Mark and Cathy Hebig raise goats in addition to their full-time jobs off their farm, because of the high nutritional benefits of goat milk.
There are currently 72 goats being milked, 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 goat babies 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.
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Morrison County Record
Posted: June 15, 2013 by Certified Humane
Hebigs raise premium goats for meat and dairy
Posted on June 14, 2013 at 11:41 am
by Jennie Zeitler, Staff Writer
Mark and Cathy Hebig raise goats in addition to their full-time jobs off their farm, because of the high nutritional benefits of goat milk.
There are currently 72 goats being milked, 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 goat babies 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.
Full Story: http://mcrecord.com/2013/06/14/hebigs-raise-premium-goats-for-meat-and-dairy/
Category: news