Meet the Goats...
On the farm, we have three different breeds of goats: Saanen, Nubian, and Alpine. Each goat has her own attitude, mood, and milk capacity. At any given time, we may be milking a different number of goats, from 6 to 36 per day. Goats are unlike cows because they go in and out of season. Usually, they dry up, meaning they run out of milk, around October. They are then bred, and once babies are born we begin milking them again. We generally are able to pasteurize about 15 gallons every other day.
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| The Saanen is solid white to light cream colored, a Swiss breed that is well respected for its dairy qualities. Purebred Saanens were one of the first breeds imported to North America from Switzerland, and were found to be productive, cold-resistant and docile. | The Nubian is the product of many years' development in Britain, where imported African Nubian goats and Indian Jamnapari were crossed with dairy breeds until a consistent breed character was attained. The Roman nose, long ears and colorful coats are very popular with breeders, as is the high fat milk for which the breed is known. | The Alpine is one of the Swiss breeds, and is acceptable in any color pattern, although bucks with solid white or standard Toggenburg color and markings are faulted. Ears are upright, the bridge of the nose is straight or slightly dished. |
Information taken from the Canadian Goat Society web site.