All breeds of livestock were developed for specific purposes. This makes it easy to select breeds suited for the needs of you and your farm. We developed this guide to identify some great breeds for various jobs and situations.
GREAT GOATS
A MILK MAVEN: ALPINE. Some dairy goat breeds produce more milk while others give milk that’s higher in butterfat. The pretty French Alpine, however, is an all-around dairy queen, producing 1 to 1½ or more gallons of 3½% butterfat milk per day. Alpines are medium to large goats, smart and agile, and come in a variety of colors and markings.
The Alpine breed is known for its extra-long lactation: This isn’t a goat that peters out after four or five months in milk. In fact, Alpines are noted for their ability to “milk through,” meaning many Alpines can be milked for years without being rebred, a boon for anyone needing fresh milk year-round.
A CHOICE FOR CHEESE: NIGERIAN DWARF. This small but mighty milk producer is no more than 22½ inches tall at the shoulder but produces 1 to 8 pounds of rich, 6% to 10% butterfat milk per day, compared with 2% to 6% butterfat in the milk of full-size dairy breeds.
High butterfat content makes sweet, creamy, Nigerian Dwarf milk the perfect medium for crafting goat cheese. And because of their sunny dispositions and compact size, Nigerian Dwarfs are easier to house and handle than bigger goats.
A MEAT MAVEN: BOER. South African Boer goats came to North America in the early 1990s. Since then, they’ve become America’s premier meat goat. Boers are good-natured and docile and come in a variety of colors including traditional (white with a red or black head), black, red, spotted and dappled.
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