Was great to see your goat program. My daughter and I raised purebred Nubian dairy goats. What a joy that was. My beautiful buck was many times Grand Champion in WA and OR. Many of our does and kids were Champions, (even State Champions!) That was 20 years ago! I'm 75 now, no goats, but will always love the years spent with our girls and boys!!!❤ Sweet to see you love and care for your girls so much!!!❤❤❤
Deborah I love that!! What great memories! Goats and such a joy and so much fun! I am sure your daughter will always remember getting to do that with you! I know I will always remember my early years with my Mom and raising our goats together! Thank you so much for your kind comment! In the process of getting a new goat video made! so stay tuned!!! ❤
Enjoyed this video very much and learned about goats more from it. Looking forward to have my own milking goats soon. You are inspiring. Thank you so much.
So Glad you enjoyed! Thank you!!! I'm So happy to be able to share! Oh you are going to love them!!! I'm so excited for you! I just love my goats! They are SO sweet!
🤣 LOL I know! He got milk for a long time though, and he has to be a big boy now! He was the cutest baby! And his FAVORITE thing was to go to town with me in the car! He would run and jump in, when he saw me get into the car! He was very good about wearing his seatbelt too ;) Shotgun was his fav and he would just lay down, in his seatbelt and enjoy the ride! ....I got some fun comments from the people that saw him waiting for me in the car 😅
He's quite the personality from the sounds of it 😂. I'm seriously thinking of having a milk goat. Do they fare better with another goat for company. I've got a gorgeous dog and I wondered if goats and dogs tolerated each other.
Thank you for the tip! I will let you know if I go ahead. I know I need to learn so much before I'm sure I can undertake to look after these beautiful creatures.
I am beyond impressed with all of your efforts!! We have thought about getting a couple Nigerian dies to breed to keep in milk for cheese and soaps. Your cheese and crackers look yummy❤️
I hope you can! They are so much fun! and Yes the milk and Cheese is soo good! We used to have a goats milk soap business also and LOVED our soaps! Nigerians are for sure harder to hand milk, but they do have amazing milk!
@@NorthFork-Ranch Thank you for taking the time to reply back! Do you find the Nigerian goats to be a decently healthy breed of goat? And what do they all eat?
@@jeffkey3158 Nigerians are very hardy goats! Which I really like. They need browse and Alfalfa in winter(about Dec-May Here in the PNW). I only feed grain while milking. Nigerians don't eat a whole lot compared to full sized goats...But then they dont give near as much milk.
Oh it’s been my dream for years to have a herd of big strong healthy dairy goats! I’m still praying it comes true. For when the time comes I’d love to know which breed to get. We have a very large family with lots of little ones. So I would love to get a medium to large breed of dairy goat with a great big milk production that is high in fat. ❤ I just loved your video it was so informative and inspiring.! ❤❤❤ blessings!
Thank you so much!!! I hope you can get goats!!! I just love my goats! Mini Saanens are seriously my very favorite breed! I LOVE Saanens, but like I mentioned keeping them fat while milking is hard, and also the low butterfat. But the Minis are amazing in both those areas! While still making a lot of milk! My does from good lines are gallon-a-day milkers as a Mini Saanen! So plenty of milk. If you can't find Minis, which you probably won't be able to as it feels like I'm the only one breeding them! Then starting with Saanens would be great!! I LOVE the personalities of Saanens! SO calm and SWEET and loving (great when you have little ones wanting to help with the goats!) Other breeds....Nubians tend to not be as healthy of a breed unless you live in a hotter/drier climate. They are loud....but they are beautiful and have really yummy milk. Alpines, Oberhasli and And Toggenburg don't tend to be as tame or laid back, though you can find good lines and sweet ones. LaManchas are SWEET! but I've had a very bad time with keeping them healthy/and kidding problems. Which COULD have just been the lines I had, but it was several that had issues. My Saamens/Minis have done so well in health/kidding in The PNW's wet rainy climate. Nigerians are Cute! But as far as providing milk for a big family not great! The milk is amazing! what there is of it! Nigerians are bullies to each other! But nothing is cuter than a Nigerian kid! And they are HARDY goats! I am one of 8 children! So We have always had Jersey milk cows as well as my dairy goats. I love my Jerseys too! and they provide a ton of amazing milk, plenty for a big family. I love having both goats and cows. 🥰
@@NorthFork-Ranch thank you so much for replying to my comment! The info is amazing. And from what you say maybe Saanens are the way to go for us. I’m the oldest of 9 kids. And yeah it’s been my dream for a long time. Can’t wait till the day comes. ❤️ I will definitely take in mind all that you told me. ❤️🐐
We are new to goats. I really appreciate the insight you have given us regarding milking. We bought our first goat with the intention of harvesting it. However, he's such a sweet gentle boy we decided to keep him and start our own herd. Thank you for teaching me the basics of goat milking. We love soft goat cheese and are really excited to get going on this new venture in homesteading. Many blessings for you and your channel 💚
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed and learned! I'm so excited for you getting goats! I just love mine! and so enjoy milking/cheese etc! Feel free to reach out with any question! I have been raising goats for nearly 20 years now, so I have learned a thing or two! Also planning to make more Goat videos in the future! so I can cover questions!
@@urbanhomesteadingchannel1813 Thank you so much!!!!! That means a ton to us as we start this channel! Its been a huge learning curve! Both in learning to talk into a camera! :p LOL... And to learn all the editing/processing that goes into getting every video up!!🙃
Excellent video! I have a question. Well, two questions, actually. What are the two flowers (the white and purple ones) near your Rosemary patch at the 23:48 mark?
