Our Dairy Goats
If you had told me a few years ago that I, Nicole, would be completely obsessed with dairy goats, I probably would have laughed, but like many things here at No Eye Deer Farm, it started in the most unexpected way.
We were at a show with our sheep and right next to us were these big goats with huge floppy ears. I remember looking over and thinking I want one of those so badly. Soon after I discovered they were dairy goats and that was the beginning of a very deep rabbit hole. I started watching YouTube videos about dairy goats… then more videos… and then even more videos. Before long I was completely hooked.
When our first Nubian arrived, something clicked straight away. She honestly felt like my soul goat. I know that might sound a little strange (okay, maybe a lot strange), but we just got each other. She would happily let me milk her, cuddle her and sometimes she would simply stand quietly with me when I needed a bit of time out. She gave me so much more than milk and the milk was incredible.
We started making things like goat milk ice cream, which quickly became a favourite in our house. Our daughter loved it so much she would happily eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if we let her.
Rob wasn’t exactly dreaming about owning goats or milking them every morning. What finally got him over the goat line was the practical help they could offer around the farm. Every year our paddocks seemed to be fighting a losing battle with blackberry bushes. They multiplied faster than we could keep up with and trying to remove them was starting to feel like mission impossible. On top of that, the thorns were forever catching our sheep’s wool as they walked past. So we put up a fence, brought in some boys and let the goats get to work. It turns out goats are incredibly good at clearing blackberry bushes and before long those prickly invaders that had been taking over our paddocks didn’t stand a chance.
Now our goats do two very important jobs on the farm, they produce milk and they help keep our paddocks under control.
Why Two Breeds?
Our first love was the Nubian.
Nubians are one of the larger dairy goat breeds and are well known for their beautiful long ears, gentle personalities and rich creamy milk, but by this stage I had clearly developed a bit of a goat addiction. So naturally, I also fell in love with the idea of Nigerian Dwarf goats.
Nigerians are essentially the smaller version of a dairy goat. They take up less space, eat less feed and somehow manage to pack even more personality into a tiny body.
For our farm, having both breeds felt perfect. The Nubians bring the classic dairy goat presence, while the Nigerians bring the compact size and endless character.
Goats are very different to sheep, which is what we were used to.
Some of our goats can jump surprisingly high and they have very strong opinions about the weather (especially rain), but honestly, that’s part of why I love them so much. They’re curious, affectionate, a little mischievous and they have a way of making you smile and enjoy the moment.
Once again I found myself searching for particular breeds that wasn’t easy to come across. The dairy goat industry in South Australia is quite small compared to some other states, so finding the right animals took time and patience. We have been very fortunate to source both does and bucks from highly reputable breeders who have spent many years focusing on genetics and developing excellent milking lines across Australia. Building a herd of 100% pure Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf goats with strong genetics is something we care deeply about. These early foundations are incredibly important, and we are very proud of the beginning of our goat herd here at No Eye Deer Farm.
As we continue growing our herd, our focus remains on building strong milking lines, excellent genetics and healthy, well loved goats. These early foundations are incredibly important to us and we’re very proud of the beginning of our dairy goat herd here at No Eye Deer Farm.
Goats can bring more than just milk to a farm. If you’re looking to add a bit of character to your paddocks, goats will certainly do that and just because they are dairy goats doesn’t necessarily mean you have to milk them. Many people simply enjoy them for their personalities, their curiosity and the joy they bring to farm life.
I truly hope that anyone who falls in love with goats finds their soul goat, just like I did. That’s something only us slightly crazy goat people will understand.
And honestly… I think to myself, thank goodness I’m a crazy goat lady and get to experience life with these amazing animals.
Life with Goats
Meet Our Goat Breeds!
On the next pages you can learn more about the two breeds we have here at No Eye Deer Farm:
