Читать книгу Raising Goats For Dummies - Cheryl K. Smith - Страница 58

If you want dairy goats, you have a variety of breeds and sizes to choose from. The American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), one of the United States’ two major dairy goat registries (organizations that keep official lists of goats within a specific breed, provide registration certificates, and compile pedigrees), recognizes eight different dairy goat breeds: Alpine, LaMancha, Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen, Sable, and Toggenburg. The other registry, the American Goat Society (AGS), registers only purebreds and also recognizes the Pygmy as a dairy breed. (You can read more about registries and whether to buy registered or unregistered goats in Chapter 7.)

Neither of these registries recognizes the mini crossbreeds that have captured the hearts of urban goat owners, so two new registries have sprung up: The Miniature Goat Registry (TMGR) and the Miniature Dairy Goat Association (MDGA).

In addition, the Canadian Goat Society (CGS) registers purebred dairy goats, which also are accepted by the major dairy goat registries noted earlier.

Dairy goats provide milk, of course, and if you’re interested in a home supply of goat meat, your dairy goats can serve that purpose, too. Unfortunately, if you want fiber and milk, most dairy goats won’t work because their coats generally are too short, but fiber goats usually don’t produce a lot of milk.

In the upcoming sections, I give you an idea of what each of the standard dairy goats looks like and some of their traits. If you decide that you just have to have one of these breeds but can’t find it in your area, see Chapter 7, which tells you about sources for finding goats.