I'm planning to do more videos on keeping goats, so I will include that! Thank you so much for the suggestion! I think Genetics play a huge role in milk production, types of feed do really help though. But it's always interesting to me, to be feeding the exact same feed to multiple goats, that are living in the same field, same barn, same feed amounts... one goat will give a lot more milk than the next. And also some goats will be fatter/healthier than the one giving less milk!
Hello new subscriber here🎉 love you videos. Am tempted to get some goats but undeceive. So I was going for the Nigerian for there sweet milk but not enough milk then I thought to go for the Saanen but don’t have enough land. So when I seen your breed mix that was perfect for me. What do you think I should breed better?? A 1. Saanen buck and a Nigerian doe 2. Saanen doe and Nigerian buck Or it really doesn’t matter??
Hello! Thank you so much for watching! I LOVE my Mini Saanens and they are perfect for both milk amounts and sweet creamy milk! Besides being super sweet goats! You really want to breed a Saanen Doe to the Nigerian buck, as the Saanen babies can be too big for a Nigerian doe to give birth to. Saanens are So very sweet, I really loved them, but they are so big, and eat a lot. But if you can find a Saanen doe, often you can rent a Nigerian Buck to breed her and not have to buy a buck. Mini Saanens are VERY rare, so more than likely you will have to breed your own.
I would normally have used about 1/4 cup of Vinegar in the 2 gallons of whey, but I was a little short this time. I just used what I had and it worked just fine. Thank you so much for watching!
Thank you so much! I didn't type the Ricotta recipe in the description, but are you able to see what I did clear enough in the video? Ricotta is pretty simple. After heating the whey up to 190 degree F (stirring often to keep it from burning or boiling over.) I added about 1/4 cup vinegar, then let it sit for a little before ladeling it into a cheese cloth.
My Minis milk between 3/4 gal to 1 gallon a day. Haylee (full Saanen is a little over 1 gallon a day, but I dont feed a lot of grain to any of my does, and its not dairy goat grain, which increases milk yield. I like to have them more natural pasture/browse fed and I don't push for more milk
Hi Maria! Is it her first time(year) being milked? Most does will settle down as they get more comfortable and settled into a milking routine...Like Lindy, my Nigerian did. Two things I do when I have a bad kicker, is to use a small jar you can hold onto, and pour milk into a bigger jar each time you have enough....that way if the milk gets kicked and spilled, you don't lose it all. The second thing is to try to never lose hold of the teat when she kicks. That way she doesnt get the win of getting you off...and that will make them stop trying as hard if they never get you off. Talk to her, calm her. Tell her it's OK. If that doesn't work, you can always tie their foot back, just far enough that she can still stand on it, but can't kick forward. And over time they will stop kicking and you can stop tying it back. Also its SO important to stay calm and sweet and reassure them! Often people think they are being "bad" when really they are uncomfortable and nervous! Its in them to protect their milk for their baby!
Hi - wondering if you have ever made an Italian goat cheese named "caprino" ? It can be eaten fresh within 3days of making or can be aged up to 60days. I would love to see how it's made
My goats refuse to eat the stinging nettles. Now I am wondering if it is a habit versus some kind of chemical reason they don't want to eat them. Where are you located? Perhaps they are a different variety? Any tips on training them? They also don't eat any of the nettles of which we have 3 or 4 varieties.
We are in Southern Coastal Oregon, not sure, often times goats will pick and choose, so if they have enough other things they might not touch it if they don't already know they like it...and sometimes goats are just picky. I have found Saanen and Nigerians to be some of the hardiest go-getters! of the breeds I have owned. My Nubian would stay in the barn if the others didn't leave her lone :D She's a baby
Hello mam I'm a new subscriber ❤. How did you get a gallon of milk per goat? I'm interested to know ❤️. Goats in our area only produce 2 liters. I'm interested to know ❤️
Hello! The biggest thing for milk production is breeding! Lines that are bred especially for milk production. My goats are Dairy breeds, so their main purpose is milk, not meat. Also good feed makes a big difference! Grains make a big impact on the amounts also.
Those crackers and cheese looks wonderful! Do you have those recipes (crackers) written down some where? I would love to make them. I just got my first goat, a mini nubian, she’s 1 yr old. I will breed her in the fall.
Sorry, I dont have the recipe written out, but you can see in the video the amounts I used! Its a really easy recipe and they are delicious! Congrats!! So excited for you!!
First of all Congratulations!! What breed of goats are you getting? How you prepare the milk for drinking is a personal conviction/choice. I encourage you to your own research on raw versus pasteurized milk, to make the choice for yourself. Either way, its important to milk in a clean place, wash their udders and strain your milk quickly, then get it in to the fridge to cool quickly. This helps a lot on the flavor, and making the milk last longer. Some people put the jars in an ice bath after straining, for faster cooling. I have always just put it in the fridge.
That depends, often once milk is frozen it kind of separates when you defrost it, That wouldn't work for making cheese. But if you defrost it and it looks normal, with no solids then it should work!
I put it into 1/4 cup water....then mix the water in so it mixes evenly. The bottle will tell you how much rennet to use, I personally use a bit more than they say.
