Frequently Asked Questions - Breeding & Milking
Welcome to our comprehensive guide to all things goats! Whether you're seeking a beginner's guide to dairy goat keeping, eager to dive deeper into the essentials of getting started with a dairy goat herd, or expanding your goat-keeping knowledge, you've come to the right place. Our 15 years of experience holistically raising Nigerian Dwarf goats for our hobby dairy farm has given us a great deal of information and insights and we are happy to share with you to make your experience with Nigerian Dwarf goats as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.
Explore our FAQs to gain valuable knowledge that will empower you on your goat-keeping adventure. We also share our daily experiences on Instagram so be sure to give us a follow if you you're looking for micro-learning opportunities... and also cute baby goats!
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We are now offering Goat Classes: Check out our Homestead Academy for classes on basic goat care to advanced breeding and kidding.
If you don't see your question listed here, please contact us and we would be happy to answer it.
Do I need to own a buck to breed my does?
Does Red Rooster Ranch offer stud service?
How do I decide which buck to use with each doe?
How do I use adga.org to create a breeding plan?
How many times a year is it safe to breed a goat?
What are your goat birth kit essentials?
What vitamins or supplements do breeding goats require?
Do I have to breed my does in order for them to produce milk?
How can I know and predict the color genetics of my goats?
How do goat genetics work?/Eye color, colors, and polled genetic breakdown.
How many babies can one doe have at once?
Are ND goats good for milking?
When can you start milking a goat /ND?
When can I breed my young goat?/What size is safe to breed my yearling goat?
How do I train my goat to be milked?
How do I safely dry up a goat in milk?
How do I bottle-train baby goats?
Can I milk my goat while she is nursing her babies?
How much milk do goats produce?
Is raw goat milk safe to drink?
What can I use raw goat milk for?
Can I feed raw goat milk to my dogs/puppies?
Should I host LA or find a local herd?
Do I have to LA all of my herd?
What are these numbers and symbols on my goat’s papers?
What is the value of registering my goat herd?
How do I keep good records for my herd?
How do I track breeding and due dates for my dairy goat herd?
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Do I need to own a buck to breed my does?
You do not need to own a buck to breed your does but you will need to find a breeder who either offers stud service, stud leasing, or semen sales. If you opt for the latter, you will also want to find a reproductive vet w/ AI (artificial insemination) experience.
Many breeders, us included, do not loan out or lease their bucks because the risk of bringing in disease far outweighs the income generated by these agreements. If you are fortunate enough to find someone willing to share with you, be sure to see a bio security blood test with all negative results for CAE, Q-Fever, CL, Johnne’s and Brucellosis. The owner of the buck will likely ask for these results from you as well. Be sure results are recent, within 6 months.
Does Red Rooster Ranch offer stud service?
No, we do not, sorry! We have strict bio security practices in place to keep our goats safe and healthy. We do now offer semen sales!
How do I decide which buck to use with each doe?
Choose a buck that complements your doe’s strengths and improves on her weaknesses, considering traits like conformation, milk production, and genetics. Use ADGA.org to create planned pedigrees.
How do I use adga.org to create a breeding plan?
Use ADGA's pedigree search and performance programs to research lineage, milk records, and appraisals to match does and bucks for desired traits. Enter in the name of the sire and dam of the prospective breeding and click, generate. You will be given a detailed pedigree of what those offspring will look like.
How many times a year is it safe to breed a goat?
Breeding dairy goats once per year allows does adequate time for recovery and milk production. Meat goats that wean their babies around 2-3 months old could withstand twice a year breedings however, many breeds of goats are only fertile in the fall for spring kids.
What are your goat birth kit essentials?
Essentials include clean towels, gloves, iodine for dipping umbilical cords, lubricants, and emergency supplies like calcium and electrolytes.
A complete list can be found in our article detailing everything we keep in our holistic goat birth kit. Our Breeding & Kidding class session 4 covers Goat Kidding Preparedness if you are looking for more information on our birth management strategies.
