Written by Devynn Grandi
Goats are an important part of our ranch! They eat weeds and provide wonderful, fresh milk. Our goats are Nubians and we have many of them, often we have some available for sale! Two of the girls are due to have babies in the spring which is really exciting as our herd is about to grow again!
Nubian goats actually come from the Eastern Mediterranean area, but were imported into the United States in 1909. They have long floppy ears which are really cute and also help them adapt to hot climates. They’re a very large breed of goat and the females usually weigh around 135 lbs but the males will be closer to 200 lbs. These goats are very sweet and affectionate, they like to come over to the fence and get pet or rubbed whenever they see you. They’ll lick and even nibble your hand if you give them a chance and they greatly appreciate snacks! Some Nubians can live to be fifteen years old, and they are the most popular dairy breed in the U.S.
The main reason we have Nubians is for their delicious milk. To milk them we have a small machine, which is basically a large jar that has three tubes coming out of the lid. Two of the tubes have cups on the end which go on the goat’s teats and the third tube connects to a pump which will build up suction. Once the pump is turned on enough pressure builds up to pull the milk into the jar. After the goats are all milked the important thing is to chill the milk quickly. Goat’s milk is 101 degrees Fahrenheit when it leaves the teats and should be brought to 38 degrees within an hour. We do this by putting our jar into the freezer for an hour right after milking and once the hour is up, the milk is strained into a mason jar before being stored in the fridge.
If you get the milk nice and cold it tastes very delicious and doesn’t have a goaty (sour) flavor that tastes funny when you drink it. And goat milk is really good for you, especially if you have trouble digesting regular milk. One reason is because goat milk contains less lactose overall and the fat molecules are smaller and much easier to digest. Also, the fact that it is fresh and unprocessed makes it incredibly rich in nutrients. These include high amounts of phosphorus, Vitamin A, and calcium. Nubian milk is very creamy and it is 3.7% protein, which helps give it a nice, rich taste. Many people like the milk from Nubians best of all for cheese making. On average a Nubian will give 6.6 lbs (or roughly three quarts) of milk per day for 305 days.
And while milk is the main reason we have goats, they have also turned out to be great weed eaters! Our goats love most kinds of weeds and will eat sticker plants in the early spring before the seeds turn into painful stickers. They also love eating leaves and can balance on their back legs for a long time in order to reach some leaves high up in a tree. Besides this, they also love alfalfa, goat feed, horse feed, dog food, chicken food, salt, sugar, tender young plants that may or may not have been planted in your garden, and anything else you don’t want them to have! You do have to be careful what you leave out around them because they are on a mission to find food. But contrary to popular belief they do not eat tin cans!
Goats are both super sweet and mischievous creatures. It has been super fun to have them and to be able to drink their milk. They are great if you have trouble drinking regular milk, or if you don’t want to take care of a large cow in order to get milk. And, the cutest animal in the world is a tiny baby goat with long, floppy ears!
About the Author: Devynn is a chicken expert, goat tender, horse lover, and all-around cowgirl at the Swift Arrow Ranch! She loves being outdoors, reading, and riding her horse!