Just discovered your channel. I love goats and your mix has me intrigued. Preparing for adjustments in lifestyle, I am looking into the consideration of cattle vs goats in a hot, dry area using the animals to work the land to improve the soil and reduce costs and of course, be a supply of food in its various forms. The adaptive, multi -paddock grazing system (AMP) exemplified in the carbon cowboys vlogs and other systems coping with fencing off the rotational paddocks, displayed in the video on the "heifers USA", TH-cam channel, have been taking my interest. I was wondering what you do to feed your goats during the seasons and how you improve soil quality, cut down costs on feed, demand on time and effort to run the farm and maintain a healthy herd.
Good for you! I'm sure you are going to love that new lifestyle!! Those are good questions. I live in The PNW Southern Coastal Oregon so we get a TON of rain ...60-80 inches a year, but very warm/mild temps (very little, to no summer rain.) So its very different here than the area you are looking at. But goats do amazing in hot/dry areas! Cows don't do quite as well in heat, and they need so much more feed/grass, that it may be hard to feed them, unless you have irrigation and/or a lot of acres. We have 128 acres and a lot of it is hill/logging land so the goats thrive in the forests! My cattle are mostly always in the pastures land. For most the year we have browse and grazing gulor, but in winter I have to feed at least some, depending on how much fall/winter growth the grass gets. I don't bother with feeding grass hay, since they are still browsing some, so I just feed Organic Alfalfa. And Milking goats get Organic grain. The Mini Saanens are hardy and easy goats! Nigerians are super thrifty and they pass that on..Compared to the Saanen that require a lot more feed to keep up with their output. As far as fertilizing, The animals themselves help fertilizer the soil and it is important to move them around just for parasite control alone. One thing we have going for us, is each winter we have flooding that brings down minerals/dirt from the hills that settle down onto the pastures. I don't do rotational grazing to the extent of say... Joel Salatin. But I do rotate which animals are in what pastures and when. Goats go after browse...the sheep and cows want the grass. Fjord horses get fat on NOTHING so they are normally in small paddocks with little grass and for the most part I keep them out of the best pastures as they eat it to the ground...and dont need that rich feed. I always separate nursing ewes/does with babies, from the rest of the herd/flock and give them the best feed/best pasture (at the time I did this video I have everyone back together again after selling most the kids) A few big things I have learned for a healthy herd...#1 feeding Sea Kelp! #2 #Apple Cider Vinegar is great for many things! I add it to their water. Also using natural wormers with Garlic and DE, feeding free choice minerals and baking soda, also keeping the barn doors open! so they have shelter, but dont spend hours locked up, they are healthier living outside!
Gosh, I have had that for so many years I can't remember where I bought it! This one looks pretty close. And also Milk filter link. (note*Both links are our Amazon Affiliate links) Strainer: samzn.to/48CO11B Filters: amzn.to/49wSPa4
Yes, most the time I do. It depends on how far in lactation they are. I dam raise all my kids, so I normally start milking after I sell their kids at 3 months old. And will milk 2x a day until Fall, when they go down in milk, then 1x a day until they are 2 months from kidding when I dry them.
I add it at 80F degrees. but its OK to be a little warmer or cooler. as long as it isnt too hot as that will kill the cultures. Yes, I use cow's milk yogurt mostly, but you can also use Goat milk yogurt or Kefir works too!
Wonderful video, Thankyou. I do have a question on cross breeding, do your goats refer back to Seasonal breeding 'Fall Breeding' or do they breed like the 'Nigerians' pattern of breeding, anytime of the year? I noticed that your Bucks are running with your Does in pasture. Second Question, if they refer to Fall Breeding, Spring Freshening, do you also selectively breed for year round milk production? Third question, do you save your kids off of your first generation of cross breeding? I'm just really curious, I've milked goats many years. I quit for a few years, but brought them back into my life again in 2018. I purchased Nigerians, I like them, really easy keepers at my age (62)years old now. Recently, I've seen how people are cross breeding them with larger dairy breeds, Lamancha, Nubians and now your cross breeding with Saanans. Can you explain your reasons beside what you have stated in your video, I believe was advantages of more production and better weight holding during production. I'm thinking of some cross breeding. Years ago when I had the a large breed herd, I thought nothing about running a specific breed of buck with my does. I thought it brought on good healthy traits in the herd, compared to purebred less vigorous traits. Again Thanks for the great video. I enjoy handmilking as well. God Bless.
@carmenzamastil1545 They seem to take after the Saanen for seasonal breeding, But My bucks are actually always wearing anti-breeding harnesses! So I can run the bucks with the does and never have to worry about breeding too young or too often. If I chose to breed for milking year round, I for sure could, but I enjoy the time off in winter, and it makes it easier on the does also. I normally have my Jerseys milking year round, so we always have milk. So with the Mini Saanens, there isn't anything that you have to "work on" like the Mini Nubian's ears etc., so my first Generation Mini Saanens are "Perfect" I haven't seen a difference in later generations, Haddie the Sable is a F2 and Harper is a F1. Only big differences have been the quality of the Saanen and Nigerian you start with. Saanens were/are my favorite breed, but there are a few things that aren't perfect about them. The are so large, they eat so much, their butterfat is low, and hard to keep weight on. The Nigerians have great milk! but they are small, their production isn't great and they aren't quite as sweet/easy going. The Minis come out perfect, medium sized, heave producers, high butterfat, GREAT temperament, hardier and stay fatter.
