Thought of dairy goats?

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 231, 16 February 1988, Page 13

Thought of dairy goats?

Since the earliest times the goat has been farmed by man. It has supplied him with food - milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter and with meat, and with fibre and skins which have been used for clothing and housing. This versatile animal c&n be found living in the deserts, mountain tops and valleys of the world and is able to live in areas where few other types of domestic animals would survive. The majority of dairy goats found in New Zealand are of Swiss origin, but an increasing interest is arising in the Nubian - a goat with origins in the Middle East. ' Few people realise how highly the milking goat has developed. In relation to her size she produces a greater quantity of human food than any other domestic animal. Overseas studies have shown the dairy goat to be 50% more efficient than the dairy cow on a basis of per kg of liveweight. The dairy goat more than matches other animals for productivity. The doe is capable of producing her own body weight in milk in 10 days. A good milker will pro-

duce around 1000 litres of milk over a season, with 4.5 litres being produced daily at the peak of its lactation. Goat's milk is drunk by over half the world's population. Goats milk is frequently sought by sufferers with asthma, excema, and other allergies, and many will testify to their improved health after changing their diet from bovine to caprine products. The fat globules in goat's milk are smaller than those in cow's milk hence it is more easily digested, a fact which makes it desirable for use with babies and invalids. The alkaline reaction of goat's milk makes it useful in cases of hyperactivity. Goats are prolific breeders with twins being the normal number of kids born, and triplets also being quite common. The goat is able to utilise food which other domesticated animals will spurn, and to turn it into milk and meat. Goats love of blackberry, gorse and other noxious weeds make them an increasingly important tool in weed contrci an~ pasture development.