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.
Goats don't like grass much. They prefer weeds, tree leaves, and bushes. This means that they are happier clearing out a fence row than being confined to a lush field of grass. You can keep them in a barn lot and feed them hay, but this is a lot more expensive than letting them browse any wastelands on your farm. It will save manpower, too, if you let them do the weed-eating and mowing around rocks or downed trees where a machine can't go.
They will need hay during the winter but not nearly as much as a cow. You need to feed them grain if you want to get a lot of milk. Again, they need a lot less grain than a cow will. Goat's milk doesn't make butter, since it has little cream, but that's about the only drawback to not having a cow. Making cottage cheese and wonderful soft cheeses is easy with goatsmilk.
You can use a goat to clear out an overgrown fence line or lot. Throw up a temporary electric fence around an area that needs to be cleared, or tie the goat on a rope. Be careful not to leave it in the hot sun; these animals are susceptible to sunstroke. Goats need both shade and water when they're tied out.
Of course, you don't have to milk goats. Many raise them for meat or purely for clearing. There isn't a lot of meat on a goat, but it tastes great and doesn't cost much in terms of feed. Often a small family can't use all the meat from a cow and will do better with a few goats and a few chickens in the freezer.
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.
Goats don't like grass much. They prefer weeds, tree leaves, and bushes. This means that they are happier clearing out a fence row than being confined to a lush field of grass. You can keep them in a barn lot and feed them hay, but this is a lot more expensive than letting them browse any wastelands on your farm. It will save manpower, too, if you let them do the weed-eating and mowing around rocks or downed trees where a machine can't go.
They will need hay during the winter but not nearly as much as a cow. You need to feed them grain if you want to get a lot of milk. Again, they need a lot less grain than a cow will. Goat's milk doesn't make butter, since it has little cream, but that's about the only drawback to not having a cow. Making cottage cheese and wonderful soft cheeses is easy with goatsmilk.
You can use a goat to clear out an overgrown fence line or lot. Throw up a temporary electric fence around an area that needs to be cleared, or tie the goat on a rope. Be careful not to leave it in the hot sun; these animals are susceptible to sunstroke. Goats need both shade and water when they're tied out.
Of course, you don't have to milk goats. Many raise them for meat or purely for clearing. There isn't a lot of meat on a goat, but it tastes great and doesn't cost much in terms of feed. Often a small family can't use all the meat from a cow and will do better with a few goats and a few chickens in the freezer.
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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