The Hebig family raises goats for both milk and meat. Pictured with some of their goats are (from left): Cathy, Alice, Renee and Mark Hebig. Not pictured: Adam.
In addition to their full-time jobs off their farm, Mark and Cathy Hebig raise goats because of the high nutritional benefits of goat milk.
Currently they milk 72 goats, which takes about two hours from start to finish. This includes everything from preparing to milk to feeding the babies afterward.
This spring, the Hebigs saw 70 baby goats born at their place near Sobieski, most of them in February.
“Most of the 40 boys have been sold and we have 30 girls,” Mark said. “There are some younger boys that were born later that we will raise to 50 pounds before selling.”
Older goats average two or three babies each time they kid, whereas younger goats — yearlings — generally only have one kid.
They try to get a new buck for breeding every year, one with a good pedigree behind him.
“We buy them from people who show goats, with a more intense breeding program,” said Mark.
A buck is kept until his kids are ready to breed, and then another buck is introduced.
Each of the Hebig goats gives an average of five pounds of milk a day. The family drinks some of the milk themselves, and the rest goes to Stickney Hill Dairy in Kimball.
As a Stickney Hill farm, the Hebig’s facility is Certified Humane®, meeting the Humane Farm Animal Care program standards.
“Goat milk is naturally homogenized,” Mark said. “That makes it hard to separate to make butter. You can freeze the milk, and it won’t separate.”
The Hebigs point out that people who are lactose-intolerant can sometimes use goat milk.
“There is more fat in goat milk, but it is easier to digest,” said Cathy.
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DairylandPeach.com
Posted: June 17, 2013 by Certified Humane
Premium goats raised by Hebigs
Posted on June 17, 2013 at 8:00 am
By Jennie Zeitler, Staff Writer
The Hebig family raises goats for both milk and meat. Pictured with some of their goats are (from left): Cathy, Alice, Renee and Mark Hebig. Not pictured: Adam.
In addition to their full-time jobs off their farm, Mark and Cathy Hebig raise goats because of the high nutritional benefits of goat milk.
Currently they milk 72 goats, which takes about two hours from start to finish. This includes everything from preparing to milk to feeding the babies afterward.
This spring, the Hebigs saw 70 baby goats born at their place near Sobieski, most of them in February.
“Most of the 40 boys have been sold and we have 30 girls,” Mark said. “There are some younger boys that were born later that we will raise to 50 pounds before selling.”
Older goats average two or three babies each time they kid, whereas younger goats — yearlings — generally only have one kid.
They try to get a new buck for breeding every year, one with a good pedigree behind him.
“We buy them from people who show goats, with a more intense breeding program,” said Mark.
A buck is kept until his kids are ready to breed, and then another buck is introduced.
Each of the Hebig goats gives an average of five pounds of milk a day. The family drinks some of the milk themselves, and the rest goes to Stickney Hill Dairy in Kimball.
As a Stickney Hill farm, the Hebig’s facility is Certified Humane®, meeting the Humane Farm Animal Care program standards.
“Goat milk is naturally homogenized,” Mark said. “That makes it hard to separate to make butter. You can freeze the milk, and it won’t separate.”
The Hebigs point out that people who are lactose-intolerant can sometimes use goat milk.
“There is more fat in goat milk, but it is easier to digest,” said Cathy.
Full Story: http://dairylandpeach.com/2013/06/premium-goats-raised-by-hebigs/
Category: news