Nigerian Dwarf Goats are perfect for a family farm. They produce just enough milk for our family to consume and enough extra to make cheese, yogurt, ice cream and soap. A lot of people think goat milk has a "goaty" flavor but I have found that usually they have never actually tried it. I can honestly say that my goat's milk is the best milk I've ever tasted and all my kids agree! I was surprised when I first started milking my little dairy goat at how much my family loved the milk! My son who has difficulty digesting cow's milk can now drink as much as he wants without getting a belly ache.
Certain goat breeds can produce a stronger flavor but the milk of a Nigerian Dwarf Goat is known for being the sweetest and best tasting milk. It is important to feed your goats quality food and to handle the fresh milk properly. If you filter and refrigerate your milk immediately, you will have amazingly sweet and fresh milk for weeks. I make cheese and yogurt from my goat's milk and it is incredible. The chevre cheese is better than any store bought products I've found!
Nigerian Dwarf Goats can be milked for 10-12 months before needing to be "freshened", which means they need to be bred in order to have more babies and produce more milk. I milk my goats for 7 months before breeding them again. I can still milk them for 3 months during their 5 month gestation (10 months total) before letting them dry up to give their bodies a break. If you want to have milk for your family on a regular basis, you will become a goat breeder. Depending on how many goats you want to regularly milk, you could also be having several kids every year that need to be sold and thus it's important to acquire a quality, registered goat. Most Quality, registered goats come from superior milking lines and many are show quality as well. Not only does this benefit your quality and quantity of milk, it also makes your goat kids easier to sell. An unregistered goat not only has a questionable pedigree and milk production but both she and her offspring can be difficult to sell. All of our goats are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) and some also with the American Goat Society.