If you are going to hand milk your goats you really do need to buy from someone who is also hand
milking. This is really important with a small breed like the NDG where their teats can be very small
and so far apart that it makes it physically difficult to milk them.
The hardest part of entering the world of NDG breeding, though, was navigating people. Figuring
out what I wanted in a goat and goat husbandry was much easier. I hope that I do not sound too
jaded here but I learned a lot about human behaviors when I entered the “goat world”. When I
think back on it I was in my early 30’s so you would think I would not have been so naïve, but I
guess I thought that people with similar passions would also have similar ethics. I learned that even
though you may ask all the right questions you might not get honest answers. Don’t get me wrong,
there are a lot of really knowledgeable and honest goat breeders out there but there are also some
who are not. For me, feeling comfortable with the person from whom I am buying a goat is more
important than the actual goat.
DWARF and MINI: Ladies, any other advice or insight for those new to breeding, as we want to
especially support our newcomers become successful breeders?
SHARON: It will take time to establish your herd the way you want it. Do not expect to be where
you want to be overnight
Remember one buck cannot do everything for every doe in your herd. You need to take time in
evaluating each doe as they freshen and match her strengths with your buck’s strengths. You need
to be able to make hard decisions and it is not for the faint of heart.
Until your buck has daughters on the ground in milk he is not proven (there are a whole lot of
beautiful juniors out there). The quickest way to prove him out is to breed him to every doe you
have and see what he does. But you have to be willing to cull them out and remove him from the
gene pool if necessary.
If you are interested in milk you need to treat them like a large dairy goat and milk them 365 day/yr.
One thing I’ve noticed is that there are many NDG breeders who do not milk their goats.
CHRISTINE: You should always be learning. No one knows everything; this includes vets &
mentors. The more you know the healthier your goats will be. Read books and articles and go to
workshops when you can. Some colleges offer online animal science classes. Keep in mind that
some folks are good at sounding like they know what they are talking about when in fact they don’t.
Don’t be afraid to ask more than one person (this includes veterinarians) for advice. Finding a
knowledgeable mentor is invaluable.
Don’t let yourself keep every kid born on your property. I read somewhere that most people are in
and out of goats in five years. Too many folks keep too many kids and end up overwhelmed,
financially, mentally & physically. I had to reconcile the fact that there may be people out there who
are going to eat my goats before I could become a breeder. If you are not okay with that fact then
you probably should not be breeding a livestock animal.
Also, remember that with everything there are ups and downs. If you get to the point where you are
having more downs than ups, it’s time to get out of goats. If you are not enjoying what you are
26 DWARF and MINI