Once, Busy B Goat Farm was home to just a few animals with a focus on helping children learn about food production.
As the children of Kevin and Liza Welch got older, Liza continued to raise goats, growing the herd and becoming involved in breed improvement. Today, the Welches’ farm in Weathersfield, VT, is the home of a high-quality milking goat dairy.
“All of my does are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association,” said Liza. “Their performance program shows a producer is improving the breed, showing what they’re capable of and improving what’s in the barn. We do monthly milk testing for protein, fat and production. Our goats can earn milk stars and awards based on production levels, and we also show.”
While the herd started with Nigerian Dwarf goats that were easy for young children to handle, the Welches have added several new breeds.
“About three years ago, I purchased some Oberhasli, a standard size breed known for high milk production,” said Liza. “They’re super resilient with low parasite issues and are a great overall farm asset.”
She also purchased British Guernseys, which she says are quite rare. “They were brought here in the 1980s, then importation was no longer allowed,” she said. “We started doing AI to improve the breed and add new genetics.”
Liza started with two British Guernsey does and has them inseminated laparoscopically to produce purebred offspring. While laparoscopic breeding is more invasive, it has a higher success rate compared to traditional AI.
While the Nigerians cycle year-round, Oberhasli and British Guernseys are seasonal breeders. “I like to give my herd time off between kiddings,” said Liza. “I prefer to have kids in February, March and April. Kids born in early spring are a lot thriftier than kids born in summer when we have to deal with worms, flies and other issues we don’t have in spring. Since we’re on test, they must be in milk for at least eight months to earn scores and stars.”
Another advantage of early spring kidding is sales. Liza keeps kids until they’re at least eight to 10 weeks old and has found that buyers seek goats to purchase in spring. Kids born in June aren’t ready until August or later.
An important aspect of improving the Busy B herd is linear appraisal, which involves on-farm scoring by an approved judge. Liza uses does’ appraisal scores to help select sires. Appraisers are familiar with breed standards and are experienced in evaluating all breeds. Each category of a doe’s conformation is evaluated for a final score, and Liza uses those numbers to decide future breedings.
She sometimes retains superior sire prospects from the herd. “I know the lines and what they produce,” she said. “If I see a strong herd sire potential, I’ll retain him. However, I have to be careful because most of my herd goes back to my original five does and I’d rather not line breed.”
Liza Welch’s grandfather bottle feeding one of their kids. Photo courtesy of Liza Welch
Instead, Liza searches for what she believes to be the perfect potential sire and studies the production of related sires and dams before making a selection.
Successful farms work with a great vet, and the Welches have one. “In Vermont, there are requirements to be a licensed dairy,” said Liza. “We must test for brucellosis and TB, which are two diseases that can be transmitted to humans from milk. Since the vet is coming out to do those tests, I have the other testing done.”
In addition to required testing, the herd is tested for caprine arthritis and encephalitis (CAE), Johne’s and caseous lymphadenitis (CL). Although the Busy B herd isn’t closed, Liza only purchases tested animals and tests once they’re of age. Incoming animals are quarantined to ensure the herd isn’t exposed to potential disease.
Cameras throughout the farm help monitor the herd around the clock. Liza finds that constant observation throughout the year helps her remain aware of what’s normal for both the herd and individual animals, and she’s ready to intervene immediately if she notices something amiss.
“Because they’re prey animals, they can’t show weakness,” she said. “If they’re showing weakness, they’re already very ill and beyond the point of a quick fix.”
Kids are raised in a dam sharing system. Liza keeps younger does penned with their kids for up to two weeks to be sure they’re acclimated to raising kids. Next, kids are penned as a group overnight and introduced to grain. Dams are milked first thing in the morning, then kids are returned to the group of does.
Liza has found that kids suckling on dams helps increase overall milk production. “I’ve had instances where a doe loses a kid and I’ve milked her from the start,” she said. “If a doe has a single, I start milking her from day one because the kid usually chooses one side of the udder and the doe will stop producing once the demand isn’t there. I’ve learned that if a doe is milked from day one, the demand isn’t there as it would be with a kid that is constantly asking for milk. I milk does in the morning, the babies are with her all day, then they’re separated at night. Does that are constantly being asked to produce will produce.”
Although Liza enjoys milking goats by hand, she often has as many as 30 does in milk. “I have a great system and can milk two goats at a time,” she said. “We have a milk parlor, milk room and milkhouse. Does come into the parlor for milking and receive a dairy goat pellet, alfalfa and beet pulp ration.”
Most Busy B customers are local; quite a few have allergies, and others simply prefer goat milk. As a Tier 1 licensed dairy, Busy B can sell milk directly from the farm. Liza makes and sells bath and body products made from goat milk as well, and stocks the store with fresh products from local farms.
“We’re all in this together,” she said. “As farmers, we all understand what other farmers are going through. We’re a community, so where we can help each other, we do.”
Visit Busy B Goat Farm online at busybgoatfarm.com.
by Sally Colby
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