City Mini Ranch Goats is a small "ranch" in Portland, Oregon. I manage milking goats on an extended lactation where they milk as long as possible, without being bred, to bring them into milk each year. This has provided milk year round and has simplified goat keeping by not dealing with kidding and goat kids for years.
8-15-15 I took a picture of how much Sadie produced. This is a 2 quart jar. She has been milking since May 2009. She did great for 6 years but is decreasing now as she nears 7 yrs. milking non stop this spring 2016. Then January 2017 she went down to a pint a day so I dried her up.
SADIE had a baby doe kid on April 15, 2016. So she's a 9 yr. old 2nd freshener.
12/20/2015 Sadie produced 1 qt.
MILK RECORDS HAVE THEIR OWN PAGE NOW.
SADIE had a baby doe kid on April 15, 2016. So she's a 9 yr. old 2nd freshener.
12/20/2015 Sadie produced 1 qt.
MILK RECORDS HAVE THEIR OWN PAGE NOW.
I have put together this little website to show others who are thinking about getting into goats what can be done to encourage extended lactation and a little about what can be done with their milk. I manage goats in health and production with prevention management, here in the Pacific Northwest. The old saying, "An ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure", applies with goatkeeping. Really, gaining knowledge about their care and management will save money. Knowing what to do instead of calling a veterinarian in many cases. So it is prudent to be well informed about the proper management of goats. I started out with DairyGoatInfo.com since they have many indepth articles to read up on. I followed some management there and have learned what is necessary for my area. I have had goats for a total of 15 years in 2018.
If you are planning on buying goats please buy from a reputable breeder who has a CAE and CL free herd. With paper work in hand proving a negative blood test was done. CAE is Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis. CL is Caseous Lymphadenitis and can be complex in it's diagnosis in regards to a blood test. Blood tests can have a false positive. Please research these goat diseases before purchasing any goats.
If you are planning on buying goats please buy from a reputable breeder who has a CAE and CL free herd. With paper work in hand proving a negative blood test was done. CAE is Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis. CL is Caseous Lymphadenitis and can be complex in it's diagnosis in regards to a blood test. Blood tests can have a false positive. Please research these goat diseases before purchasing any goats.
Ebony- 3/4 LaMancha x 1/4 Oberhasli.
I take pride in maintaining the goats in excellent condition. Their coats are super shiney. Sheep have a much lower copper requirement than goats, but some get it wrong that goats don't need copper either. This is wrong information. The Pacific NW is extremely low in Copper so my goats are given Copasure, a timed release copper oxide supplement made of tiny rods that lodge in the goats rumen and dissolve over a 4 mos. period. Many problems can arise if goats don't have adequate copper levels. This is a good site with information on copper for goats. Copasure also helps control worms.
http://www.saanendoah.com/copper1.html
HERE IS THE COPASURE IN EASY TO USE GOAT SIZE http://www.jefferspet.com/copasure-for-sheep-and-goats/camid/LIV/cp/0040894/
I have been experimenting with the copper and am doing the Copasure recommended at Saanendoah about every 3- 3 1/2 months. The copper rods are degraded away by 3 1/2 to 4 months, in the rumen, So far they are doing great. I also sift out the larger copper rods in the Copasure when some capsules have quite a bit of copper powder. I can see that this may be way too much copper at once, which will dissolve too rapidly, since it's powdery. So I like to make sure I only dose the rods.
I also have good water without an iron problem so I can only speak from my experience. High iron water interferes with copper absorption so what I do may not apply in your situation
Vitamin D is also important to maintain an extended lactation in this cloudy climate. I use vitamin D capsules 5000iu every 3 days or so for a goat in milk and less for the others depending on their size. They are also given organic kelp meal for iodine and other trace minerals about twice a week.
http://www.saanendoah.com/copper1.html
HERE IS THE COPASURE IN EASY TO USE GOAT SIZE http://www.jefferspet.com/copasure-for-sheep-and-goats/camid/LIV/cp/0040894/
I have been experimenting with the copper and am doing the Copasure recommended at Saanendoah about every 3- 3 1/2 months. The copper rods are degraded away by 3 1/2 to 4 months, in the rumen, So far they are doing great. I also sift out the larger copper rods in the Copasure when some capsules have quite a bit of copper powder. I can see that this may be way too much copper at once, which will dissolve too rapidly, since it's powdery. So I like to make sure I only dose the rods.
I also have good water without an iron problem so I can only speak from my experience. High iron water interferes with copper absorption so what I do may not apply in your situation
Vitamin D is also important to maintain an extended lactation in this cloudy climate. I use vitamin D capsules 5000iu every 3 days or so for a goat in milk and less for the others depending on their size. They are also given organic kelp meal for iodine and other trace minerals about twice a week.
This is why I don't sell any of my goats. This is Moonbeam the mother of Sadie and Ebony. She lost a lot of condition out of my care. She had a worm overload and didn't get alfalfa while in milk. I sold her a couple years previous and I bought her back July 16, 2012 and she is gaining weight nicely under my care. In fact after a month back home she is looking great. She produces at least two quarts of milk a day and was milked through last winter, so producing for about a year and a half. She was up to 13 lbs. a day of milk when I managed her after I bought her as a two year old. She is on free choice alfalfa pellets, oats on the milk stand and is almost done with her worming protocol, now 8-16-2012.
Moonbeam has gained 4 inches around her chest since I've had her back. I need to get a picture soon. She will be in my care for the rest of her life.
Moonbeam has gained 4 inches around her chest since I've had her back. I need to get a picture soon. She will be in my care for the rest of her life.
12-9-2012. I finally got an updated picture of Moonbeam since she's gained her weight back.
She is half Oberhasli and half LaMancha.
She is half Oberhasli and half LaMancha.
In this picture Moonbeam is getting ready to 'launch' as in get up quick to run from me. She is in one of her moods.
Moonbeam is showing her age so to avoid problems I have stopped milking her as of 8-6-2015. Her eye membrane color is showing anemia the last few months.
Update on Moonbeam 11/14/15. She had a bad teeth grinding (pain) problem, on and off, the last 2 months. Still vigorous and eating fine through this. I figured it out finally and she is much better and looking fantastic. Her eye membranes are looking great.
I wrote about Moonbeams treatment and cure in the Parasite section.
Moonbeam is 11 yrs. old this year 2017 in the picture below.
February 26, 2021- Bergie passed away at nearly 13 years old from old age. Moonbeam is 15 years old and is strong and athletic still. All 8 original goats are doing excellent but are getting old, except Josie who'll be 4 yrs. old.
December 27, 2021- Jasper had health problems so he passed away. Now down to 7 goats.
May 28, 2022- Pepper, Jasper's sister, passed away so down to 6 goats.
December 27, 2021- Jasper had health problems so he passed away. Now down to 7 goats.
May 28, 2022- Pepper, Jasper's sister, passed away so down to 6 goats.
Last update May 11, 2022. Copyright, City Mini Ranch, 2011- 2022