# good milk cross?



## BelleInBoots (Aug 18, 2014)

hey someone in my town is selling off their heard of kiko nubian crosses for a great price. I can not seem to find any goats anywhere in the area, lol and was wondering if you guys thought they were worth looking at for a family milker? thanks


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Absolutely! I would love to have a mix like that


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I was actually thinking of doing that cross at some point... You would then have a dual purpose breed


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## BelleInBoots (Aug 18, 2014)

okay great! i may go take a look. has several under a year and several 1-3. want to remind me what i should be looking for?


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'd be looking at health of the animals over all. Hopefully they have moms, so you can check out their udders. Also, I normally ask if they test for diseases etc..., but some don't... Look at things like hooves etc, just to be sure you are not bringing any hoof problems home... Oh and if one just happens to follow you, that's the one you wanna get..LOL


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

You can look for telltale signs of disease too. Scarring or active cysts that indicate CL. Hairy knees can indicate CAE because they don't like to lay down due to the arthritis. Johne's is a "wasting disease" Bad hooves can indicate bad attitude or extra work. 

Make sure you look at conformation too. You don't have to be an expert at it, just have an idea what you need to see. The animal should be pleasing to look at in the very least....


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

"You can look for telltale signs of disease too. Scarring or active cysts that indicate CL. Hairy knees can indicate CAE because they don't like to lay down due to the arthritis. Johne's is a "wasting disease" Bad hooves can indicate bad attitude or extra work. "

See, I learn something new everyday Had no clue about this!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I think it was happybleats that posted about the hairy knees a couple days ago. LOL


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## BelleInBoots (Aug 18, 2014)

thanks! its weird they said they kept them as pets to keep their pasture down, but they have a bunch of kids and no mamas. said that theyre not bred. although they do have a 4 month old buckling so its possible. guess ill just have to go tomorrow and feel them out... even if they were not bred for milk a nubian cross should still be halfway decent producer, right? cause all i have right now is two minis and I would really love to get one thats gonna give me a decent amount...


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Ewww, I would be very cautious on that because chances would be with a 4 mo old buckling in with them them they are bred, and WAY to soon.. It sounds like they got a bunch of little goats, and now they have too many...?? At any rate let us know how it goes, and pics if you get any


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

4 months is young, depends on how much libido he's got.

Janeen, I've got a doeling of that cross for sale!


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

BelleInBoots said:


> even if they were not bred for milk a nubian cross should still be halfway decent producer, right? cause all i have right now is two minis and I would really love to get one thats gonna give me a decent amount...


It depends on what you consider a decent amount. I recently saw an ad on Craigslist for a Nubian who was a "very good" milker, giving almost a half a gallon a day as a third freshener. Personally, I don't consider that a good milker at all for a Nubian, but everyone has different expectations and needs. However, if you aren't looking for a gallon a day then you'll probably be fine with one of those crosses if the price is right and they're healthy.


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## BelleInBoots (Aug 18, 2014)

actually they have several in the 1-3 year range that I was considering. dont want to wait too long for milk. I already have a doeling im waitin on ;-) 

a gallon a day would be nice... lol. were getting a pig to grow out this spring so I could use as much as i could get. Ive heard of nubians that give a gallon and a half a day. I wouldnt expect her to be a top milker but you think I should expect less than half of that? 

I so wish I had an experienced goat friend to come look with me. :-/


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

It's just hard to guess if they haven't been bred for milk and haven't been milked before. Some Nubians do produce a lot, but there are a lot of bad examples out there too, so it's kinda a toss of the coin with unproven milkers. Though I did recently read something about someone's Kiko who outmilked their Nubians. Maybe it would be a really good cross.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I'm confused. Do they have "all kids" or do they have older ones too? The 4 month old buckling is probably a little young to have bred very many. LOL Your chances of getting a bred one from him are pretty slim. They had to have had a buck there tho in order to get the kids....

For an example of what to expect. I have a BoerX doe. She LOOKS nubian and I assumed she was mostly nubian. She gives almost a gallon a day on once a day milking.....usually even with a kid at her side. Found out her parents were both traditional boers! The lady that owned her had nubians years ago and the lines went back to those....but Cinn is actually more boer than nubian! So it a mostly meat bred doe CAN produce a lot of milk.

I would definitely look at the older ones. You're going to be able to tell much more that way too....especially with any possibility of disease, hoof care, etc. When looking at the udder, IF you can, catch the doe and handle her udder. I have a ND that looks like she should give a gallon a day and she gives about a cup....not worth milking! But I don't know how you can tell if they have a meaty udder when looking at them.

I think the kiko tend to be a heartier animal than the boer and need less care. I know...the boer breeders are going to jump all over that statement! But I sure see more boer breeders having issues with hooves, worms, etc than I do Kiko breeders.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

BelleInBoots said:


> actually they have several in the 1-3 year range that I was considering. dont want to wait too long for milk. I already have a doeling im waitin on ;-)
> 
> a gallon a day would be nice... lol. were getting a pig to grow out this spring so I could use as much as i could get. Ive heard of nubians that give a gallon and a half a day. I wouldnt expect her to be a top milker but you think I should expect less than half of that?
> 
> I so wish I had an experienced goat friend to come look with me. :-/


Oh, okay.. I misunderstood. My ober buckling bred everyone last year at 4 months LOL..


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> 4 months is young, depends on how much libido he's got.
> 
> Janeen, I've got a doeling of that cross for sale!


 That is for when I can get more and not have to downsize. I am getting a preggo Nubian from Blossomtyme out in Buckley... I miss the butterfat in my milk..


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Take a good close look at udders and teats...you want two teats...well attached udder..if they are youg..look at moms udder...I have a Alpine Boer that took more after the boer..she is useless as a milker but throws amazing large kids...who freshen to be nice milkers since we breed her to our dairy buck...

best wishes


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

I raised Kikos and Kiko Alpine cross goats for milk, I'd get about 3/4 gal from my FF Kikos a day, that could be my individual blood line or just those individual goats, they where not registered so I don't know there line, but here's some pics of my Kiko crosses, there at least 3/4 Kiko the one is a FF....


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Spidy, every time you post pictures of your goats I want to drive down there and buy them! Stop it! Lol.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Beautiful goats Spidy!!


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## Cedar Point Kikos (Oct 16, 2013)

I would LOVE to have a Kiko/Nubian....hoping to get a PB reg. Nubian soon so I can  Post pictures if you get any!


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

LOL!!!! Thanks, well, you don't have to be jealous, ( I just sold all my Kikos and now only have my Boers, Lamanchas and Alpines, I had waaaaay to many goats :mecry


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## BelleInBoots (Aug 18, 2014)

thanks guys that is really good info. unfortunately they didnt really give me a chance to get out there and see them as they said i could go today after 3:30 and at 3;30 i messaged asking for their address as she still hadnt sent it to me and she said they were about to leave for the rest of the day and he is taking them to auction first thing in the am. so im pretty disappointed. Boo :-/


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Really? Huh, perhaps you could go to the auction? I haven't purchased there before I'm a bit leery of it honestly, but others have great sucess...


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Go to auction and look. Just ask that they "sell choice" when they come into the ring. Go to the office to get your bidding number and ask if they have a marker that you can use to mark the ones you might want....


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