Goats. What does it cost to raise dairy goats? There's been a lot of interest in the dairy goat industry over the past year.
I get many calls asking about dairy goats: how much land it takes to raise them, what to feed them, and how to manage them. The one question I get asked very rarely is: how much does it cost? There is a difference between costs on a hobby operation (10 does) and a commercial operation (100 does). The scenario for this article represents a hobby operation with 10 milking does. Raising Dairy Goats for Milk. Milking goats is time consuming, so before purchasing dairy goats it’s good to know what you’re getting into.
For good-quality production, dairy goats should be milked twice per day, 12 hours apart. The milking activity will take 12 to 15 minutes per doe, plus milk preparation time. To prepare a goat for milking, you need to clean the teat with a dry paper towel to remove loose dry dirt and feces, dip the teat in an antiseptic-based teat dip, allow the dip to stay on the teats for no less than three minutes, and dry each teat following the dip with a clean paper towel. Next, look for lumps and clumps in the milk by stripping three squirts from each teat into a strip cup. How to Tell If a Goat Is Pregnant.