Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
These goats fit nicely into our backyard and not only clear the fence line, but provide meat and milk
for our family.
Lacaune Sheep.
These sheep have been very carefully bred into highly productive milking sheep
that will now produce 200 to 500 pounds of milk each year (from U.S. bloodlines). While the
European lines still produce better than those breeding lines available in the United States, there
is a great market for sheep cheeses in the United States. They are more heat tolerant than the East
Fresians, and their milk has a slightly higher butterfat content. They do not produce any real wool
to speak of, and also produce fewer
lambs
compared to the East Fresians.
deFinitiOn
A
buck
is a male goat; a
doe
is a female goat. A
wether
is a castrated goat. A
ram
is a male sheep; a
ewe
is
a female sheep. Baby sheep are called
lambs.
La Mancha.
We started with La Mancha goats in our herd because they were available in our area
and produce a lot of milk. We get between
1
⁄
2
and 1 gallon of milk per day per doe, which provides
plenty of milk for my family. La Manchas have a slighter build, though, and usually we breed them
with a Boer or Nubian buck so the offspring will be better suited for meat purposes. One of the
biggest stand-out features of the La Manchas is that they have very small or even nonexistent ears.
Ours are friendly, vocal, and personable.
Nigerian Dwarf.
Nigerian goats have a great disposition, and their smaller size makes them popu-
lar for a backyard space. Not as well suited as a meat goat because of the small size and thin build,
the Nigerian dwarfs are rock stars as milkers. A doe can produce 2 quarts of milk per day and
their milk has a higher butterfat and higher protein level than many of the other milking breeds.
Because they are so easy to handle, they are popular for 4-H projects, children's pets, or first-time
owners.
