Goat Milk Stuff

What Happens When a Goat Gets Sick?

Responsible animal care means treating a sick goat when she needs help. Our goats are not routinely given antibiotics, and we do not use growth hormones to increase milk production. If a goat becomes sick and an antibiotic is the appropriate treatment, she receives the medicine she needs. During treatment, she is milked separately, and her milk is discarded. The goat’s well-being comes first.

How Are the Goats Milked?

Our dairy goats are generally milked twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening. Before milking, their udders are cleaned. The milk then travels through stainless-steel piping into a stainless-steel holding tank, where it is chilled quickly. Only healthy goats are milked through this system. Goats that have recently given birth or need individual attention are milked separately by hand.

Do Goats Have to Have Babies to Produce Milk?

Yes. Like other mammals, a dairy goat begins producing milk after giving birth. Our Alpine goats generally have their babies during the spring kidding season. Kidding season is one of the busiest times on our farm. We watch expectant mothers closely and take shifts checking the barn so someone can assist if a doe or her babies need help during delivery.

How Are the Baby Goats Raised?

We do not use one baby-raising method simply because it is easier for us. We use the approach that has worked best for each breed. Our Alpine kids are bottle-raised as part of our herd-health program. Bottle-feeding allows us to monitor how much milk each baby receives and helps prevent smaller kids from being pushed away by stronger siblings.

What Happens to All the Baby Goats?

Dairy goats frequently have twins or triplets, so keeping every baby born on the farm would quickly become impossible. We retain some kids to maintain or improve our herd. For the others, we work to find suitable new homes. Many become dairy or breeding goats on small farms and homesteads. Others participate in 4-H programs or become pets and pack goats. We do not eat our dairy goats.