86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 10, 2000
Three gals keep an eye on activity among Joan Stump’s goat herd.
Dairy Goats Give Milk Too
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
TELFORD (Montgomery Co.)
The mischievous goat is noto
riously known for its clever anti
cs and unorthodox eating fare,
but 20 members of the Delaware
Valley Milk Goat Association
(DVMGA) want people to know
that goats contribute the best
milk available.
“Goats are dairy animals,
too,” said Henry Bailey.
While most people living in
the U.S. think cows are milk's
source, Bailey points out that 85
percent of the world has never
had cows' milk.
Officers of DVMGA Joan
Stump, Henry Bailey, and Cindy
Michalik enthusiastically
promote goat breeds and goat
dairy products. Some people
complain that mothers and
grandmothers notoriously brag
about their children and grand
children, but Stump, Bailey, and
Michalik shamelessly interject
“goat talk” into conversations
with family, friends, and ac
quaintances.
“They’re my babies,” Stump
said as she showed off her Alpine
herd.
“How are my gals?” she calls
to three curious Alpines peeping
through the windows of the shed
erected on the property.
Like many others in the goat
circuit, Michalik's and Stump's
interest in goats evolved. First,
Michalik purchased a goat as a
companion for her daughter's
horse. But the goat soon nuzzled
her way into the forefront of
Michalik's interests and she now
owns about 20 head of Alpine
and LaManche breeds. Even
Michalik's husband, Archie,
helps with the daily milking.
Stump credits her husband
Harold for getting her interested
in goats. She said, “My child
hood memories of them were not
good, but when my husband
stuck a two-week-old baby in my
arms, I was hooked.”
Since then, Stump does all the
daily care required and her hus
band takes care of the heavy
work.
Goats, the owners believe, are
the answer for the person who
has only a little land. In fact,
Stump raises 19 Alpines on only
one acre of land. The Stump’s
garage serves as a nursery and
maternity pens, and a few sheds
have been erected for the does,
bucks, and yearlings.
“You don’t need any more
space for a goat than you do for
a German Shepherd, and goats
give you so much more in return
milk, milk products, and the
best fertilizer ever,” she said.
“It’s a manageable animal and
reasonable to own,” Bailey said.
As 4-H leader Silver Pals Goat
Club, he believes goats make the
perfect project for 4-H’ers. His
daughter, Stephanie, has raised
goats for a 4-H project for six
years. She will be heading off to
college and when she does, Bai
ley plans to continue the herd.
His wife, Carole, is involved in
the 4-H Seeing Eye Club.
“Goats are hardy and easier to
handle than sheep. In pasture,
they browse bushes and weeds
not eaten by sheep. Goats are not
prone to contract any major ill
nesses, although they can contact
Johnes’ disease if exposed when
young or for a long time,” Stump
said.
On the Stump property, the
does, bucks, yearlings, and baby
goats are kept in separate pens.
This offers more control in feed
ing. Although Stump has a
homebred buck, she also uses AI
services to breed the does in the
fall.
Most births are without com*
plications, but Stump likes to
keep an eye on progress. To keep
track, a baby monitor is placed in
the maternity pen. Pawing and
heavy breathing are tell-tale
signs of labor that is easily pick
ed up by the monitor.
Typically, newborn goats are
taken from their mothers to be
bottlefed.
“This ensures udder health be
cause babies are brutal,” Stump
said.
The milk is pasteurized to
keep from passing disease to the
newborns.
Goat care includes clipping toe
nails every six weeks. If goats are
pastured in rocky areas, toe nail
trimming happens naturally, but
when raised on soft bedding,
nails grow more rapidly and
must be trimmed more often.
Although all Bailey, Stump,
and Michalik own milk goats,
they are not licensed to sell goat
milk. Each family makes lots of
ice cream, cheese, other cooking
dishes, and even make their own
soap. The excess milk goes to
pigs, to supplement Jersey
calves, and other nourishing
projects.
People call and ask for truck
loads of goat manure. “It’s great
in the garden makes plants
grow like nobody’s business,”
Bailey said.
Stump agrees. She said she
had one butternut squash plant
that rooted itself on top of a ma
nure pile produced 68 squash.
“During last year’s drought,
ground rich with goat manure re
mained moist,” Bailey said.
Organized in 1932, DVMGA
assists goat keepers, large and
small, in their efforts to improve
milk production, breeding, and
herd health.
“We consider tins (DVMGA) a
self-service club. We teach care
and hold seminars on kidding,
birthing, management practices,
hoof and udder care, clipping,
showmanship and fitting,”
Stump said.
Another perk with DVMGA
membership is breeding services.
Newcomers benefit from the
experiences of other club mem*
bers. One of the most pressing
needs is help in milking goats.
It takes only five minutes for Henry Bailey to milk a
goat by hand.
Sindi Michalik, Henry Bailey, and Joan Stump want
people to know that goats produce milk too. In fact, Bai
ley said that worldwide, goats provide more milk than
cows, and that 85 percent of the world’s population has
never tasted cows milk.
Michalik uses a milking ma- fluence pharmaceutical compa
chine converted from one used nies to develop one. Cornell is
on a cow. Stump milks by hand, conducting testing on close
It takes five minutes to milk a herds, but needs money for the
goat by hand. When milking is testing. The club encourages goat
finished, goats are rewarded with members to donate the price of a
a cookie treat bag of feed to the program. In
“Goats will do anything for addition, an online auction raises
cookies. They love them,” Stump mon ey to support the Rabies
said of the reward system. Goat Vaccine Test Program at
“It is important for milk to be ComeU University, N.Y. Items of
handled properly for taste and many kinds have been donated
punty I never worry what’s in t 0 the aucti induding live
my milk, I control it. Stump breedings, semen, buck and doe
. . ~ , kids, cheeses, soaps, books, col-
Goate’ milk is naturaUy ho- , ectib , ’
mogemzed and is most like nnn / . . . ” ,
mother’s milk. People with milk ™sed. The goal
allergies usually tolerate goats . ’ • Check out the online
njjjjj auction at www.khimaira-
DVMGA is involved in every far " l corn '
aspect of the goat industry. It From October through May,
even prints a newsletter edited by DVMGA meetings are held the
Stump. The “Newscaper” keeps Sunday of each month, 1:30
members up-to-date on the latest P* m * at the Indian Valley Li
goat-related information and leg- brary, Telford. Members bring
islation that affects the goat in- homemade cheese and other spe
dustry. cialities made with goat’s milk.
One of the club’s primary Those interested in attending
goals is to have a rabies vaccine meetings or desiring more in
approved within a year. Stump formation, write to Stump at 750
said, the goat industry does not Allentown Rd., Telford, PA
have a large enough lobby to in- 18969 or call (215) 723-5415.