What vitamins or supplements do breeding goats require?
Key supplements include B complex, zinc, copper, selenium, and proper goat specific, loose minerals to support fertility, pregnancy, and kidding health.
Do I have to breed my does in order for them to produce milk?
Yes, does must be bred and give birth to produce milk. Rarely, a doe can have what is called a “precocious udder” where milk or milk-like fluid builds up in her udder when she is not pregnant nor has she recently delivered. This is usually due to an infection and/or hormone imbalance. Do not milk the udder. Consult your vet to determine the best treatment plan.
How can I know and predict the color genetics of my goats?
​Use tools like the Nigerian Dwarf Color Genetics website to understand the inheritance patterns for coat and eye colors.
Our Breeding & Kidding class session 9 covers Goat Genetics if you are looking for more information how we breed for eye and coat colors.
How do goat genetics work?/Eye color, colors, and polled genetic breakdown.
​Goat genetics follow simple Mendelian inheritance for traits like coat color, eye color, and polled or horned status.
Our Breeding & Kidding class session 9 covers Goat Genetics if you are looking for more information how we breed for eye and coat colors.
How many babies can one doe have at once?
Nigerian Dwarf does can have 1–7 kids per kidding, with twins and triplets being most common. “Litters” over 4 can produce very small, fragile kids and require a lot of intervention to keep everyone thriving.
How long is goat gestation?
The average gestation period is about 150 days for standard breeds and 145 days for miniature breeds like pygmy and nigerian dwarf.
How does goat milk taste?
Goat milk is rich and creamy, often described as slightly sweeter than cow's milk due to the higher butterfat content. Some breeds have a stronger “goat” flavor than other and some are even bred for strong flavor for goat cheese making. Nigerian Dwarf goats have the sweetest milk of all the goat breeds making them the first choice for most hobby goat dairy farms.
Are Nigerian Dwarf goats good for milking?
Yes, Nigerian Dwarf goats are categorized as miniature dairy goats and are excellent for milking, producing high-butterfat, sweet-tasting milk. They produce about a quart of milk a day on average. Some Nigerians produce close to a gallon a day! As a dwarf breed, they eat about half that of a standard goat but still produce plenty of milk for the average household. These characteristics, along with their fun colors and personalities, have brought Nigerian Dwarf goats to the head of the herd in popularity among the homestead movement.
When can you start milking your goat?
You can begin milking a doe after she gives birth, typically within the first 12-24 hours. The first 24-36 hours will be colostrum. After the first 36 hours, the doe is now producing milk however, many goat breeders report an “off” taste for the first 1-2 weeks after kidding.
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If you opt to begin milking your doe right away, be sure to supplement her babies with bottles to ensure they are receiving enough milk. Milk sharing is possible and many hobby dairy farms separate the babies overnight offering morning bottles while milking the does each morning. Kids spend the day with their dams, nursing on demand.
How often do goats breed?
Nigerians Dwarf goats typically come into heat every 21 days all year round while other breeds of goats are only fertile in the fall yet still follow a 21 day heat cycle. Fertility rates in Nigerian Dwarfs are lower during the hot summer months but many farms successfully breed in summer months for fall kiddings.
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Spring is the most common time goat kids are born and when a buyer would be able to find kids available for sale. However, note that a lot of well known, competitive herds will be sold out before their kids are even born. Be sure to get on their reservation list asap if you are interested in buying from a specific herd.
Can I breed related goats?
Yes but you will have to monitor the offspring closely for genetic defects and/or neurological issues. Purposefully breeding on the same genetics is called linebreeding and is a common practice in competitive performance herds. Linebreeding is acceptable when carefully planned.
When can I breed my young goat?/What size is safe to breed my yearling goat?
Young does can safely be bred once they are at least 8 months old and have reached 60-70% of their adult weight to safely carry and deliver kids. A doe that delivers her first kids as a one year old is a called a yearling first freshener.
