Milking
Our goats are milked twice a day through the peak of their lactation, typically dropping to once-a-day milking later in lactation, and then dried off for approximately 6 weeks prior to kidding. Not every doe is mated every year. This means there are always a number of does still milking while the rest are in their dry period, giving us a year round supply of fresh milk.
Feeding
Contrary to what you might think, dairy goats are actually healthier when predominantly housed indoors compared to a fully outdoor setting. This is mostly due to their tendency to graze pastures low, leaving them susceptible to worm burden. Left untreated, the goats would eventually become very malnourished and in most cases would eventually die. If goats are continually treated with pour-ons or oal drenches, they develop resistance to the active ingredients. In addition to this, these products are not suitable for using with lactating animals. As such, our dairy goats are housed inside and fed on a cut-and-carry system. This sees the fresh grass cut at a controlled height on a daily basis and brought in to the goats. The grass has all the same freshness and nutritional goodness as they would get if grazing in the paddocks themselves, but without the intestinal worm eggs. The grass is supplemented with high quality grass silage, straw, grains, minerals and molasses.
Housing Barns
Housing barns are designed to allow for shelter whilst also providing good air flow. Our barns are based on a drive-through system in which feed is delivered down a centre lane. The housing barns require daily maintenance to keep them in good physical condition, a clean space for the goats to live in and to maintain feed quality. Outdoor spaces are an integral part of indoor dairy goat systems. These provide extra room for the goats to roam, open access to direct sunlight and better visibility of what's going on around them.
