HIGH LONESOME RANCH, INC
Birch River, West Virginia 26610
Jim & Marcy Lilly
hlrinc@yahoo.com
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Farm Animals ~ Is Raw Milk Good For You?
There are different Goats breeds that specialize in either milk, wool, or meat.
Alpine
Angora
Boer Cashmire Kiko
Kinders La Mancha
Nigerian Dwarf Nubian
Oberhasli
Pygmy
Pygora
Tennessee Fainting Goats
Toggenburgs
Saanen
Raw Milk
Granny's walk
The little old lady could not walk very fast, but each evening she had her
companions take a walk with her. These companions were of all sizes and shapes,
but all were beautiful to her. They always walked along and she told them what
was bothering her and how beautiful the world was around them. The companions
quietly answered her back with their soft voices.
Sidney had to be watched because she would wander off and was always the last
one in. Butterfly and Eve would always stay close and so would Xena when she was
not too tired to go on these walks. Xena's little legs were deformed, so she had
to have special care.
All together there were over forty- five plus beautiful girls that took walks
with the old lady. She loved everyone of them and knew their personalities. The
goats were the old lady's friends. They would stop to eat on the brush and trees
that were growing along the way and they would check with her every once in a
while to see is she was all right.
While other people were lonely the old lady always had someone to care about
her. Of course they knew she looked after them too. They knew, when they were
caught in the fence, that she would get them out of their predicament. When they
were sick they knew she would notice and have them treated until they were well.
There just seemed to be a bond with each of them. They would know when to start
home and knew the old lady would protect them.
Bonds like this are always possible when an old lady takes a liking to her goats
and they return the love. It is truly a picture of country living.
Nubian Goats,
Nubians like the one pictured above are
large, with long, pendulous ears and a roman nose.. They are the prima donna
goats and can be a little flighty. They tend to be a little bit more stubborn
than other dairy goats and make a distinctive sound. Even Nubian kids sound like
they are complaining. They originated in the UK from the progeny of
crossbreeding the British goat with the Indian or Egyptian descendants. Milk of
the Nubian Goats is good for cheese making because of high butterfat content.
They are very vocal. They are very popular but not quite as hardy as some other
breeds. Nubians are usually seasonal breeders but sometimes may breed year
round.
Alpine Goats
Alpines, also known as "French Alpines" are black and white or spotty with dished noses and upright ears. They
can be almost any color except solid white and light brown with white markings
They are popular with dairies due the amount of milk they produce. They
originated in Switzerland. These goats are very nosy and will test your fence,
and your patience because they can get out of many fences... Alpines are
seasonal breeders.
Saanen Goats.
This breed is all white with forward-facing
upright ears. They are one of the most
friendly of all Goats. Saanens Goats originated in Switzerland. Saanens
are heavy milk producers, but there milk is lower in butterfat than some of the
other dairy breeds. Their milk has an average butterfat of about 3.5%. Note:
Saanens must be white. If a Saanen is born with color (which sometimes happens)
they are called "Sables". Saanens are seasonal breeders.
Toggenburgs.
Toggenburgs are the oldest known dairy breed.
They are light brown and have white ears and lower legs. The side of the tail
and two stripes down the face must also be white. They have erect ears and have
the smallest height requirements of all the breeds. These goats originated in
Switzerland's Toggenburg Valley. Their milk has an average butterfat of about
3.3%. This breed was originally developed to provide milk for cheese production
and so their milk can sometimes have a strong flavor. They are seasonal
breeders.
La Mancha Goats.
I have to admit, this is probably our favorite breed.
This
breed is brown or spotty with short ears. In fact, the ears are so small you may
not even see them, or think they are deformed. The tiny ears come in two
types: "gopher ears", which are little "sweet rolls"; and "elf ears", which are
little hooked ears less than 2 inches long. This breed is a very calm and quiet
breed, an all-around sturdy, friendly, naturally healthy animals. It was
developed in the USA from Spanish Goats. They are seasonal breeders
Oberhasli Goats.
Oberhasli,
sometimes called "Swiss Alpine" have very specific color standards and can be black, brown, or red
with black facial stripes. They should also have a nearly black head. They have
erect ears and are a medium-small breed. These Goats also originated in
Switzerland. They are seasonal breeders
Goats other than for milking - either for meat, coats or pets
Pygmy Goats
This breed originated in French Cameroon area and, then spreading to all of
northern Africa, it was imported to the US in the 1950s and also exported to
zoos all over the world as exotic. Children like to raise Pygmy goats because
they are easy to raise and handle and they are affectionate, cute, lovable and
playful. A full grown doe or whether ranges from 16 to 23 inches at the withers
and they usually weigh from 40 to 70 pounds. Pygmy goats are year-round breeders
so kids may be available at any time of the year. A litter usually consists of
1-3 goats and the kids weigh from 2-4 pounds. They can be milked or used for
meat
The name "Fainting"
goat is a bit misleading because they do not actually faint. They have a genetic
problem with relaxing muscles. When they are startled or surprised their muscles
lock up and the goat then sometimes falls over. Older goats sometimes learn to
lean against something to prevent their falling over, and often they continue to
run about in an awkward, stiff-legged shuffle.
