Some hardy souls would rather make their own living than work nine to five for someone else and buy what they need. That's the ideology behind the homestead, a small holding that will provide almost everything a family needs. If homesteaders do need to buy something, they sell produce to get the money needed. Sustainability using goats is a good strategy for 'back to the land' folks.
These long domesticated animals have many good points. They produce delicious and nutritious milk. You can eat them. They are easy to handle, even for the inexperienced, and their pasture and shelter can be modest. They don't require much feed. Two good milkers can give all the milk a family needs.
Cows need ample pasture, but a goat actually prefers weeds and brush. These browsing animals like to take a mouthful here and another one there, trying almost every green thing it finds. They can be kept on hay, but this is more expensive than letting them eat the weeds that are free. Letting them tidy up fencerows and roadsides saves manpower, too. Why mow or weed-eat when the goat will do it?
They do need hay during the winter, when browse is scarce, and grain if you want them to produce a lot of milk. The amount they need, however, is much less than what a cow requires. You won't be able to make butter, since goatsmilk has little cream. The milk is great for drinking fresh and for making cottage or soft cheeses, however.
If you need to clear out overgrown pastures, you can put up electric fence to keep the animals in. They'll do a great job on weeds and secondary growth. You can also tie them out and move them to a new area every day, as long as they are protected from hot sun and have water available.
Many people don't milk their goats but use them solely for clearing or use them for meat production. There's not a lot of meat on a goat, but per pound it's economical. Anyway, a small family can find it hard to use up an entire cow, so raising a beef cow may not be practical.
It's not hard to build up a herd. A goat will have often have twins, and you can breed them every year. However, you don't have to breed them annually; a good milker will produce for two years or longer before needing to be bred again. Goat's milk is considered to be more digestible than that from a cow, and when it's unpasteurized it has strong medicinal properties. It's used as a wound dressing in many cultures, and is famous as a food for the infirm, young, and elderly.
It's fun to raise goats, too. They can be as affectionate as dogs, and they love to go for a walk. A family with a small herd of goats, a few chickens, a vegetable garden, an orchard, a berry patch, and a beehive will really have all it needs.
These long domesticated animals have many good points. They produce delicious and nutritious milk. You can eat them. They are easy to handle, even for the inexperienced, and their pasture and shelter can be modest. They don't require much feed. Two good milkers can give all the milk a family needs.
Cows need ample pasture, but a goat actually prefers weeds and brush. These browsing animals like to take a mouthful here and another one there, trying almost every green thing it finds. They can be kept on hay, but this is more expensive than letting them eat the weeds that are free. Letting them tidy up fencerows and roadsides saves manpower, too. Why mow or weed-eat when the goat will do it?
They do need hay during the winter, when browse is scarce, and grain if you want them to produce a lot of milk. The amount they need, however, is much less than what a cow requires. You won't be able to make butter, since goatsmilk has little cream. The milk is great for drinking fresh and for making cottage or soft cheeses, however.
If you need to clear out overgrown pastures, you can put up electric fence to keep the animals in. They'll do a great job on weeds and secondary growth. You can also tie them out and move them to a new area every day, as long as they are protected from hot sun and have water available.
Many people don't milk their goats but use them solely for clearing or use them for meat production. There's not a lot of meat on a goat, but per pound it's economical. Anyway, a small family can find it hard to use up an entire cow, so raising a beef cow may not be practical.
It's not hard to build up a herd. A goat will have often have twins, and you can breed them every year. However, you don't have to breed them annually; a good milker will produce for two years or longer before needing to be bred again. Goat's milk is considered to be more digestible than that from a cow, and when it's unpasteurized it has strong medicinal properties. It's used as a wound dressing in many cultures, and is famous as a food for the infirm, young, and elderly.
It's fun to raise goats, too. They can be as affectionate as dogs, and they love to go for a walk. A family with a small herd of goats, a few chickens, a vegetable garden, an orchard, a berry patch, and a beehive will really have all it needs.
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