Welcome!

Our Goats

Goat BFFs

Our herd is tested annually, and is Johne's, CL, and CAE free. The goats are raised primarily on pasture, with supplemental hay, grain, and alfalfa as needed.

We strive to produce excellent all-around animals - in addition to high milk production, we focus on goats that have nice temperaments, good feet, slow metabolisms (ie, don't need a ton of supplemental feed), and parasite resistance. Good cashmere production is also considered a plus! Essentially, we want goats that are easy and pleasant to care for.

Our goats are easy to handle and very friendly - babies are handled daily from shortly after they're kidded, so even the dam-raised kids are outgoing and people-oriented. Once they're a few weeks old, they join the herd for regular evening 'forest walks', where the goats practice walking nicely on a collar as well as following a person when loose. Additionally, all the goats get used to the milking stand - for future milkers, this sets them up for an easy transition to milking, and for everyone else, it makes regular goat maintenance (hoof trimming, spring shots, clipping, etc) an easy task for one person to do.

Because goats are social animals, we'll never sell just one goat unless you already have other goats at home - both you and the goat will be much happier with a buddy!

Dairy Goat Facts

Goats are wonderful companions, with many different breeds created for different specialized characteristics - broadly speaking, goats can be divided into meat goats, dairy goats, and fiber goats. The standard sized dairy breeds most commonly found in the US are LaManchas, Nubians, Toggenbergs, Oberhaslis, Alpines, Saanens, and Sables, with Nigerian Dwarfs being a miniature dairy breed. These goats are typically registered with the ADGA (American Dairy Goat Association), which keeps track of production records and conformation records as well as pedigrees, and provides some genetic analysis and recommendations for breeding decisions.

A dairy goat must be bred and have kids in order to "freshen", or start producing milk. Some breeds have been selected to "milk through" for several years between kiddings (LaManchas in particular are known for this ability), but many goat breeders prefer to give the does a couple months of break in the winter, and then have them kid again in the spring.

The amount of milk a given doe produces depends on a variety of factors, but one of the biggest is her genetics. For standard sized breeds, a gallon a day (8 lbs) is considered a good amount (milk output is typically measured in pounds for official records). A doe giving at least 9 lbs of milk with 5% butterfat can earn a 'milk star' from the ADGA, which is tracked across generations (if a doe earns a star, and her dam also had a star, she would be a 2*M). A goat will generally 'hit her stride' in her second year of milking - a "first freshener" won't produce as much milk in her first year as she will in subsequent years.

The flavor of goat milk depends on both the breed of goat (Swiss breeds, such as Toggenbergs, are known for having stronger flavored milk) and the environment in which the goat lives. Does who are kept very close to bucks often experience hormonal changes that give their milk a 'goaty' flavor - while some folks like that taste, if you're used to cow milk, you may prefer milk from does that are kept separate from the bucks. Milk that is left raw (especially if it's not refrigerated immediately) can also develop a goaty flavor after several days.

At our dairy farm, we pastuerize all the milk using a low-temperature pasteurization method - this preserves the sweet, creamy flavor of the milk along with all the healthy enzymes and proteins, while also adding another layer of food safety. It takes a bit more time than the high-temperature pasteurization used by larger commercial dairies, but the results are worth the wait! Goat milk is extremely low in lactose, which means both the milk and the cheese are easy to digest, and usually has a higher fat content than store-bought milk - if you imagine the difference between 2% milk and whole milk, goat milk is another step past whole milk.

About LaManchas

Classic LaMancha ears

The LaMancha breed of goat originated in California in the 1950s, with the goal of creating a dairy goat breed that produced milk with a high butterfat and protein content for several years at a time after freshening. Because the foundation stock for the breed had a genetic quirk around their ear length, the breed is now most easily recognized by its short ears. These are often called "gopher ears" for the similarity to a praerie dog's ears, and they give the LaMancha a very unique look.

LaMancha goats are known for their sweet, docile temperament, and they do well in the cooler winters of New England - the short ears don't get chilled in the winter. As goats go, they're on the quieter side, and they're generally very healthy and hardy.