A Fainting goat averages between 17-25 inches in height, and weighs between 50
and 165 pounds making it smaller and a bit easier to care for and keep in fences
than larger meat goat breeds which makes the Fainting goat desirable for smaller
farms. Goats in general prefer leafy or woody plants to grasses and therefore
make effective weed and brush control for pasture used in rotation by grass
grazing animals such as horses. They can also be used to reclaim overgrown
fields.
The Fainting goat may also be raised as a pet or show animal as they can be
friendly, intelligent, easy to keep, and amusing.
The goats appear to have arrived in Marshall County, Tennessee in the early
1800's, courtesy of a reclusive and unnamed farm worker who was most likely from
Nova Scotia. Before he left the area, he sold his goats - three does and a buck
- to Dr. H.H. Mayberry, who bred them.
The Nigerian Dwarf is a
miniature goat of West African Origin. It's conformation is similar to that of
the larger dairy goat breeds. The parts of the body are in balanced proportion.
The nose is straight. The ears are upright. The coat is soft with short to
medium hair.
Dwarf goats come in many colors. Main color families are black, chocolate and
gold. Random white markings are common, as are spots and other color
combinations such as red, white, gold and black.
Color is one of the BIG factors that makes breeding Dwarves so popular. You
never can be sure what color the babies will be until they are born; even then
you can't be sure because many times their color will change.
Boer Goats.
The Boer goat was developed in South Africa. They have long pendulous ears and a
"Roman" nose. "Boer" is a Dutch word meaning farmer. The major portion of the
Boer's body is white with dark coloration around the head. Their horns curve
backwards. They are gentle, strong and vigorous. Boers breed year round.
Cashmere Goats.
The Cashmere Goat was artificially bred in Australia and brought to the USA in
the 1980s.
Cashmere is the softest fiber for sweaters.. Cashmere is soft, light
weight, durable, very warm and makes wonderful feeling garments for wearing. It
has long been one of the most exotic and rarest fiber to be found. Cashmere is
the term for the soft down undercoat of Cashmere goats. The fleece of Cashmere
goats is made up of two distinct fibers. The coarse outer hair and the fine
cashmere undercoat. The coarse outer hair is called guard hair. The fine
undercoat (under 18.5 microns) is the source of Cashmere fiber for clothing.
pictures donated by Sweeping
Spring Farm
Angora Goats.
The Angora Goat is valued for its mohair, which has a smooth surface, very thin
scale and lacks the felting properties of wool. Angoras Goats are sheared twice
a year and each gives about 5.3 pounds of mohair per shearing. Angoras are less
active than the typical dairy goat and are more easily confined. They are
excellent browsers and will derive a large proportion of their food supply from
tree leaves and branches. They also eat weeds, if available.
Pygora
A Pygora goat is a breed purposely bred and then registered in
Oregon by Katherine Jorgensen. She wanted an animal, which would produce fine
fiber for hand spinning. She bred the Pygmy, a goat with short, soft down to the
Angora, a goat with long silky fleece.
There are three different fleece types. No one type is "better" than the
other is; they just have different characteristics.
Type "A": (Angora type)---A long, lustrous fiber up to 6 inches long,
hanging in long, curly locks. The hair coat is not obvious on a type "A"
animal. This fiber is very fine mohair. Some type "A", "F1" Pygoras are single
coated. These animals must be shorn.
Type "B": (Blend type)---A blend of the Pygmy goat undercoat which is
cashmere and the Angora mohair. It is between 3 and 6 inches long, and it has a
nice crimp (curl). The second coat is usually obscured by the type "B" fleeces
that is 3 to 6 inches long. Type "B" can either be lustrous (shiny), or have a
matte (dull) finish. This fleece type is the most common, and these goats may be
shorn, combed, or plucked.
Type "C ": (Cashmere type)---A very fine fiber, with no luster, and
length of 1 to 3 inches. The hair coat looks very coarse in comparison to the
two types above. Type "C" can be acceptable commercial cashmere. These goats may
be shorn or combed.
Most Pygoras produce from 6 ounces to 2 pounds per shearing. Many Type "A"s are
sheared twice per year.
Kinders
are a small duel propose breed (both for dairy and meat) developed in the US by
crossing Nubians with Pygmies. They come in a variety of colors and patterns.
Kinders breed year round.
Kiko goats were bred up on a base of feral goat stock in New Zealand. They were selected for survivability under range conditions. The Maori word “kiko” means simply flesh or meat. Kikos were exported to the United States in the 1990s, and there are now a number of enthusiastic breeders of Kikos in that country. Kikos breed year round.