# Best Goat for Winter Regions?



## FreedomHunter (Oct 31, 2013)

Hey all,

I'll trying to move up to Maine in a year or so and it can get down below zero in the winter there. Aside from making good shelters, I was wondering what kind of goats would be best for cold regions (especially those with a lot of snowfall)? I'm sure there are a few of you on here that have an opinion about which breeds you think are best , so please feel free to share your opinions!

Now, I realize there are a bunch of goats that can survive in winter weather, so I'd like to narrow my specifications down a little finer. What I'm really looking for in a breed in terms of importance:

Absolutely NO GMO goats! I realize goats are not native to New England, but I'd like some kind of breed that was not grown in a science lab that is fairly "natural", raised by pasture and fed organic food. I don't want some kind of goat that has been filled with anti-biotics or hormones. I just want a nice "green" healthy goat. 
Provides decent milk
Has a coat (perhaps cashmere) that can be sheered and used for yarn
Provides decent meat

I realize having sort of an all-in-one super goat fit for everything, but that's why I put priorities.

This kind of brings up a follow up question: Do different breeds mix well together?

Thanks in advance,
-FH


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

FreedomHunter said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I'll trying to move up to Maine in a year or so and it can get down below zero in the winter there. Aside from making good shelters, I was wondering what kind of goats would be best for cold regions (especially those with a lot of snowfall)? I'm sure there are a few of you on here that have an opinion about which breeds you think are best , so please feel free to share your opinions!
> 
> ...


The Nigerian dwarf is a real hardy breed of goat, they grow more fur than other breeds. Nigrians are also known for their nice meet and sweet milk.My family has four and they are the best out of the herd.Any breed can grow casmeir and any breed can learn how to adapt to the cold weather. I live in NH which is a state over for maine so if you need any help locating breeders feel free to ask. The Nigerian dwarf has everything you decribed and more! My family is expecting nigerian kids in the spring if you are intrested I can give you my email and we can talk more.


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

Goatzrule said:


> The Nigerian dwarf is a real hardy breed of goat, they grow more fur than other breeds. Nigrians are also known for their nice meet and sweet milk.My family has four and they are the best out of the herd.Any breed can grow casmeir and any breed can learn how to adapt to the cold weather. I live in NH which is a state over for maine so if you need any help locating breeders feel free to ask. The Nigerian dwarf has everything you decribed and more! My family is expecting nigerian kids in the spring if you are intrested I can give you my email and we can talk more.


All the goats on our farm are ADGA registered so you can be sure you are getting a healthy animal. I show my does in 4-H and ADGA shows and they all got grand champion or reserve champion senior and junior doe .
Nigerians are refured to as a multy purpose breed that are used for milk and meat. They are the smallest of the dairy breeds but produce more milk and meat than pygmies.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I think for you I would choose one or dairy does and a couple angora does. I would breed all said does to a fainting goat to increase the meat growth on the kids. The kids would not really be as good for milk or fiber but, they would fill the freezer nicely.


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## Chopsgoats (Aug 20, 2013)

I agree that Nigerians would probably fit your needs. I live on the shore in Connecticut. We had some terrible wether with hurricanes and blizzards the last few years and I get a constant wind. (windchill) their fur really thickens up in the winter especially if I go from end of July without clipping them. They are usually easy keepers and good milkers, the smaller size is an extra bonus. Mine require very little care as far as meds are concerned. If you buy from a reputable breeder they are generally a healthy breed. Good luck In Maine... I love New England and the winters !!!!!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Nigerian fiber not worth trying to spin though.


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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

goathiker said:


> I think for you I would choose one or dairy does and a couple angora does. I would breed all said does to a fainting goat to increase the meat growth on the kids. The kids would not really be as good for milk or fiber but, they would fill the freezer nicely.


I agree with this.. sounds like a good idea to fit your needs.

For the dairy does, I'd look at some websites of goats in Maine, find some reputable breeders that have good producing goats, find what's popular, check craigslist and see what sells.

And *cough* Alpines *cough* Lol, I'm not biased at all..


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

goathiker said:


> Nigerian fiber not worth trying to spin though.


If you breed a nigerian x Angora it produces a casmier I'm not sure about milk but the fur.
Maybe two diffrent breeds would be better. One angora and one Nigerian.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

I have found my Nigerians and Pygmies to be incredibly hardy in winter and cold. The Pygmy's I have found do the best. They will run around in 110 degree heat and be fine, and when it gets towards 0 they just huddle up and stay warm. So for what you want, I would do Pygora goats (Fiber and meat) and Nigerian Dwarfs for milk.


