If you’ve been following along on our journey, you’ve probably noticed four new faces staring back at you. We’ve recently added four new family members to the Mowery clan. In March, we brought home our first starter herd of dairy goat kids; Saanens (saw-nen) to be exact. They are the absolute cutest things ever.
I should correct myself. We originally brought five home. However, we unfortunately had to put one down just recently due to medical and developmental issues. It was super sad, and a hard lesson learned. But in the end, I realize this is just part of farm life.
(left to right) Jenny, Kevin, Mazzi Brown, Lady
So why did we choose Saanen goats? Every dairy goat has its own milk “blend.” Not all dairy goats produce the same milk. It’s mostly based on butterfat content. The butterfat content of a dairy goat’s milk determines how rich the milk will be. Nubian dairy goats, for example, have a high butterfat content. Their milk is great for making cheeses and yogurt. Nubian milk can be easily compared to that of whole milk from a dairy cow. Saanen goat milk, on the other hand, has significantly less butterfat. Their low butterfat content makes for a very easy-to-drink, mild milk. Saanen milk can easily be compared to 2% milk from a dairy cow (without all the processing and pasteurization, of course).
Saanen dairy goats are also known for their high milk production. One adult Saanen doe can produce up to 1.5 gallons (sometimes even 2 gallons) per day. In comparison, Nubians typically produce around 1/2 to 3/4 gallons a day. No, we probably won’t even be able to keep up with drinking that much milk. However, our goal in starting our own farm isn’t to just become self-sustainable, be we also want to be able to bless others with our bounty. Goat milk has an incredible amount of amazing benefits as apposed to cow’s milk. And most people who are lactose intolerant, or allergic to dairy products, can typically drink goat’s milk without a problem.
Our goat kids are not pure Saanen. Saanens are usually all white. Our little kids have a little bit of Apline in them, though. I guess some mixed-breed Saanen-Alpine bucks jumped the fence and bred the Saanen does accidentally at the farm that they came from. So voila, most of our kids are colored. I’ll be interested to see how it affects the milk due to the higher butterfat content that Apline goats tend to have. According to the breeder, they are still mostly Saanen; with only about 10% Alpine.
Mazzi Brown
Our kids may look small now, but they won’t stay that way very long. Saanens are actually the largest of the dairy goats, weighing in at around 125-145 lbs once they’re fully grown. They can hover around 35lbs for as long as they’d like, though. We’ve been taking advantage of this smaller stage as much as possible. They love being held and climbing on our backs.
So, why did we get goats when we’re still living out of our RV? That’s a really great question. You see, we thought we were buying a property on the east coast. We were under contract to purchase 90 acres about an hour south of where we had been living in South Carolina the last 4 years. Well, that fell through after we had committed to buying the goats, so we just rolled with it. My in-laws have been gracious enough to allow us the use of their barn and pastures to get the herd started.
Lady is a major attention hog
Since then, we’ve been actively searching for a permanent homestead. Our search for our farmstead has has been narrowed down to the mid-west. We’re hoping to share more updates on that in the near future. For now, we’re camping out in my in-laws’ backyard. Our little Saanen goat kids have been made a new pasture now that the Bed and Breakfast is up and running for the season. They’re expecting some of their guests to bring horses.
(left to right) Mazzi Brown, Jenny, Lady
Jon and I have definitely been enjoying this dairy goat ownership thing. They’ve been a lot of fun, and we spend a ton of time with them. When we first brought them home, they were still being bottle fed twice a day. So creating a bond with them was effortless. We’ve been to many farms where the goats were just not very social. They wouldn’t come anywhere near you. We were determined to not let that happen. And me being the total animal-lover that I am, I would have been totally crushed if my kids grew up to not want my attention.
Our goat kids are shaping up to be the biggest attention hogs ever. It’s the best thing ever to hear their little voicing bleating (the name for the sound goats make) every time they see you. They’ll run to you, and jump on you, and nibble on EVERYTHING, and it’s so great.
We can’t wait to get these kids settled in to a permanent home. We’re just one step closer to living out another dream, and it’s been a really exciting journey.