Top 10 Best Dairy Goat Breeds

Goats milk is very nutritious and most people who cannot drink cows’ milk can usually drink goats’ milk.

Some of the nicest cheeses are made from goats milk. Another dairy product to try made from goats’ milk is ice cream and yogurt.

It can be just as rich and creamy as cows’ milk with all if not even more benefits than cows’ milk. There are many different breeds of goats just like there are other animals. All the female goats also produce milk as they should for their young. Just some goat breeds produce a lot more milk than others and so we get delicious fresh milk from the ones that have an abundance of it. These are the dairy milk breeds and most of these breeds have been bred to produce milk. This has been done through the ages with selective breeding programs.

TOP 10 DAIRY GOAT BREEDS

Guernsey Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:   3.07 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:   Around 3.72 %
Protein:   2.81 %
The Guernsey or Golden Guernsey’s are goats that were imported from the United Kingdom.
They are a beautiful golden color and have an even friendly temperament. Their udders are well positioned for milking and they are not too difficult to milk.
They will produce milk for up to 284 days with their milk peaking at around 4 to 6 weeks after kidding. Read More

Saanen Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 4 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 3.3 %
Protein:    2.9 %
The Saanen goat is a dairy breed that originated in Switzerland it is a medium to large sized breed. Saanens have to be white or a cream color or they are not Saanens they are Sable goats.
They may have small spots on their skin though and their hair is short and glossy.
They are alert and although they Saanen is generally a vigorously strong goat the does are pretty feminine for such a rugged breed. Read More

Alpine Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 3.5 to 4 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 3.4 %
Protein:    2.9 %
The Alpine goat is a very adaptable goat and can navigate just about any precarious terrain with a skillful grace and elegance.
They are a medium to large sized goat and are very hardy they also come in quite a few different colors. Most of the color combinations for their coats are two-toned such as Cou Blanc which translates to “white-Neck” this goat has a white front and black across the rump and hind-quarters. Then there are the Cou Clair, Cou Noir, Sundgau, Pied and a few others. Check out the Alpine Goats full profile on our site.Read More

Sable Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 4 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 3.3 %
Protein:    2.9 %
The Sable or Sable Saanen is almost exactly like the Saanen only it comes in different colors or color combinations. It can be any color except what is known as solid light cream or solid white.
The Sable dairy goat is just as beautiful as its Saanen sister and just as productive. They are just a lot more colorful and have quite a sad beginning.
Before the Sable was recognized as a breed of their own any young Saanen that was born with a color other than solid white or solid cream would be destroyed.
New Zealand was the first to recognize this beautiful goat as a breed of its own.Read More

Nigerian Dwarf Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 1.5 to 2 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 6 %
Protein:    4.4 %
The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a very cute miniature milk producing or rather dairy goat. They may be small, but they still deliver on the milk. Their milk is used to make some brilliant cheeses, ice-creams and yogurts having one of the highest contents of both butterfat and protein in it.
They come in many different colored coats and have small compact bodies with long slender necks and short to medium length legs.
They also make great little pets and are ideal for the Urban Homestead. Read More

LaMancha Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 3.5 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 4.0 %
Protein:    3.2 %
The LaMancha goat is a dairy goat breed that was developed in the United States and it is an excellent milk breed. They are sturdy, hardy and basically adaptable to most climates and terrains. They are also known for the high butterfat content milk that is excellent for making goats milk cheeses.
They are very unique or shall we say distinctive look breed as they have incredibly short ears.
These ears come in two styles namely the “elf ear” or the “gopher ear” for more information on their characteristics you should check out the LaMancha breeds full profile on our website. Read More

Nubian Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 2.8 to 3 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 4.9 %
Protein:    3.7 %
These beautiful goats have a very distinctive Roman nose profile and long flowing ears. They are strong, graceful, proud and quite regal in their bearing.
They also produce a very high-quality milk that is rich and high in butterfat content. Their milk production is quite decent and tastes creamy and sweet.
The Nubian goat comes in quite a few different coat colors but a Mahogany brown with rich red undertones is the most common color. Read More

Oberhasli Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 3.5 to 4 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 4.9 %
Protein:    3.7 %
The Oberhasli goat is mainly a Chomoisee colored goat but the does coat may be a solid black color too.
They are a goat breed that originated in Switzerland are very well known for the rich goat’s milk and fine temperament.
They are very alert and strong goats that are more than capable of fending for themselves in may difficult climates and terrains. Read More

Toggenburg Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 3.5 liters of milk per day on average
Butterfat Content:    Around 3.2 %
Protein:    2.7 %
The Toggenburg always make me feel as if they are lazily assessing a person out behind the half-lidded sleepy gaze they have.
They are a medium sized sturdy goat that is known to be alert and vivacious. They have lovely characters and you can bet that no two of these goat characters are quite like the other. Read More

Nigora Goat

Approx. Milk Quantity:    up to 1.5 to 2 liters of milk prage
Butterfat Content:    Around 6 %
Protein:    4.4 %
The Nigora Goat breed was bred in America by crossing a Nigerian Dwarf goat breed with an Angora Goat breed. When the Nigora was developing the developers were pleasantly surprised as this littles goat robust characteristics, its excellent fiber quality and its milk production.
Getting the best features from its lineage of the Nigerian Dwarf and Angora goat.
They milk, like the Nigerian Dwarf goat is high in fat and protein. Read More