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

FH, have you any milking experience? We didnt and happened upon a standard sized doe in milk, and Boy we will never go back.. I know people do it, but espec if you have regular or larger sized hands, the normal (vs Mini) sized teats are sooooo much easier...


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

CAjerseychick said:


> FH, have you any milking experience? We didnt and happened upon a standard sized doe in milk, and Boy we will never go back.. I know people do it, but espec if you have regular or larger sized hands, the normal (vs Mini) sized teats are sooooo much easier...


I have to disagree. If you buy a nice goat (which you should even just for milking) the teats should be a nice milk able size. Yes full size goats' teats will be bigger but there is no reason a mini or dwarf goat should have teats that are too small to milk!


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

http://www.oldmountainfarm.com/Does-Senior-NCPLMGMizi.html


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Scottyhorse, 
well we will certainly be finding this out-- we have 2 three quarter Nigerian/ toggs ready to be freshened and will be getting our registered Nigerian Buckling in 2 weeks....
Not to discriminate, but we sure do love our Oberhaslis....
Just, those teats sure do look teeny. The Buckling is from dairy lines....


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

The teats on the doe I linked look tiny? I think those are the perfect milking size IMO. One of my does has teats those size and they're perfect, to me, anyways.


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## fiberchick04 (Mar 8, 2010)

FreedomHunter said:


> Hey all, I'll trying to move up to Maine in a year or so and it can get down below zero in the winter there. Aside from making good shelters, I was wondering what kind of goats would be best for cold regions (especially those with a lot of snowfall)? I'm sure there are a few of you on here that have an opinion about which breeds you think are best , so please feel free to share your opinions! Now, I realize there are a bunch of goats that can survive in winter weather, so I'd like to narrow my specifications down a little finer. What I'm really looking for in a breed in terms of importance: [*]Absolutely NO GMO goats! I realize goats are not native to New England, but I'd like some kind of breed that was not grown in a science lab that is fairly "natural", raised by pasture and fed organic food. I don't want some kind of goat that has been filled with anti-biotics or hormones. I just want a nice "green" healthy goat.  [*]Provides decent milk [*]Has a coat (perhaps cashmere) that can be sheered and used for yarn [*]Provides decent meat I realize having sort of an all-in-one super goat fit for everything, but that's why I put priorities. This kind of brings up a follow up question: Do different breeds mix well together? Thanks in advance, -FH


My cashmere goats do excellent in the winter. My does give me great tasting milk and quite a bit. We also butcher unwanted males and the meat tastes really good. There is a very reputable cashmere goat breeder in Maine. Springtide Farm is in Bremen. Wendy Pieh and Peter Goth are wonderful people and often put on clinics and farm tours. They would teach you so so much.

You can shear cashmeres or comb their fiber. I find combing gives a cleaner product. An you can spin it to make yarn.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

How much milk do the does produce?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

FreedomHunter said:


> I'll trying to move up to Maine in a year or so and it can get down below zero in the winter there.


It can get down to way below zero a lot of places and the goats do just fine. I wouldn't worry about the temps and I don't know of any goats that are "grown" in a laboratory. Whether they are "green" or not depends entirely on their owner and what they choose to feed them. If I were you I would quit worrying about GMO grown goats and get down to looking. Do your research on breeds and find some people that are already raising goats in the area you want to move to. Here is a site that can help you.

http://www.goatfinder.com/main_goat_directory.htm


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## fiberchick04 (Mar 8, 2010)

Scottyhorse said:


> How much milk do the does produce?


I was only milking one doe and at her peak she was giving me about a 1/2 gallon per day.


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## AmyBoogie (May 20, 2013)

I live in Maine. Our winters haven't been all that bad lately but you never know when we'll get heavy winters again.

IMO
If you want dairy get a dairy goat. If you want fiber, get a fiber goat. Any goat can be eaten or breed your dairy and fiber goats to a meat goat for a meatier kid.

You can get a goat that is a dairy fiber cross but you will compromise on both dairy and quality of fiber.


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## FreedomHunter (Oct 31, 2013)

Wow, thank you all for the recommendations! I wasn't expecting 2 pages to fill up so quickly lol. There is a lot of great information here and I appreciate it. I have seen the Nigerian Dwarfs before and to be honest, if I was going to buy a goat tomorrow I would probably be going with one of those because they seem like the toyota corolla/honda civic of goats in the sense that they are reliable and good for every day use. 

