Best Dairy Goat Breeds for Milk Production
Dairy goat breeds are those goats which are very good for milk production. These goat breeds are raised and mainly used for milk production. Goat milk is healthy and a great source of nutrition.
You can raise one or a few dairy goat for having constant supply of nutritious milk for your family. You also need to choose best and highly productive dairy goat breeds if you want to start goat milk production commercially.
Goat milk is actually very healthy and easy to digest. And the milk contain higher fat content and less amount of lactose than other types of milk, such as cow milk. Goat milk is easier to digest for the people who are suffering from Lactose Intolerance.
For these reasons, the demand of goat milk is increasing gradually. And starting a goat farming business for milk production is a good decision today.
Whether you are planning for a large scale commercial production or just want to raise one or a few goats for your family consumption, you have to select the best quality dairy goat breeds for getting maximum milk production.
10 Best Dairy Goat Breeds
Actually all goat breeds produces some amount of milk. But in some breeds the amount of milk is just enough for feeding the kids, and not suitable for collecting for other purpose.
So, you have to select highly milk productive breeds for starting your dairy goat farming business. Here we are shortly describing about top 10 dairy goat breeds.
1. Alpine Goat
The Alpine is a great dairy goat breed with an average daily production of around 1-2 gallons of milk. The breed was actually originated from the French Alps. Average butterfat content in the Alpine goat’s milk is about or higher than 3.5 percent.
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| Alpine goat breed |
2. Saanen Goat
Saanen is a popular dairy goat breed from Switzerland with an average daily milk production of around 1 gallon. And average butterfat content in their milk is between 2.5 and 3 percent.
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| Saanen goat breed |
Saanen is among the biggest dairy goat breeds with the males growing over 200 lbs. Saanen goats are also of very good temperament and they can be raised as pets.
3. LaMancha Goat
The LaMancha goats are noted for their distinct appearance with small or no visible ears. They are very friendly and also very good for meat production.
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| Lamancha goat breed |
They originated from Spain and average butterfat content in their milk is about 4.2 percent.
4. Jamunapari Goat
The Jamunapari is an Indian dairy goat breed with an average production of around 1 gallon daily. The breed has a very beautiful appearance with long ears.
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| Jamanpuri goats |
It is a very popular dairy goat breed in India, and also in some other South Asian Countries.
5. Toggenburg Goat
The Toggenburg goat is one of the oldest known dairy goat breeds, first seen in the 1600s.
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| Toggenburg goat breed |
The breed has distinct appearance with straight face and full beards. Average butterfat content in the milk is around 3.3 percent.
6. Nubian Goat
The Nubian goat is a fantastic dairy goat breed that can produce milk throughout the year. Average daily milk production of the breed is between 0.5 and 1.5 gallons.
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| Nubian goat |
Butterfat content is relatively higher in the Nubian goat’s milk, which is around or up to 5 percent. Along with milk production, these goats are also very good for meat production.
7. Oberhasli Goat
The Oberhasli goats originated from Switzerland and produce great tasty milk (milk is very sweet). Average daily milk production is between 0.5 and 1.5 gallon.
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| Oberhasli goat breed |
And on an average, the milk contain around 3.6 percent butterfat content. Like the Nubian goat, the Oberhasli goats also produce milk throughout the year.
8. Golden Guernsey Goat
The Guernsey, aka Golden Guernsey is a small to medium sized dairy goat breed. On an average, the daily milk production of Guernsey goat is around or less than 1 gallon.
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| Golden Guernsey Goat |
The milk contain around 3.72 percent of butterfat content. And the breed is also considered as good for commercial milk production purpose.
9. Sable Goat
The Sable goats are similar in appearance to the Saanen goat, except the coloring.
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| Sable goat breed characteristics |
They are of medium sized animal with an average body weight of around 145 lbs. Their milk is of good quality containing between 3 and 4 percent of butterfat content.
10. Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Nigerian Dwarf goats are the smallest of dairy goat breeds, and they were originated for Africa. They generally don’t grow more than 23 inches, but their milk production is very high compared to their body size.
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| Nigerian dwarf goat breed |
Nigerian Dwarf goats can be raised for milk production for family consumption, and the breed is actually not suited for commercial production. Average butterfat content in the milk is around 6.1 percent.