Thanks, you've answered everything I wanted and needed to know. And I agree with you in enjoying handmilking, because of the small teats with some of my Nigerian girls, I bought a milk machine. And quess what, I used it maybe 3 times,before I gifted it to someone else. It was so impersonal. I love that connection I feel with hand milking. The only plus I seen when I did use it was a Mama who was to full of colostrum when her babies were born, I was afraid they couldn't suckle. So I milked her down some and fed the babies. Again Thank you for answering my questions and sharing your jounery.
@@carmenzamastil1545 Yes! I have always felt that a machine would take away from the peace and bond with my animals. And yes Nigerians are hard at first!! Lindy (the doe in this Video), she kicked like crazy at first, with those tiny teats, plus her milk flow isnt the best it was terrible! took true grit to get through that time, but now she loves being milked and waits in line for her turn. But I for sure enjoy milking my Mini Saanens the best of all! I hope you can try them! and fall in love with them like I have!
@marycornacchia1308 That is a Milking Stanchion, It makes it more comfortable to milk goats, as its up off the ground so you can sit next to them. It also has their grain dish holder and a way to clip their heads in.
It looks like you run the buck with the does, I was told that the smell of the buck would make the milk bad. Is that correct? Or is it an old wives tale? I just subscribed because of your beautiful soul, I am a 70 year old that still loves to milk by hand. For the same reasons you stated, I love the time with my goats and it my quiet time as well. The morning milking gives me time to plan my day, the evening making calms my mind. Thank you for your beautiful video.
Awe I love this comment!! Thank you so much!! Yes! its such a relaxing quiet time!! ❤ It can make the milk strong, but I think time of year plays a big role, most the year the bucks are not in rut or smelly. And my milk is really mild! With the buck anti-breeding harness on them they are with the does, but unable to breed them. They are also a lot more laid back that way, compared to bucks that are in a pen, seeing and hearing the does, but unable to get to them. I believe that the main key to mild milk is based on the goat herself!! I have had wonderful milk with NO strong flavor from one goat..... and the next doe had such bad milk I couldn't stand to drink it.....two goats in the same herd, eating the same food, handling the milk the same way, and yet there was no comparison in the flavor! So mild milk is something I breed/select for. And the Mini Saanens have really nice milk!
@@NorthFork-Ranch thank you for such a detailed response. This helps me tremendously, I can now let my Buck hang out with my does. All will be happier. You’re a sweetheart.
@@learning2no You are so welcome! I do totally recommend the anti breeding harness if you let him live with them though! So that they don't get pregnant too young or too often...both are really hard on does but I'm sure you know that :)
We need more people like you in this world.
Well Thank you!!!
❤❤❤🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐂🦏
Well, that was fun. I’m hesitant to get Goats but the more I watch videos like this closer I get thank you.
The only thing that you will regret is waiting so long. Once you get your first goats it is instant pleasure. They are very loving.
Divine! You are so inspiring! Your goats are delightful. Thank you for the recipes for cheese and crackers and lessons on milking goats!
Raeann Thank you so much! :) I love my girls :)
Truly inspiring. Pace, music, with Excellent cinematography 10/10!🎼🥇
Thank you so much!!
Was great to see your goat program. My daughter and I raised purebred Nubian dairy goats. What a joy that was. My beautiful buck was many times Grand Champion in WA and OR. Many of our does and kids were Champions, (even State Champions!) That was 20 years ago! I'm 75 now, no goats, but will always love the years spent with our girls and boys!!!❤ Sweet to see you love and care for your girls so much!!!❤❤❤
Deborah I love that!! What great memories! Goats and such a joy and so much fun! I am sure your daughter will always remember getting to do that with you! I know I will always remember my early years with my Mom and raising our goats together! Thank you so much for your kind comment!
In the process of getting a new goat video made! so stay tuned!!! ❤
Nice👍
Thank you so much!
Divine! You are so inspiring! Your goats are delightful. Thank you for the recipes for cheese and crackers and lessons on milking goats!
Thank you so much!!!!
I love how they are all your absolute favorite goats 😂 thank you for making this video I’m just starting to build a structure to get some milks goats
LOL Its true! each one is my favorite til I get to the next 🤣😂
That is GREAT! You will have so much fun with them!
What a wonderful way you have with your goats
Thank you! I really love them, they are my pets really :)
Absolutely wonderful from beginning to end! I love this❤
Thank you so much!!!
Amazing!❤❤
Thank You So much!!!!!
You are an amazing young woman! New subscriber and I so enjoyed this video! This video is a keeper!
Thank you so much!!! I'm so happy you enjoyed! Thank you for subscribing!
You make me want goats ♥
Love this! Thank you for sharing! I hope to have my own goats soon! And I LOVE chèvre!!
@Momto6idz I hope you can! Goats are so sweet
Enjoyed this video very much and learned about goats more from it. Looking forward to have my own milking goats soon. You are inspiring. Thank you so much.
So Glad you enjoyed! Thank you!!! I'm So happy to be able to share! Oh you are going to love them!!! I'm so excited for you! I just love my goats! They are SO sweet!
Awesome
Thank you so much!!!!
Ya'll are living the dream, and doing it really well. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy it, too.
Thank you so much!!! 💖
I would cave in and give Harrison some of the milk 😂❤
🤣 LOL I know! He got milk for a long time though, and he has to be a big boy now!