Good points on the breeding dairy goats to meat and also about picking the best goat for the task. 

I'll definitely check out the farms mentioned.

I don't have any experience milking. I have heard it recommended to invest in a milking machine because I know a lot of people complain about having sore fingers. I guess it's just going to be one of those things I'll have to figure out for myself. I remember my grandmother telling me that you have to milk cows daily or they will stop lactating. I assume it is the same thing with goats right? Oh, that also brings up a sub-question about Nigerians. What content of milk fat is in your milk? Is there enough to make things like butter/cheese with it? If so how much butter/cheese could I get a week from a Nigerian?

Even I (as a complete newbie) have seen Pygmys, Nigerians, and Alpines mentioned before in the literature before for cold weather regions, and that's great that you all confirm they do well . However, what do you all think about some of the more exotic breeds like the Russian White or the Finnish Landrace? Is it just that these goats are crazy expensive or something? Does anyone know how more uncommon breeds to America would compare?


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## Chopsgoats (Aug 20, 2013)

Nigerian Dwarfs give a surprising quantity of milk for their size.[2] Their production ranges from one to 8 pounds of milk per day, with an average of 2.5. Since Nigerians breed year-round, it is easy to stagger freshenings (births) in a herd so the entire herd is never dry. Thus, they are ideal milk goats for most families. Their milk has a higher butterfat content than milk from full-sized dairy goats, usually about 5%, but going as high as 10% at the end of a lactation. The milk has a sweet flavor.[3] This makes Nigerian Dwarf goat milk excellent for cheese and soap making.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Have you seen the Golden Guernsey? They are an amazing dual purpose breed. Might want to think about them, and they would do well in harsh winters.


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Scottyhorse said:


> The teats on the doe I linked look tiny? I think those are the perfect milking size IMO. One of my does has teats those size and they're perfect, to me, anyways.


Sorry Scottyhorse, been away from this thread, no I was commenting on the teats on my little doelings they look tiny (much smaller than their mamas' teats actually)--

Not the ones on the doe in the link you posted....Those look like lovely teats...


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## GoatieGranny (Jul 26, 2013)

We are in Wisconsin and it gets very cold here. We have French Alpines and French Alpine mixed with Toggenburg. They give us 1/2 gallon of milk each, with one milking a day. If we milked twice, we'd probably get a gallon from each. One of my does has been in milk for 19 months and still going strong. We just bred her, so we will dry her up in a few months so she can rest up for her new kids. 

We've not eaten any, but a friend of mine buys all the bucks at 6 months and eats them. She LOVES the meat. We may try it one of these years. 

As far as fibers, I'm sorry, I have no clue. I've not gotten into that, though I wouldn't mind learning about it someday. 

Good luck and let us know what you end up with. I'm sure you'll be very happy with whatever breed you decide on. Goats are wonderful!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Hmm, a thought. An Icelandic sheep would give you nice fiber plus very very rich milk to make your years worth of butter out of. A full 1/3 of their milk is butter solids.


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## FreedomHunter (Oct 31, 2013)

goathiker said:


> Hmm, a thought. An Icelandic sheep would give you nice fiber plus very very rich milk to make your years worth of butter out of. A full 1/3 of their milk is butter solids.


Hrmm interesting how much would they cost though vs local breeds?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

A Shetland ewe would be much the same. There are many small multi purpose sheep that would work. It would depend on whether you like lamb chops.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Goatzrule said:


> If you breed a nigerian x Angora it produces a casmier I'm not sure about milk but the fur.
> Maybe two diffrent breeds would be better. One angora and one Nigerian.


 The only way to get real cashmere is by a cashmere goat. Yes all goats can produce cashmere TYPE fiber but there is a lot that goes into deciding if it is cashmere or not. If you bred a Nigi with a Angora all you are going to get is a goat that is smaller with longer fiber then a Nigi but shorter them a Angora.

I was going to say the Same as Fiber Chick. Maine Springtide farms they are great and if you go to their website it tells you when they have the open house and clinics.


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## FreedomHunter (Oct 31, 2013)

sweetgoats said:


> The only way to get real cashmere is by a cashmere goat. Yes all goats can produce cashmere TYPE fiber but there is a lot that goes into deciding if it is cashmere or not. If you bred a Nigi with a Angora all you are going to get is a goat that is smaller with longer fiber then a Nigi but shorter them a Angora.
> 
> I was going to say the Same as Fiber Chick. Maine Springtide farms they are great and if you go to their website it tells you when they have the open house and clinics.


Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to check them out. That sounds like loads of fun!


