt to the eyes and prettiness!
Mary….great advice….I’m book marking this one…..
blessings….lylah
Thank you, Lylah. I see your farm is moving along. I love what you are doing.