“IMO the swiss breeds are the best. Nice dispositons and easy to handle. Stay away from Nubians (loud and unmanageable). Pygmy goats the most worthless.”
Good to know. Beau wants goats. I detest them. But, as usual, I’ll have to compromise. So, Swiss it is...and I’ll barter for a few fur/yarn goats, of course! ;)
One thing you might want to look into is goats have an instinctive fear of dogs. And you have some. We never let our little 10 pounder near them. Unless the goats are raised with one of the guardian dog breeds, like Anatolian shepherds. If you want them for dairy it is a big commitment. If you like to vacation at all it’s easy to find someone to give hay and water but milking is another story. The most mild mannered goats in my opinion are lamanchas. They are a spanish breed and look earless but their ears are small. I have been around nearly all the goat breeds. And all in all the swiss breeds are the best.
If you want them for fiber you’ll be looking at angora goats. No concerns about milk then but they have their own challenges. They can get quite dirty and are prone to lice. Plus their rear ends need to be kept shaved of they will get skanky infections. Now if you are looking for fiber I would consider alpacas. Plus they pick a spot in the pasture and they all poop there. One pile to clean up! Plus if you let them breed you can make some money.
Perfectly lovely and the wool is very nice too.
:)