Goat Farming in France: Dairy Goats, Cheese Making and Records

Goat farming in France is above all dairy farming: most goats are kept for milk, which is either delivered to a dairy or turned into farmstead cheese on the farm. The two dominant breeds are the Alpine and the Saanen. Success depends on well-planned breeding, feeding matched to lactation, strict milking hygiene and accurate milk records for each goat.

France is one of Europe's major dairy-goat countries, with a long tradition of goat cheeses, several of them protected by an official designation. You will find large herds that deliver milk to dairies as well as small cheese-making farms selling at markets and at the farm gate.

Two models: milk delivery or farmstead cheese

The delivering farmer sells milk to a dairy or cooperative. Income depends on volume, milk quality (solids and hygiene) and the price paid, so the aim is high, steady production at a controlled cost.

The farmstead cheese maker processes their own milk and sells cheese directly at markets, to shops or to restaurants. Added value is higher, but so is the workload: a compliant cheese room, ripening and marketing. Processing and selling dairy products on the farm must follow food-safety rules and requires the proper approvals, so check with the veterinary services of your département before you start.

Saanen, Alpine and local breeds

Alpine and Saanen make up most of the specialised dairy herd. Local breeds mostly interest cheese makers, pastoral systems and conservation projects. If you are comparing with meat goats, see our Boer goat guide.

Breeding, kidding and lactation

Goats are naturally seasonal breeders: they come into heat mainly as days shorten in late summer and autumn, and kid in late winter and spring. To spread milk production over the year, some farms use out-of-season breeding (light programmes, the buck effect, or synchronisation supervised by the vet or adviser).

Key points:

• Gestation lasts about 150 days (145 to 155).
• Lactation usually lasts several months, often around ten, followed by a dry period before the next kidding.
• Kids are either raised as replacements (doelings) or sold young; their value is often low, so choosing which doelings to keep matters.
• Colostrum and the first hours of life are decisive for kid survival.

Your breeding calendar sets your milk calendar: if you sell cheese at markets all year round, you need goats in milk every season, which means several breeding groups.

Feeding and health of a dairy herd

A dairy goat has high needs, especially in early lactation. The ration is built on good forage (hay, grazing, sometimes silage) plus concentrates and minerals matched to production. Change rations gradually to avoid digestive upsets.

Typical health priorities:

• Mastitis, which harms milk quality: milking hygiene and close watching of udders and milk. See our article on mastitis in ewes and goats.
• Parasites, especially in grazing goats: plan control with your vet.
• Contagious diseases specific to goats, where the herd's health status matters a great deal when buying animals. Ask your vet before introducing any new goat.
• Vaccinations follow the programme agreed with your vet, based on the risks on your farm.

Isolate every new animal before mixing it with the herd, as explained in quarantine for new animals. As with sheep, goats in France must be identified and registered under official rules; check the current requirements with the identification body in your département.

Tracking milk goat by goat

In a dairy herd the average hides everything: a few high-yielding goats can mask others that cost more than they earn. Good records let you:

1. Measure each goat's yield at regular intervals.
2. Spot drops in milk, often the first sign of mastitis or a feeding problem.
3. Choose replacement doelings from the best dams.
4. Make culling decisions with numbers.
5. Work out production cost, including feed, to price your cheese.

Our guide on dairy goat milk records explains the method step by step.

Running the goat barn day to day

A well-run goat barn keeps separate groups (milking, dry, doelings, bucks, kids), plans matings and kiddings, and records every treatment. On the Throf platform, each goat has its own record (number, tag colour, breed, dam, weight) with matings, kiddings, drying-off, milk records, treatments and health reminders, plus expenses, sales and cost per head. The app works in French, English and Arabic on phone, laptop and tablet, and each employee works with their own permissions. Learn more on the Throf France page, and for ewes read our guide to sheep farming in France.