| We raise goats for two reasons; first, for the milk; second, because we love to be around them. Nubians need to be bred and give birth every year to replenish their milk supply. We chose Nubian for several reasons: we love the looks of them, they are known to be very interesting and smart animals, and they talk and interact with humans in a very interesting way. Even though their milk flow is much less than many other breeds, their milk is high in butterfat and is sweet and has no “goat” flavor. People we know that hate got milk can’t tell our milk and cheese is from a goat.
Our Nubian does goes into heat early September and about every three weeks until bred, going out in January (the book says August thru March). For the first few years we did not keep a buck but took our girls to a CAE free farm in Oak Harbor – 25 miles from our farm. It can be difficult to detect when they go into heat and they only last one day, so timing is important. Most of the time we would get to the Oak Harbor farm and our girl wouldn’t be ready, so we would go home and then back the next day. What a chore!
Last year we rented a buck for the fall and let him run with the girls. February we had our first doe give birth, followed closely by the other three. We had ten kids born within two weeks and I was totally worn out. We ended up losing four of the kids, I believe from me not being able to give the newborns enough attention. So this year we decided to keep our own bucks.
We crossed fenced the goat area and converted an old wood shed into a buck house. We kept one of the boy kids for a buck and traded two does for a registered Boer buckling. We enjoy goat meat and with our milkers at the number we want decided to breed two of the three milkers to the Boer, keeping the kids for a year before having them butchered. Alure we decided to breed to the Nubian buck we kept and we’ll sell her kids as pure bred and registered Nubians. We are only breeding one goat per heat cycle so the births will be spread out by three weeks this next spring. Nettle we are doing last because her milk flow is so good this fall. We bred Surely first because she came into heat first.
It has been so nice this year! When the girl goes into heat she stands at the gate to the buck yard, wags her tail (called flagging) and moans all day. It’s never been so easy.
People don’t like to keep bucks because of the space and the smell. When a buck is in rut they have a strong odor and then to add to it, they will urinate on their face. The girls love it but most people are repulsed.
The Boer bred is known for its meat. A 100 lb, one year Boer male will butcher out at 40 lbs., a one year Nubian at 30 lbs., a 50/50 mix at 40 lbs.
People ask me “how can you eat them, they are so cute?” Life on the farm I say.  | 
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