Dairy goat breeds are goats that are very good at producing milk. These breeds of goats are bred and used primarily for milk production. Goat’s milk is healthy and an excellent source of nutrition.
You can raise one or more dairy goats so that your family provides them with nutritious milk at all times. You also need to select the best and most productive dairy goat breeds if you want to start commercial milk goat production.
Goat’s milk is actually very healthy and easy to digest. And milk contains a higher fat content and less lactose than other types of milk, such as cow’s milk. Goat’s milk is easier to digest for people who are lactose intolerant.
For these reasons, the demand for goat milk is gradually increasing. And starting a goat farming business for milk production is a good decision today.
Whether you are considering large-scale industrial production or simply want to raise one or more goats for home consumption, you need to select the highest quality dairy goat breeds for maximum milk production.
Top 10 Dairy Goat Breeds
In fact, all goat breeds produce some amount of milk. But some breeds have enough milk to feed babies, and it cannot be collected for other purposes.
So, to start your dairy goat business, you need to choose highly productive breeds. Here we briefly describe about 10 of the most popular dairy goat breeds.
1. Alpine goat
The Alpine is an excellent breed of dairy goat with an average daily production of around 1-2 gallons of milk. The breed actually originated in the French Alps. The average fat content of alpine goat milk is around 3.5% or more.
2. Saanen Goat
The Saanen is a popular dairy goat breed from Switzerland with an average daily milk production of around 1 gallon. And the average milk fat content in their milk is 2.5-3%.
The Saanen is one of the largest dairy goat breeds, with males reaching over 200 pounds. Saanen goats also have a very good temperament and can be kept as pets.
3. Lamancha Goat
Lamancha goats are distinguished by their distinct appearance, with small ears or no visible ears. They are very friendly and also very good at meat production. They come from Spain and the average fat content of their milk is around 4.2%.
4. Jamunapari goat.
The Jamunapari is a breed of Indian goat producing on average about 1 gallon per day. The breed has a very beautiful appearance with long ears. It is a very popular dairy goat breed in India as well as other South Asian countries.
5. Toggenburg goat
The Toggenburg goat is one of the oldest known breeds of dairy goat, first encountered in the 1600s. The breed is notable for its expressive appearance, face and thick beard. The average fat content of milk is about 3.3%.
6. Nubian Goat
The Nubian goat is a fantastic breed of dairy goat capable of producing milk all year round. The breed’s average daily milk production is 0.5 to 1.5 gallons.
Nubian goat milk has a relatively higher milk fat content, which is around 5%. Apart from milk, these goats are also very good for meat production.
7. Oberhasli Goat
Oberhasli goats originate from Switzerland and give excellent tasty milk (the milk is very sweet). Average daily milk production is 0.5 to 1.5 gallons.
On average, milk contains about 3.6% fat. Like the Nubian goat, Oberhasli goats also give milk throughout the year.
8. Golden Guernsian goat.
The Guernsey, also known as the Golden Guernsey, is a small to medium-sized breed of dairy goat. On average, Guernsey’s daily milk production is around or less than 1 gallon of milk.
Milk contains about 3.72% fat. And this breed is also considered good for commercial dairy production.
9. Sand goat.
Sable goats are similar in appearance to Saanen goats except for coloring. It is a medium sized animal with an average body weight of around 145 pounds. Their milk is of good quality and contains 3 to 4% fat.
10. Nigeria Dwarf Goat.
Nigerian dwarf goats are the smallest of the dairy goat breeds and are native to Africa. They are usually no taller than 23 inches, but their milk production is very high relative to their body size.
Nigerian dwarf goats can be bred to produce milk for home consumption and the breed is not really suitable for commercial production. The average fat content of milk is about 6.1%.
video