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

you've got great info here already! 

btw - GMO goats (well, transgenic goats) aren't around anymore. they tried putting some spider gene to make Kevlar I believe.... that got scrapped, and there are about two of such goats left in some museum in Ottawa.

If you want a goat that haven't eaten any GMOs, then you'll need to find a breeder who practices organic techniques, whether or not they're certified organic (i.e. only feed organic, no antibiotics, etc). I have a feeling they're hard to find, but not impossible....

good luck with your search!


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## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

Not to be a party pooper, but it seems to me you may be putting the cart before the goat, so to speak. 

Judging from your specifications and questions, I get the impression you haven't had much experience with goats, possibly with livestock in general. Some of the things you said imply that you have gotten a lot of information about goats from anti-commercial farming sources. I don't think ANY small scale farms give unnecessary antibiotics, for example. It's simply too expensive if nothing else. You may want to scale back your expectations until you've actually kept goats for a while. It would be a shame to lose a very expensive herd of rare goats due to inexperience and faulty expectations. 

I would suggest keeping two or three "mixed minis" for a couple of years before jumping into a specialized herd. Mixed minis are usually quite hardy and forgiving of first-timer mistakes, they are inexpensive, easy to come by, and dual purpose. People who have never kept goats before tend to think they are very "set-it-and-forget-it", but this is a huge mistake. Some farmers will tell you that there are only two kinds of goats; healthy and dead. This isn't true, but it is true that goats are very subtle creatures and when something catastrophic goes wrong the early signs are easy to overlook. Most of us on TGS spend a LOT of time with our herds, and the more organic you want to go, the more work you will need to do. For example; I just nearly lost all 4 of my goaties to worm overload because I chose the wrong worming regimen and everyone looked healthy.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from goats, I'm just offering advice that would have done many people I know a LOT of good. Start small and simple and learn from your mistakes; don't just jump in whole hog, you will end up frustrated at best, bitter and broke at worst. I would suggest a starter herd of 3 mixed minis; 2 does and a buck. Take at least two years (including two rounds of kidding) with your "practice herd" and learn the ins-and-outs of goat care while researching the perfect goat breed for you, then when yer ready you can start a magnificent herd that is exactly what you always wanted.

Hope I don't sound preachy or prosey, I just want to see as many happy, healthy goat owning families in the world as possible (that's why I breed mini milkers) and I feel that starts with an open honest dialogue about what goat ownership really means.


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## FreedomHunter (Oct 31, 2013)

Axykatt said:


> Not to be a party pooper, but it seems to me you may be putting the cart before the goat, so to speak.
> 
> Judging from your specifications and questions, I get the impression you haven't had much experience with goats, possibly with livestock in general. Some of the things you said imply that you have gotten a lot of information about goats from anti-commercial farming sources. I don't think ANY small scale farms give unnecessary antibiotics, for example. It's simply too expensive if nothing else. You may want to scale back your expectations until you've actually kept goats for a while. It would be a shame to lose a very expensive herd of rare goats due to inexperience and faulty expectations.
> 
> ...


That actually sounds like a really good plan. I do sincerely appreciate the advice.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Good advice from Axycatt I sure wish I has that advice when I first started. Within my 1st year I went from 2 to 8 and now technically I have 10, I'm co owning a buck with some friends of mine... Going with some mini's isn't a bad idea at all..., until you figure out what you wanna do long term. I've learned a ton. Goats are pretty complexed creatures...., and here on this forum we have many knowledgeable people to help out... Welcome by the way


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## fishin816 (Mar 4, 2011)

Yes Nigerians! They are sweet, tiny and CUTE! They are very hardy. The lamanchas are also cold hardy. Lamanchas have very little ears. (Under an inch long) so that means they won't get frostbite on their ears as easily! The lamanchas have REALLY friendly disposition. The Nigerians do too! Whichever you think would work better for you.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

btw - if you're looking for as naturally raised goats as possible, check out the fb group "TotallyNaturalGoats". you have to ask to join, but they have a directory of their members who raise their goats as naturally as possible (i.e. no chemicals, hormones, etc).


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Kikos tend to be "naturally raised" around here. They are just put out to forage and given very little supplementation....

Naturally raised (like my organic garden) is actually pretty simple- dont add anything chemical(it actually can be cheaper) ... (ie goats, keep them on pasture and dont supplement, there is a commune close by that practices organic goat dairying, not sure what minerals she feeds, but she gives NO grains at all and.... has a dairy , we tried some of her cheese and feta and milk, Yum)....


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