He was the cutest baby! And his FAVORITE thing was to go to town with me in the car! He would run and jump in, when he saw me get into the car! He was very good about wearing his seatbelt too ;) Shotgun was his fav and he would just lay down, in his seatbelt and enjoy the ride! ....I got some fun comments from the people that saw him waiting for me in the car 😅
He's quite the personality from the sounds of it 😂. I'm seriously thinking of having a milk goat. Do they fare better with another goat for company. I've got a gorgeous dog and I wondered if goats and dogs tolerated each other.
@@lisathiedeman4487 That's great!! They are so fun! YES!! 100% need a buddy :) they are herd animals and really aren't happy living alone
Thank you for the tip! I will let you know if I go ahead. I know I need to learn so much before I'm sure I can undertake to look after these beautiful creatures.
@@lisathiedeman4487 Please do!!! And I would love to help in any way I can!
I am beyond impressed with all of your efforts!! We have thought about getting a couple Nigerian dies to breed to keep in milk for cheese and soaps. Your cheese and crackers look yummy❤️
I hope you can! They are so much fun! and Yes the milk and Cheese is soo good! We used to have a goats milk soap business also and LOVED our soaps! Nigerians are for sure harder to hand milk, but they do have amazing milk!
@@NorthFork-Ranch Thank you for taking the time to reply back! Do you find the Nigerian goats to be a decently healthy breed of goat? And what do they all eat?
@@jeffkey3158 Nigerians are very hardy goats! Which I really like. They need browse and Alfalfa in winter(about Dec-May Here in the PNW). I only feed grain while milking. Nigerians don't eat a whole lot compared to full sized goats...But then they dont give near as much milk.
I've never seen Chevre made like that, so interesting!!!!
I love my Mini Saanen milk it is so tasty!
Great video! Is love these recipes!
Thank you so much!!
Beautiful. I love everything you covered.
Thank you so much Mary! So glad you enjoyed!!!
Video is a real lesson)
Wow. What a great video. So glad to see you doing it the right way, naturally.
Thank you so much!
@@NorthFork-Ranch I had 2 Nigerians. Beautiful and friendly little guys. Made me miss them a lot lol
Beautiful goats 🐐 and very relaxing video. Thank you
Thank you so much!
Good content .
Relaxing background music
Thanks
Thank you!
I love saunan milk goats.
I do too! They are the sweetest goats!
Thank you for sharing watching from Malaysia
waooo
Amazing video.. earned my sub and share❤
Thank you so much!!!
Amazing talent that you have ! Congratulations
Well Thank you!!
Your videos are so well done :) I want that cheeeeese!!!
Thank you so much Larissa!!
Oh it’s been my dream for years to have a herd of big strong healthy dairy goats! I’m still praying it comes true. For when the time comes I’d love to know which breed to get. We have a very large family with lots of little ones. So I would love to get a medium to large breed of dairy goat with a great big milk production that is high in fat. ❤ I just loved your video it was so informative and inspiring.! ❤❤❤ blessings!
Thank you so much!!! I hope you can get goats!!! I just love my goats!
Mini Saanens are seriously my very favorite breed! I LOVE Saanens, but like I mentioned keeping them fat while milking is hard, and also the low butterfat. But the Minis are amazing in both those areas! While still making a lot of milk! My does from good lines are gallon-a-day milkers as a Mini Saanen! So plenty of milk. If you can't find Minis, which you probably won't be able to as it feels like I'm the only one breeding them! Then starting with Saanens would be great!! I LOVE the personalities of Saanens! SO calm and SWEET and loving (great when you have little ones wanting to help with the goats!)
Other breeds....Nubians tend to not be as healthy of a breed unless you live in a hotter/drier climate. They are loud....but they are beautiful and have really yummy milk.
Alpines, Oberhasli and And Toggenburg don't tend to be as tame or laid back, though you can find good lines and sweet ones. LaManchas are SWEET! but I've had a very bad time with keeping them healthy/and kidding problems. Which COULD have just been the lines I had, but it was several that had issues. My Saamens/Minis have done so well in health/kidding in The PNW's wet rainy climate.
Nigerians are Cute! But as far as providing milk for a big family not great! The milk is amazing! what there is of it! Nigerians are bullies to each other! But nothing is cuter than a Nigerian kid! And they are HARDY goats!
I am one of 8 children! So We have always had Jersey milk cows as well as my dairy goats. I love my Jerseys too! and they provide a ton of amazing milk, plenty for a big family. I love having both goats and cows. 🥰
@@NorthFork-Ranch thank you so much for replying to my comment! The info is amazing. And from what you say maybe Saanens are the way to go for us. I’m the oldest of 9 kids. And yeah it’s been my dream for a long time. Can’t wait till the day comes. ❤️ I will definitely take in mind all that you told me. ❤️🐐
Lovely video and thank you for adding that wonderful scripture!!
Thank you for a very interesting show. Keep up the good work
Thank you!!
Inspirational
Thank you so much!
We are new to goats. I really appreciate the insight you have given us regarding milking. We bought our first goat with the intention of harvesting it. However, he's such a sweet gentle boy we decided to keep him and start our own herd. Thank you for teaching me the basics of goat milking. We love soft goat cheese and are really excited to get going on this new venture in homesteading. Many blessings for you and your channel 💚
Oh btw both my husband and I have subscribed 😊
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed and learned! I'm so excited for you getting goats! I just love mine! and so enjoy milking/cheese etc! Feel free to reach out with any question! I have been raising goats for nearly 20 years now, so I have learned a thing or two! Also planning to make more Goat videos in the future! so I can cover questions!
