# How much milk can we expect from different breeds



## Graffogefarms (Oct 11, 2007)

Just wondering - about how much milk on average does the different breeds give. I myself have some nubies, Bs, BAs, & BTs and some crosses - most of them kidding next march as first fresheners. I don't have any lamanchas, but hoping sometime to get some. 

Bridget


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

I know that your British goats(Saanens, Alpines and Toggs) will milk more than the ones we have over here(something about the Brits have done more selective breeding)
Anywho, over here average production is around a little over a gallon for Toggs, Saanens and Alpines. I'm not sure on nubians, they tend to vary a lot.
I have a first freshening Saanen, she has Top Tens on both sides of her and she's milking around 7-8 lbs a day 6 months into her lactation. 
There are several factors on how much they will milk. 1. Genetics, 2. environment and 3. feeding. Having a stress free environment for your goats is very important and how much you feed also greatly influences how much your goats will give. We feed a 12-14% grain mix as well as alfalfa grass mix hay, free choice pasture, and free access to fresh water, minerals, baking soda and kelp. We feed 1 lb of grain for every 3 lbs of milk they give.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I don't have a clear answer on this for you but I wanted to say WELCOME to the Goat Spot Bridget! 


so you are working still on importing a lamancha, how is that going?


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## Graffogefarms (Oct 11, 2007)

*lamancha*

Well, still working on it. Hoping for next spring - that our tax refund will go towards that. So far from what I can understand is that while livestock is not allowed to be imported from the US, some areas of Canada are eligible. I have hooked up with a Canadian Livestock co, who have exported cattle to Ireland, and Boers to UK. Oh - I made the final 8 in the Afternoon Show here on RTE Television, Mumtrepreneur. Unfortunately - I don't have a product up and running yet, but I did get some good publicity for goats! The livestock scene has to be watched. The embryos and semen might be the way first, or easiest. Still researching! Bridget


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I admire you for your hard work in this area.

will these be the first lamanchas in ireland?


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## ksacres (Oct 30, 2007)

There are several sites that sell semen on an export basis. It is generally a lot easier to import/export than live animals. As expensive as it would be to import the actual animal, even if you have to buy the tank and all the equipment yourelf, I think this would be a more price concious option.


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## goodgoats (Nov 5, 2007)

I wonder if you could do transfers where you take the semen and egg from two animals and implant it in another animal. The animal you implant it in is only the carrier, it is not the mother. That way you could use lamancha semen and eggs, but implant it in another breed. Just an idea.

Suriyah


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

That procedure is called embryo transfer. That is how they get many genetics from overseas to this country, and vice versa. If you want to find out more about it, go to the Yahoo list LaManchaTalk or a boer goat list on yahoo. Boer goat people do ETs all the time.


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## goodgoats (Nov 5, 2007)

Oh yeah, duh! I just couldn't remember the name .

Yeah, Boer goat people do it a lot. I know a breeder who keeps only a few really nice FB Boer does and bucks, and then has a lot of dairy does who she put the embryos in, and that way you can get the good genetics from certain goats without having to wait so many years and get only a few kids. If you know how to do it, it sure would be a good way to do the Boers!

Suriyah


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

*To keep in line with the original question:*

My 2 pygmy/nigerian dwarf does will give me a quart a day each...sometimes a bit more, usually for 3 months then they start to slow down and when it's less and less daily I dry them off. I have them recently dried off and this was after a March and April freshening. Now I only milked 1x a day...but have thought of going to 2x a day next freshening.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

A lot of it depends on the genetics behind your does and sires. I just got a new buck, one of the reasons i got him was because of the milk production in his backround. His dam milks about 16 lbs a day as a four year old. His dams dam is a 20 lb a day milker. 8.6 lbs is one gallon. 
I do show my animals, but i like to see a productive dairy aniaml that also does well in the ring.

beth


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

A lot of it depends on the genetics behind your does and sires. I just got a new buck, one of the reasons i got him was because of the milk production in his backround. His dam milks about 16 lbs a day as a four year old. His dams dam is a 20 lb a day milker. 8.6 lbs is one gallon. 
I do show my animals, but i like to see a productive dairy aniaml that also does well in the ring.

beth


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

A lot of it depends on the genetics behind your does and sires. I just got a new buck, one of the reasons i got him was because of the milk production in his backround. His dam milks about 16 lbs a day as a four year old. His dams dam is a 20 lb a day milker. 8.6 lbs is one gallon. 
I do show my animals, but i like to see a productive dairy aniaml that also does well in the ring.

beth


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## Graffogefarms (Oct 11, 2007)

*ET*

I have been thinking about the Embryo Transfer, but I need to talk to a few more people and find out more about the procedure. Here is difficult enough to get people to do goats. I was thinking about possibly using Gypsy our hemaprodite - well I know I have to find out if she has a uterus first, and if so, might be a possible, as would our big Tog girl, I use both of them on the cart at the moment, singly. I still researching a lot - amazing how much info there is and equally as much, Its unbelieveable how few Dept of Agriculture & other livestock persons know about goats. All going well - that will be changed!


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

why did this post my response three times? i only posted it one time....
beth


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## fritzie (Oct 6, 2007)

beth i found that every time you hit the refreash button it will post again


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