# Dairy breeds: The Pro and Cons of Each Breed



## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

I am interested in getting your opinions on the different breeds of Dairy Goats. I have only owned milk goats for 4 years now, I am still some what new to the world of milk goats and there is still lots to learn about the different breeds. I am curious as to the disposition of the different breeds, amount of milk one breed gives vs another breed. Plus ease of kidding, parasite resistance or lack there of, and other factors that make you prefer one breed over the others. To start with I have only own 1 Saanan and now Nubians but just recently purchased another Saanan. I am not sure if it is just my imagination or not but seems to me that the milk from the Saanaan had less of an off taste to it. Now the Nubians milk is good but just ever so slightly a taste of goatness comes through. I don't remember any off taste from the Saanan's milk. I have a friend that has a Lamacha that seems to have good tasting milk with no goatness flavor. I use the word goatness because the taste is not very strong just slight. I don't run a buck with my does when I am milking them. So fill me in on the other breeds. Thanks to all who post.:ram:


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm bias when it comes to my Toggenburgs,they are a tough,robust breed and a good milker.In fact they will keep on milking on for a couple of years from 1 kidding.Twins ,triplets and quads are not uncommon. They don't suffer from skin cancers and 4ltrs a day is an average amount of milk when fresh in. As to goaty flavour milk could be from whatever they are eating or type of grains fed.I once gave mine lots of watermelon and their milk was eeeerrrk! I was also giving them horse feed which had allot of molasses in it and it also made the milk taste yuck.I now feed barley,cracked lupins,cracked corn and black sunflower along with good quality Lucerne hay.
They have easy births and are good mothers. I've been breeding Toggs for nearly 27 years and have bred many Champions and Australian Champs,true to type.
Saanens here are prone to skin cancers here but are the big volume in milk production have a high butter fat but not as high as the Anglo Nubian. I guess it's up to you what you like and can handle on your property,we have 550 acres and have sheep as well ,teejae


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Copper and cobalt deficiency can cause an off taste. 

I love my Alpines. My does each produce over a gallon of a day. It has an amazing taste, creamy and sweet. They have both had easy kiddings, but I think that mostly has to do with feed and minerals during pregnancy. They come in a variety of colors. If I give my does enough copper, I don't have any issues with parasites.


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

I have oberhasli, lamancha and nubians. No goatie taste at all. A gallon a day from each. However, I enjoy hand milking the La Mancha best, then the Oberhasli. Nobody in my family can tell the difference in taste from each breed. They all get the same care, and have yet to have any health or breeding problems. I dont marry my cars, im not marrying one breed.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Oh, and my Nigerian. NDs are snobby little brats that can get through any kind of fencing, don't behave on the stand, and only produce a tiny amount of milk for all the trouble they cause you. Lol. 

At least they're cute and easy kidders. And not susceptible to parasites.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

There are pros and cons to each breed - . As far as production, Saanens have the highest production, Nubians (for standard size) have the most butterfat. Lots of opinions out there, I would see what suits your personality the most, and then purchase the best milk lines you can afford. ADGA has results of production, etc. - good place to gain information.

I love my Nubians, wouldn't trade them for anything very sweet, I don't have parasite problems, I would like to see slower growing feet, easy keepers, quite sensitive at times if things are out of routine, easy kidders - others don't like them. Again - get what suits you. Every breed has something to offer.


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

*The Pros and Cons of Each Breed*

I was not aware that copper and cobalt deficiencies would affect the way milk tasted. Thanks for the input. How do you get the cobalt to your goats ?


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

I love my Nigerian dwarfs!

Does from the right lines can produce a lot of milk, and they have the highest butterfat content in their milk of all the dairy breeds. My favorite milker was producing 2 quarts a day as a second freshener last year, and she is very cooperative - jumps up on the milking stand all on her own and just stands there to let me milk. 

The Nigerian Dwarf's smaller size takes up less space and makes them easier to handle, especially for older and younger people. I don't really have an issue with my goats escaping. If there was a flaw in the fence they would eventually find it, just because they're very curious, but in my experience if they have all they want in their own field they are happy to stay there. 

Plus, Nigerian Dwarfs are really cute, colorful, and playful!


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## thegoatgirl (Nov 27, 2011)

Hello from a fellow TX goat raiser! :wave: 

I've only had one breed for an extended period of time - Alpines. At this point, I'm probably more than a little biased. :lol:

As far as cons, there's really only one thing that stands out to me: some does can be very aggressive towards their herdmates (I'm sure that bucks can be too, but oddly enough my boys group together and snuggle even when in rut while half the doe herd spend their time fighting). Towards people, they're great. Super sweet, easy to handle, friendly, ect. But that's about as far as it goes lol. 
And it seems like the breed, as a whole, could use some work (conformation-wise) on feet and legs.

Pros, there are quite a lot.  Suzanne mentioned several good ones. 
Great milking ability (several of my does are averaging over 20# right now) and generally easy to deal with when it comes to management. Awesome color varieties, too!  Which of course is not necessarily a important factor when you're picking a breed or whatever, but I personally find it fun to see all those different colored coats out in the pasture. 
Genetically, there's a lot of variety as well, and consistency. I find it interesting to look at the "type" many of the long-time breeders have set within their own herds. 

But like goatblessings said, every breed has something to offer.  As long as you're happy with your animals, that's really all that matters.


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

In Australia we have the British Alpines they are black and white with Swiss markings they are the tallest of the the Swiss breeds( Toggenburgs,Saanen) big milkers but tend to be a bit flighty and known for fence jumping.But they are a beautiful animal very elegant and big milkers with high butterfat.
Australian east coast where I live is bad for worms but the further inland the drier and less of a problem so the need of a high intake of copper. We are lucky where we live in Coastal centralQueensland there was a copper mine way back years and my Toggs don't need it as its in the soil but get by giving them mineral lick blocks which seem to provide enough,teejae


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

Some Australian breeds,guess you could always Google lol


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

British Alpine


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

Australian Melaan


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

Australian Brown, my Toggs carry the Brown gene


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

Oops didn't attach


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