@@urbanhomesteadingchannel1813 Thank you so much!!!!! That means a ton to us as we start this channel! Its been a huge learning curve! Both in learning to talk into a camera! :p LOL... And to learn all the editing/processing that goes into getting every video up!!🙃
wot a lovely young lady
Excellent video! I have a question. Well, two questions, actually. What are the two flowers (the white and purple ones) near your Rosemary patch at the 23:48 mark?
Thank you so much!! The Flowers are both varieties of Dahlias.
Sweet girl..i am very happy looking your farm,interesting,educational,much love.shamim zahuri from bangladesh💞👏👬🧚♀️🕊🛩🇧🇩
Thank you for watching! So glad you enjoyed!
Soo much information, and very pleasant to watch. You are an inspiration to me. New subscriber. Thank you ❤
Thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Can you make a video about what do you feed your dairy goats so they give you the maximum milk
I'm planning to do more videos on keeping goats, so I will include that! Thank you so much for the suggestion!
I think Genetics play a huge role in milk production, types of feed do really help though. But it's always interesting to me, to be feeding the exact same feed to multiple goats, that are living in the same field, same barn, same feed amounts... one goat will give a lot more milk than the next. And also some goats will be fatter/healthier than the one giving less milk!
lovely!!!!!
Thank you!
Gracias❤
I have had goats Saanen and Alpines for over 20 years and the average fat content in the milk of Saanen is 3.2 %
I have read that Mini Saanen butterfat is 5.33- 6.26%!! You can for sure taste the difference in their milk, compared to Haylee's.
would love to taste that cheese
This is amazing
Thank you so much!
Good job
Thank you so much!
Great video!! Really well made!!
Thank you so much!
Super woman, great job
Lol not really, But Thank you! :D
Hello new subscriber here🎉 love you videos. Am tempted to get some goats but undeceive. So I was going for the Nigerian for there sweet milk but not enough milk then I thought to go for the Saanen but don’t have enough land. So when I seen your breed mix that was perfect for me. What do you think I should breed better?? A
1. Saanen buck and a Nigerian doe
2. Saanen doe and Nigerian buck
Or it really doesn’t matter??
Hello! Thank you so much for watching!
I LOVE my Mini Saanens and they are perfect for both milk amounts and sweet creamy milk! Besides being super sweet goats!
You really want to breed a Saanen Doe to the Nigerian buck, as the Saanen babies can be too big for a Nigerian doe to give birth to. Saanens are So very sweet, I really loved them, but they are so big, and eat a lot. But if you can find a Saanen doe, often you can rent a Nigerian Buck to breed her and not have to buy a buck. Mini Saanens are VERY rare, so more than likely you will have to breed your own.
Bravooooo
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for this! Can you tell us how much and vinegar and the acidity that you used?
I would normally have used about 1/4 cup of Vinegar in the 2 gallons of whey, but I was a little short this time. I just used what I had and it worked just fine. Thank you so much for watching!
Love love this. Did you put the directions for the ricotta?
Thank you so much!
I didn't type the Ricotta recipe in the description, but are you able to see what I did clear enough in the video? Ricotta is pretty simple. After heating the whey up to 190 degree F (stirring often to keep it from burning or boiling over.) I added about 1/4 cup vinegar, then let it sit for a little before ladeling it into a cheese cloth.
How much milk does one of your mini sanans make? And full sanan?
My Minis milk between 3/4 gal to 1 gallon a day. Haylee (full Saanen is a little over 1 gallon a day, but I dont feed a lot of grain to any of my does, and its not dairy goat grain, which increases milk yield. I like to have them more natural pasture/browse fed and I don't push for more milk
How do you get your goats to not kick? I have 2 that are fine but the third fights horribly no matter what I do
Hi Maria! Is it her first time(year) being milked? Most does will settle down as they get more comfortable and settled into a milking routine...Like Lindy, my Nigerian did. Two things I do when I have a bad kicker, is to use a small jar you can hold onto, and pour milk into a bigger jar each time you have enough....that way if the milk gets kicked and spilled, you don't lose it all.
The second thing is to try to never lose hold of the teat when she kicks. That way she doesnt get the win of getting you off...and that will make them stop trying as hard if they never get you off. Talk to her, calm her. Tell her it's OK.
If that doesn't work, you can always tie their foot back, just far enough that she can still stand on it, but can't kick forward. And over time they will stop kicking and you can stop tying it back.
Also its SO important to stay calm and sweet and reassure them! Often people think they are being "bad" when really they are uncomfortable and nervous! Its in them to protect their milk for their baby!
And do you feed them grain?
Yes,. Not a lot of grain and its Organic grains, no additives.
Hi - wondering if you have ever made an Italian goat cheese named "caprino" ? It can be eaten fresh within 3days of making or can be aged up to 60days. I would love to see how it's made
I haven't made it before. But sounds delicious!
My goats refuse to eat the stinging nettles. Now I am wondering if it is a habit versus some kind of chemical reason they don't want to eat them. Where are you located? Perhaps they are a different variety? Any tips on training them? They also don't eat any of the nettles of which we have 3 or 4 varieties.
We are in Southern Coastal Oregon, not sure, often times goats will pick and choose, so if they have enough other things they might not touch it if they don't already know they like it...and sometimes goats are just picky.
I have found Saanen and Nigerians to be some of the hardiest go-getters! of the breeds I have owned. My Nubian would stay in the barn if the others didn't leave her lone :D She's a baby
I have tried to transplant thistle for my goats but it hasn’t worked so far.
