LIVESTOCK - Goat dairy targets Fetta cheese market
Making good use
of an old dairy
By David Mason-Jones
For father and son team,
Fred and Ben Baker, the de-
cision about stocking their
small farm on the mid north
coast of NSW was driven by
the need to match the type
of stock to be run with the
characteristics of the land.
The 27 hectare property is
located on the Pacific High-
way at Passionfruit Creek
south of the township of
Kew.
“We are in the fortunate
position that we own the
property and also derive an
income from off-farm
work,” says Fred. “But we
still have a desire to max-
imise the income that is
achievable from this farm.
“Some time ago we were
running cattle on the prop-
erty and they were not really
profitable for this size of
farm.
“With a carrying capacity
of only around eight to 10
cows at any one time, they
were paying for the rates and
that was about all. We were
searching for something
commercially profitable to
justify owning the place and
this is where we settled on
the idea of a commercial
goat dairy,” says Fred.
There are many potential
advantages for a commercial
dairy to operate at this prop-
erty.
Firstly, in the coastal con-
ditions of NSW, the farm re-
ceives high annual rainfall
and is always lush. The sec-
ond point for the long-term
development of the property,
is that the farm has a
frontage to the Pacific High-
way and is in the area mid-
way between Taree and Port
Macquarie. This means that
it is located in an area where
there is significant tourist ac-
tivity and on a route which
36 Small FARMS
experiences a high volume of
traffic.
While the whole plan of es-
tablishing a goat dairy is still
at the earliest stages Fred and
Ben, can certainly see that
the concept can be devel-
oped much further in the fu-
ture.
The first steps taken on the
farm have been the modifi-
cation of a pre-existing her-
ringbone cow dairy and the
acquisition of a commercial
herd of Saanen goats.
“The old cow dairy was
very small but it is well
suited to our needs,” says
Fred.
“The dairy had fallen into
disuse but has been quite
easy to restore the function-
ality. I have modified the A small herringbone dairy, previously used for milk-
head restraints so that they ing cows, was on the property when it was pur-
are suitable for goats and it chased. This has been converted to a goat dairy.
works perfectly well for us.
“We have decided to build
our milking herd based on
the Saanen breed and have
acquired many of these rela-
tively inexpensively. Some of
them we purchased for
around $30-$35 each with
others costing more. With
the relief from drought con-
ditions in large parts of
NSW, the Saanens are gener-
ally more expensive at the
moment.
“We have currently reached
the stage where we have 59
milkers, 40 kids and 11
goatlings - that is, goats that
have passed the kid stage but
are still too young to be
milked. At this stage our
herd is giving, on average,
around 1.0 to 1.5 litres per
goat, per milking, and we
milk them twice a day.
“At this stage we are not yet
licensed to sell our milk but
we are currently engaging in
the process of becoming li-
censed in all respects. We
have already had a number Each side of the dairy can handle eight goats at a
of inspections with regard to time. Milking takes place twice a day.
March 2008
 LIVESTOCK - Goat dairy targets Fetta cheese market
this and these inspections are
still continuing. We expect
that we will meet all the li-
censing requirements and
will soon be able to market
our milk,” says Fred.
While building up the herd
Fred and Ben are milking in
order to build up their pro-
duction levels.
Most of the milk is used for
feeding the kids. Milking
takes place each day between
6 a.m. and 7 a.m. for the
morning session and be-
tween 4:30 p.m. and 5:30
p.m. for the afternoon ses-
sion.
Fred and Ben have found
that two people can handle
this milking routine easily
and the fact that there are
two people available means
that one of them can be
away from the farm during
milking time if necessary.
This is a benefit because it
does not tie everyone down
to being on the farm day in,
day out for the rest of their
lives.
Once Fred and Ben receive
the appropriate licence to
allow them to milk at the
dairy and to sell the product
commercially, their initial
aim is to seek out local
cheesemakers to supply them
on a regular basis. A mid-
term aim is to gain an ap-
proval to construct a cheese practical advantages in milk- The headlocks and feeding trays have been manu-
room on their property and ing goats as compared with factured by Fred and Ben and are simply a smaller
to move to the production of milking cows. “It’s just easier version of a larger equipment used for cows.
fetta cheese. to handle the small animals,”
In terms of the overall says Ben.
milking herd, Fred and Ben “There is not the pushing
aim at lifting the production and jostling that happens to
herd to around 200 milkers some degree in a cow dairy.
once the necessary approvals The goats are also at much
and licences have been neater in their habits and the
granted and a market estab- amount of washing out and
lished for the product. cleaning that is required after
“If we are aiming at a milk- milking session with goats is
ing herd of 200, that will far less than a milking ses-
mean that the total number sion with cows.
of goats on the property will “Goats are much easier to
have to be around 300 at any handle in the dairy itself and
one time,” says Ben. “But they have a temperament
with the lush conditions we where they are cooperative
believe that this is an achiev- and want to engage with hu-
able stocking rate for this mans,” he says.
property.” Although they are easier to In the lush coastal conditions between Taree and
Fred and Ben have found handle in the dairy itself in Port Macquarie, the herd average varies between
that there are a number of some aspects they do require 1.0 and 1.5 litres per milking with two milkings a day.
March 2008 Small FARMS 37
LIVESTOCK - Goat dairy targets Fetta cheese market
more animal husbandry than
dairy cattle. One of these
needs is for all the goats to
have their toenails cut every
six to eight weeks.
The lush conditions at the
farm mean that the toenails
are not being worn down by
rocks and sand as normally
happens in the natural envi-
ronment. The work load re-
quired to do this will
increase as the herd gets big-
ger.
The readiness of goats to
engage with humans, how-
ever, does make it relatively
easy to clip their toenails.
“Sometimes, when they are
having their toenails done
for the very first time, they
will get a bit scatty,” says
Fred. “However, once they
get accustomed to the rou-
tine, they know what it is
about and they can be
clipped with no trouble
whatsoever.”
Fred and Ben Baker have goat dairy. This shows that a One advantage of working with goats is that they
chosen to convert their small change in the farm plan may are highly inquisitive and enjoy human company.
farm from a marginal beef be necessary to make small This makes the job of milking them a very easy daily
venture to a higher value farm ownership profitable. ■ task.
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38 Small FARMS March 2008