Howdy folks!
My name is Pat. Me and my wife Karen are retired to Middle Tennessee. We have chickens, guineas, turkeys, honeybees and dogs. We're trying to reduce our dependence on the outside for food, and dairy is a real weak spot. We recently tried our hand at cheese with reasonable success (30 minute mozzarella) and I'm a milk drinker, my wife is not. We use milk for coking and both eat butter and cheese. Adding another variety of meat to our diet would be good too.
The cheesemaking, no real bargain if you have to buy the milk, got me to thinking about dairy animals. I'm not up to wrestling with a cow or large goat. Sheep looked interesting because they are supposed to yield twice the amount of cheese for a goven quantity of milk, but I've been told there's a "wang" to the milk and it's not usually drunk as a beverage. Shame, I like lamb. Being a boy from the suburbs, there's a bad reputation for goat's milk where I come from. Seems to be just a predjudice and not really founded on fact. So, got me to thinking about goats. With just me and my wife, we don't need large quantites and I don't want to start a business - just milk to drink and cheese - butter and cream if possible. Read Storey's "Raising Dairy Goats" and figured it was time to start listening in on people raising goats for more practical information. Reading will only carry you so far.
I was mopst interested in Nigerian Dwarfs - look small enough to be easily manageable. Space isn't too much of an issue, I have fencing and sheds to build before we can make a purchase. I'm a hopin' I can enclose part of the creek to keep them in fresh water.
Thanks for the welcome.
Regards,
Pat & Karen
My name is Pat. Me and my wife Karen are retired to Middle Tennessee. We have chickens, guineas, turkeys, honeybees and dogs. We're trying to reduce our dependence on the outside for food, and dairy is a real weak spot. We recently tried our hand at cheese with reasonable success (30 minute mozzarella) and I'm a milk drinker, my wife is not. We use milk for coking and both eat butter and cheese. Adding another variety of meat to our diet would be good too.
The cheesemaking, no real bargain if you have to buy the milk, got me to thinking about dairy animals. I'm not up to wrestling with a cow or large goat. Sheep looked interesting because they are supposed to yield twice the amount of cheese for a goven quantity of milk, but I've been told there's a "wang" to the milk and it's not usually drunk as a beverage. Shame, I like lamb. Being a boy from the suburbs, there's a bad reputation for goat's milk where I come from. Seems to be just a predjudice and not really founded on fact. So, got me to thinking about goats. With just me and my wife, we don't need large quantites and I don't want to start a business - just milk to drink and cheese - butter and cream if possible. Read Storey's "Raising Dairy Goats" and figured it was time to start listening in on people raising goats for more practical information. Reading will only carry you so far.
I was mopst interested in Nigerian Dwarfs - look small enough to be easily manageable. Space isn't too much of an issue, I have fencing and sheds to build before we can make a purchase. I'm a hopin' I can enclose part of the creek to keep them in fresh water.
Thanks for the welcome.
Regards,
Pat & Karen