Hello mam I'm a new subscriber ❤. How did you get a gallon of milk per goat? I'm interested to know ❤️. Goats in our area only produce 2 liters. I'm interested to know ❤️
Hello! The biggest thing for milk production is breeding! Lines that are bred especially for milk production. My goats are Dairy breeds, so their main purpose is milk, not meat. Also good feed makes a big difference! Grains make a big impact on the amounts also.
Those crackers and cheese looks wonderful! Do you have those recipes (crackers) written down some where? I would love to make them. I just got my first goat, a mini nubian, she’s 1 yr old. I will breed her in the fall.
Sorry, I dont have the recipe written out, but you can see in the video the amounts I used! Its a really easy recipe and they are delicious!
Congrats!! So excited for you!!
Great, why not adding renin if making cheese
Yes, I added rennet
What needs to be done for the milk to be drinkable? I’m buying my first goats soon and I’ve never had them before.
First of all Congratulations!! What breed of goats are you getting?
How you prepare the milk for drinking is a personal conviction/choice. I encourage you to your own research on raw versus pasteurized milk, to make the choice for yourself. Either way, its important to milk in a clean place, wash their udders and strain your milk quickly, then get it in to the fridge to cool quickly. This helps a lot on the flavor, and making the milk last longer. Some people put the jars in an ice bath after straining, for faster cooling. I have always just put it in the fridge.
Recipes please! Thank you.
Check the description box below the video!
You can also get most of it from the Video :)
Can I make goat cheese from my previously frozen thawed goat milk?
That depends, often once milk is frozen it kind of separates when you defrost it, That wouldn't work for making cheese. But if you defrost it and it looks normal, with no solids then it should work!
What do you put the rennet into? And what measurements?
I put it into 1/4 cup water....then mix the water in so it mixes evenly. The bottle will tell you how much rennet to use, I personally use a bit more than they say.
I live in North Fork California I'm curious where you are ?
We are in Southern Coastal Oregon. :) Our Ranch is on the North Fork of the River
Just discovered your channel. I love goats and your mix has me intrigued. Preparing for adjustments in lifestyle, I am looking into the consideration of cattle vs goats in a hot, dry area using the animals to work the land to improve the soil and reduce costs and of course, be a supply of food in its various forms. The adaptive, multi -paddock grazing system (AMP) exemplified in the carbon cowboys vlogs and other systems coping with fencing off the rotational paddocks, displayed in the video on the "heifers USA", TH-cam channel, have been taking my interest. I was wondering what you do to feed your goats during the seasons and how you improve soil quality, cut down costs on feed, demand on time and effort to run the farm and maintain a healthy herd.
Good for you! I'm sure you are going to love that new lifestyle!!
Those are good questions. I live in The PNW Southern Coastal Oregon so we get a TON of rain ...60-80 inches a year, but very warm/mild temps (very little, to no summer rain.) So its very different here than the area you are looking at.
But goats do amazing in hot/dry areas!
Cows don't do quite as well in heat, and they need so much more feed/grass, that it may be hard to feed them, unless you have irrigation and/or a lot of acres.
We have 128 acres and a lot of it is hill/logging land so the goats thrive in the forests! My cattle are mostly always in the pastures land. For most the year we have browse and grazing gulor, but in winter I have to feed at least some, depending on how much fall/winter growth the grass gets.
I don't bother with feeding grass hay, since they are still browsing some, so I just feed Organic Alfalfa. And Milking goats get Organic grain. The Mini Saanens are hardy and easy goats! Nigerians are super thrifty and they pass that on..Compared to the Saanen that require a lot more feed to keep up with their output.
As far as fertilizing, The animals themselves help fertilizer the soil and it is important to move them around just for parasite control alone.
One thing we have going for us, is each winter we have flooding that brings down minerals/dirt from the hills that settle down onto the pastures. I don't do rotational grazing to the extent of say... Joel Salatin. But I do rotate which animals are in what pastures and when. Goats go after browse...the sheep and cows want the grass. Fjord horses get fat on NOTHING so they are normally in small paddocks with little grass and for the most part I keep them out of the best pastures as they eat it to the ground...and dont need that rich feed.
I always separate nursing ewes/does with babies, from the rest of the herd/flock and give them the best feed/best pasture (at the time I did this video I have everyone back together again after selling most the kids)
A few big things I have learned for a healthy herd...#1 feeding Sea Kelp! #2 #Apple Cider Vinegar is great for many things! I add it to their water.
Also using natural wormers with Garlic and DE, feeding free choice minerals and baking soda, also keeping the barn doors open! so they have shelter, but dont spend hours locked up, they are healthier living outside!
Can you tell me what the temperature in the milk before you added the yogurt?
Approximately 80 degrees F, But it can be a few degrees either side of that.
Thank you for watching!
Can you tell me where you get that milk strainer ? Thank you 😊
Gosh, I have had that for so many years I can't remember where I bought it!
This one looks pretty close. And also Milk filter link. (note*Both links are our Amazon Affiliate links)
Strainer: samzn.to/48CO11B
Filters: amzn.to/49wSPa4
Nice video..u milk twice a day?
Yes, most the time I do. It depends on how far in lactation they are. I dam raise all my kids, so I normally start milking after I sell their kids at 3 months old. And will milk 2x a day until Fall, when they go down in milk, then 1x a day until they are 2 months from kidding when I dry them.