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Bucklings are fertile as young as eight weeks old and should be separated from females by this age. Once a buckling can “extend” his penis, he is considered fertile. It becomes a matter of being able to reach the doe and her submitting to a young buck at this point. We have had bucks as young as 5 months old settle adult does.
Note that young does are fertile by 12 weeks yet it is very dangerous for them to be bred this young. Keeping your young does separate from bucks is imperative.
How do I train my goat to be milked?
Start handling the goat’s udder before kidding, use a sturdy milk stand, and be patient with gentle repetition.
How do I safely dry up a goat in milk?
Gradually reduce milking frequency and grain intake while monitoring for signs of mastitis.
How do I bottle-train baby goats?
Before 3 weeks old, separate your kids from mom overnight, for about 8-10 hours. Offer warm milk at the correct temperature (101.5–103.5°F) in a goat-specific bottle, and be patient during the transition.
​We offer newborn babies warm colostrum right from their mama. Their first meal is from a bottle which has drastically reduced the stress of bottle training. It also ensures kids get plenty of colostrum at birth.
Can I milk my goat while she is nursing her babies?
Yes, you can share milk with her kids, but ensure the kids are getting enough by monitoring their growth. Separate babies from their moms during the night and milk out the moms in the morning. Kids under 5 weeks will do well to receive a bottle of warmed milk in the morning while waiting for mom to get milked.
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Milk sharing or hybrid dam-bottle raising also creates very friendly kids who are bottled trained and ready to go to their new homes earlier than exclusively dam-raised kids.
How much milk do goats produce?
Nigerian Dwarfs can produce 2–8 pounds of milk daily, depending on genetics and management.
Is raw goat milk safe to drink?
While the US government considers raw milk unsafe, Raw goat milk has been sought after and considered a super food in many homesteading communities. Safe collection and handling practices are a must for anyone wanting to consume raw milk.
What can I use raw goat milk for?
Raw goat milk is versatile and can be used for drinking, cheese, yogurt, soap, and lotion.
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Can I feed raw goat milk to my dogs/puppies?
Yes, raw goat milk is a nutritious option for dogs and puppies (and cats too!) Many seasoned rescues use raw goat milk as the universal milk replacers for dogs and cats as they see a drastic health difference verses pet formulas.
What is DHIR?
DHIR (Dairy Herd Improvement Registry) is a program for testing and recording milk production and quality.
What is milk testing?
Milk testing measures production, butterfat, protein, and somatic cell counts to evaluate a doe's performance.
What is linear appraisal?
Linear appraisal is a scoring system that evaluates a goat's conformation and functional traits by ADGA judges that compare each goat to the ideal goat.
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Appraisals are a great alternative to showing your goats. Not everyone has the time or means to travel to goat shows. Additionally, many goat breeders consider showing too risky for the health of their herd. In highly competitive areas like Southern California, a very nice goat may not do well at shows where an appraisal score would highlight her strengths.
Should I sign up for Linear Appraisals?
Linear Appraisals are beneficial for improving herd quality and breeding decisions by identifying strengths and weaknesses. High LA scores can increase the value of your goat herd and help you to understand what to look for when buying new goats for your herd.
Should I host Linear Appraisals or find a local herd?
Hosting linear appraisal can be convenient if enough goats participate, but joining a nearby herd's session may save costs.
Do I have to Appraisal all of my herd?
Yes, you are supposed to include all of the does in milk in your appraisal but dry does, injured or sick goats can be excused. Bucks are optional.
What are these numbers and symbols on my goat’s papers?
These represent performance data like milk testing awards, linear appraisal scores, and pedigree details.
What is the value of registering my goat herd?
Registration adds value by documenting pedigree, performance data, and eligibility for shows or programs like DHIR.
How do I keep good records for my herd?
Use a system to track breeding, health, milk production, and registration details for each goat. We love using spreadsheets to keep complete records that can easily be accessed.
How do I track breeding and due dates for my dairy goat herd?
Record the breeding date and count 145/150 days forward to estimate due dates, using a calendar or software for reminders.