# Milking Fiber goats?



## out4trout (Mar 14, 2008)

can you milk a cashmere goat?
i am thinking about getting a couple goats. i would like somehting that i can milk and use the hair. not sure that goat exists...but i am open to suggestions!


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## delphinium (Feb 4, 2006)

Yes, you can.


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## out4trout (Mar 14, 2008)

do they produce a decent ammount? is there a better breed out there for fiber and milk? not really interested in meat...looking for a dual purpose hair/milker...


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## jBlaze (Dec 26, 2007)

I have 4 pygoras that are fresh, but I have not tried milking them. two of them appear to be milkable. They have enough to be worth it and at least something to hold onto. the other two I wouldn't bother, lol. Let us know what you find.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

I raise Cashmere goats, and yes you can milk them. The milk is not near as rich as a dairy goat. I have some does that have very nice teat to milk.


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## Carolyn (Jan 5, 2008)

You can milk them, but you will not get the amount of milk that a dairy doe will produce add fiber and milk goats usually produce enough to feed their young until they are weaned, then slowly dry up, but I have only had about 5 Cashmere goats and 30 angora goats. I did cross a Cashmere do with a Nubian buck and did get a longer and a heavier milking doe, but still wasn't milking like the dairy does. I think it is the luck of the draw, you may get a good milker with good breeding, but than again maybe not. My dairy does all average at least a gallon a day if not more. It all depends on what you want, personally if I am going to go through a clean milking routine and properly chill the milk, I want to have enough milk to do so, but this is my own opinion. Carolyn


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

You might have to milk several does to get enough milk, but that's what nomadic people with large herds do, or used to do. Also it's what people who milk sheep do -- they don't usually give as much milk as a good dairy goat, so they milk more of them. 

Kathleen


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