❤✅👍🏾
Loved the tutorial. What temperature was the milk b4 you put in the yogurt? What a great video!
I warm it to about 85 degrees or so, The full recipe is in the description box.
Thank you for watching!
Hey, what is the right temperature to add the yogurt culture? And is it a cow milk yogurt?
I add it at 80F degrees. but its OK to be a little warmer or cooler. as long as it isnt too hot as that will kill the cultures. Yes, I use cow's milk yogurt mostly, but you can also use Goat milk yogurt or Kefir works too!
Wonderful video, Thankyou. I do have a question on cross breeding, do your goats refer back to Seasonal breeding 'Fall Breeding' or do they breed like the 'Nigerians' pattern of breeding, anytime of the year?
I noticed that your Bucks are running with your Does in pasture.
Second Question, if they refer to Fall Breeding, Spring Freshening, do you also selectively breed for year round milk production?
Third question, do you save your kids off of your first generation of cross breeding?
I'm just really curious, I've milked goats many years. I quit for a few years, but brought them back into my life again in 2018. I purchased Nigerians, I like them, really easy keepers at my age (62)years old now.
Recently, I've seen how people are cross breeding them with larger dairy breeds, Lamancha, Nubians and now your cross breeding with Saanans. Can you explain your reasons beside what you have stated in your video, I believe was advantages of more production and better weight holding during production.
I'm thinking of some cross breeding. Years ago when I had the a large breed herd, I thought nothing about running a specific breed of buck with my does. I thought it brought on good healthy traits in the herd, compared to purebred less vigorous traits.
Again Thanks for the great video. I enjoy handmilking as well. God Bless.
@carmenzamastil1545 They seem to take after the Saanen for seasonal breeding, But My bucks are actually always wearing anti-breeding harnesses! So I can run the bucks with the does and never have to worry about breeding too young or too often. If I chose to breed for milking year round, I for sure could, but I enjoy the time off in winter, and it makes it easier on the does also. I normally have my Jerseys milking year round, so we always have milk.
So with the Mini Saanens, there isn't anything that you have to "work on" like the Mini Nubian's ears etc., so my first Generation Mini Saanens are "Perfect" I haven't seen a difference in later generations, Haddie the Sable is a F2 and Harper is a F1. Only big differences have been the quality of the Saanen and Nigerian you start with.
Saanens were/are my favorite breed, but there are a few things that aren't perfect about them. The are so large, they eat so much, their butterfat is low, and hard to keep weight on. The Nigerians have great milk! but they are small, their production isn't great and they aren't quite as sweet/easy going. The Minis come out perfect, medium sized, heave producers, high butterfat, GREAT temperament, hardier and stay fatter.
Thanks, you've answered everything I wanted and needed to know.
And I agree with you in enjoying handmilking, because of the small teats with some of my Nigerian girls, I bought a milk machine. And quess what, I used it maybe 3 times,before I gifted it to someone else. It was so impersonal. I love that connection I feel with hand milking. The only plus I seen when I did use it was a Mama who was to full of colostrum when her babies were born, I was afraid they couldn't suckle. So I milked her down some and fed the babies.
Again Thank you for answering my questions and sharing your jounery.
@@carmenzamastil1545 Yes! I have always felt that a machine would take away from the peace and bond with my animals. And yes Nigerians are hard at first!! Lindy (the doe in this Video), she kicked like crazy at first, with those tiny teats, plus her milk flow isnt the best it was terrible! took true grit to get through that time, but now she loves being milked and waits in line for her turn. But I for sure enjoy milking my Mini Saanens the best of all! I hope you can try them! and fall in love with them like I have!
What do you do with the whey ?
You are from
We are in Oregon, USA
very good lady with your goats
Why is she standing on a wired surface?
@marycornacchia1308 That is a Milking Stanchion, It makes it more comfortable to milk goats, as its up off the ground so you can sit next to them. It also has their grain dish holder and a way to clip their heads in.
It looks like you run the buck with the does, I was told that the smell of the buck would make the milk bad. Is that correct? Or is it an old wives tale? I just subscribed because of your beautiful soul, I am a 70 year old that still loves to milk by hand. For the same reasons you stated, I love the time with my goats and it my quiet time as well. The morning milking gives me time to plan my day, the evening making calms my mind. Thank you for your beautiful video.
Awe I love this comment!! Thank you so much!! Yes! its such a relaxing quiet time!! ❤
It can make the milk strong, but I think time of year plays a big role, most the year the bucks are not in rut or smelly. And my milk is really mild! With the buck anti-breeding harness on them they are with the does, but unable to breed them. They are also a lot more laid back that way, compared to bucks that are in a pen, seeing and hearing the does, but unable to get to them.
I believe that the main key to mild milk is based on the goat herself!! I have had wonderful milk with NO strong flavor from one goat..... and the next doe had such bad milk I couldn't stand to drink it.....two goats in the same herd, eating the same food, handling the milk the same way, and yet there was no comparison in the flavor! So mild milk is something I breed/select for. And the Mini Saanens have really nice milk!
@@NorthFork-Ranch thank you for such a detailed response. This helps me tremendously, I can now let my Buck hang out with my does. All will be happier. You’re a sweetheart.
@@learning2no You are so welcome! I do totally recommend the anti breeding harness if you let him live with them though! So that they don't get pregnant too young or too often...both are really hard on does but I'm sure you know that :)
@@NorthFork-Ranch i can’t believe how inexpensive the anti breeding aprons are.