Athena, our little nubian first-freshener has turned out to be the find of a lifetime. Her teats are as long as a seasoned 3-year-old, let-down is instant, well-attached udder, milk is sweet, nice manners, and just shy of a gallon a day. All for the astonishing price of $150 (did I mention she is registered)?! That initial 2 weeks of owning her was rough because she had staph in a cut from her babies nursing too aggressively. Now she is over it and looking lovely. Athena is related to our buck so we will be careful to watch for any genetic problems with their pairing, but if he throws kids as nice as Athena we may not ever switch to another buck for our other does.
Chamomile (alpine) looks like she is about to pop! Honestly, I think she is going to have triplets if not quads. She and her sister (Honey Lemon) were advertised on Craigslist as being due to kid for $100 and $75 apiece. The reason for selling to us was that the owner is a truck driver and thought the does were bred to kid in November, so she wouldn't be home and her husband wasn't coping well with so many (supposedly) pregnant does. We were told that in previous years that they should each give a gallon
per milking. At the same farm was an unrelated 4-year-old, virgin goat (Cloud) who's mother gives 1 1/2 gallons
per milking. The catch is that her mother has tight orifices. Imagine milking out three gallons a day through pinholes! The owner had bred Velvet (Cloud's mother) to a buck who has a line of big orifices. So Cloud is a HUGE risk. If she ends up like her mom with small orifices I can't milk her. Cloud is due in May. Michelle (the previous owner) SWEARS up and down that these goats are phenomenal and will give huge amounts of sweet milk but she also told me they were bred to kid last November and they weren't so unfortunately I have to take her words with a little pinch of salt.
Our buck Goatie is a registered Nubian buck with just about 1/7 nigerian dwarf. His lineage is full of beautiful, elastic udders; long, soft teats (even for first fresheners); sweet, copious amounts of milk; and lovely personalities. Since I have never milked Chamomile, Cloud or any of their relations I am hedging my bets with a breeding to Goatie. Anything the girls are deficient in he should be able to make up for without trouble. The goal in my milk goats is about a gallon of milk a day, per goat. If Chamomile and Cloud turn out to make that much with big orifices and long-enough teats then we will keep them. If they have fabulous milk, easy orifices, and over a gallon a day then we will also keep a daughter from each as well
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