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| My first goat herd. |
I was recently asked about my choice of breed in dairy animals, and my response was rather lengthy. I decided it would make a great blog post!
I think the answer to your question lies more in why I started with Nigies. I always wanted Nubians. They have a reputation for being vocal, pushy, and high strung, though. It took me several years to talk my husband into letting me have dairy goats at all. He grew up with a milk cow, and didn't want the twice daily responsibilities that come with a milk animal. He told me on the front end that he wanted no part of it whatsoever. If I got one it was all on me to take care of it and milk it. Then he gave me his blessing. I researched everything I could get my hands on regarding dairy goats. I knew I needed to choose a breed that I could have a 100% guarantee of success with, and Nigerian Dwarfs seemed to be that perfect breed of goat for my beginner self. Nigies are small enough that you can do anything that you need to with them. It's not like wrestling with an animal that weighs just as much as an adult human. I followed through with that and kept Nigies for about three years. I enjoyed them immensely, but desired larger goats that produced more milk for the same amount of effort in milking and hoof trimmings. (Trimming hooves is my least favorite job in goat husbandry. :-) ) I was given a LaMancha doeling in exchange for her first doe kid very early on. I fell in love with her and the no-nonsense personality that seems to be the norm in LaManchas. Since I already had a LaMancha and I didn't want to run a mixed herd, I stayed with LaManchas when I was ready to transition out of my starter goats and into my permanent herd. I do still dream of Nubians, but I have reservations about how I will like their personalities after everything I've heard. I am definitely not in to having a herd of drama queens! :-)
I cannot say what breed will fit your personality and needs best. My goat mentor, Michele, has kept several different breeds and settled on Nigerian Dwarfs as her favorite. Everyone's personal choice will be unique.
