Perhaps the worst thing you can say to me is "I'm thinking about getting goats." Immediately I will be on a quest to find you a goat or two and make your dream come true.
Goats are a wonderful homestead animal, giving milk and meat, improving pastures, and enriching the garden.
Goats are a wonderful homestead animal, giving milk and meat, improving pastures, and enriching the garden.
Here are five important reasons why you absolutely need goats on your homestead.
Milk and Meat
Any breed of goat - dairy or meat, full size or mini - will provide milk and meat, while needing less space, feed and water than a cow.
Goats are also smaller and easier to handle than a cow.
A full size dairy goat, of course, will give more milk than a mini breed or a meat breed; a meat breed will be heavier and provide more meat than a dairy goat.
Miniature breeds are easier for children to handle.
You can learn more about the various kinds and breeds of goats, and some advice on which goats would be best for your homestead here.
Goats are browsers rather than grazers; they prefer weeds, shrubs and trees to grass.
Pasture Improvement
Goats are browsers rather than grazers; they prefer weeds, shrubs and trees to grass.
They improve pastureland by eating the weeds and brush and leaving the grass. Goats are often used to eradicate brush and clear land.
Goats love poison ivy and blackberry thickets, for instance.
Parasite Control
Rotating goats with another species or two on the same ground helps to control the parasites of each animal.
Parasites of one species, such as a horse or a cow, cannot survive in a host animal of a different species, such as a goat, and vice versa.
Goat droppings, like rabbit droppings, don't need to be composted before adding to your garden, although letting them age for at least a month or so is recommended.
Gardening
Goat droppings, like rabbit droppings, don't need to be composted before adding to your garden, although letting them age for at least a month or so is recommended.
Goat poop won't burn your plants like some other manures will.
And then there is the A1/A2 milk issue.
A1 versus A2 Milk
And then there is the A1/A2 milk issue.
Very simply, A1 is a mutated beta-casein protein found in milk. Cows can carry either the A1 or the A2 gene.
A genetic test can determine if a cow is A1 or A2. Holsteins, the dairy breed most often used in American commercial dairies, are almost always A1.
Goats are always A2.
You can read more about this issue and why people want to avoid A1 milk in this article, "You're Drinking the Wrong Kind of Milk."
Some Fun Information about Goats
Goats are full of personality - some folks say they have too much personality.
A herd of goats will have a boss goat called the herd queen. Her daughter is usually high up in the herd hierarchy too; I call her the princess.
An intact male is a buck; a female is a doe. A castrated male goat is a "wether."
A doe has one udder and two teats. (Well, she should have two teats. Check before you buy a goat; some do have an extra teat but it is considered a fault.)
An intact male is a buck; a female is a doe. A castrated male goat is a "wether."
A doe has one udder and two teats. (Well, she should have two teats. Check before you buy a goat; some do have an extra teat but it is considered a fault.)
Goats are like potato chips, you can't have just one. Goats are herd animals and an only goat is a lonely goat that will always be in trouble, getting loose, eating your roses, jumping on your car.
Of course, without good fences your entire herd might be likely to get out, but one loose goat will be more likely to stay in the vicinity of the still-fenced-in herd and get into less trouble.
Do you have goats on your homestead?
Do you have goats on your homestead?
You'll find all of my goat keeping posts here.
For more homestead inspiration, subscribe to The Acorn, Oak Hill Homestead's weekly-ish newsletter, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. I'd love to see you there!
You might also like:
Goat Fencing, What Works (and What Doesn't!)
10 Must-Have Items for Goat keepers
Goats: What's Normal?
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My hope is to inspire you, and to encourage your homesteading plans and your dreams of a simple, self-reliant, God-dependent life. You can follow me at:
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Just a few..lol troublemakers
ReplyDeleteWe purchased our first goats this past September after goat-sitting a 2 week old, bottle-fed Nubian kid. It was all over then...I HAD to have goats! He came up for sale, along with 3 others (2 Nubians and 1 LaMancha),so now we're learning the ropes with 4 wethers. This spring we'll enlarge their pasture...would love to hear your suggestions for goat-proof fencing! -Mary
ReplyDeleteelectric fences are best or high chicken wire that they can't get their head's through if they get their head through a fence they push until their whole body is through. Doe's in NZ tend to kid in July or August and so need good shelter that is warm and has plenty of bedding in it. They are terrible for leaving their young hidden somewhere and then one thinks the young have been deserted. I only ever had that happen twice and they young were left lying in the snow I think they had probably been born where I picked them up both survived and were raised inside and both taught themselves to use the cat's litter box to go to the toilet. They are very intelligent animals.
DeleteMichelle, troublemakers? Lizzie's not a troublemaker...
ReplyDeleteMary, the joke about goat fencing is that if it won't hold water, it won't hold a goat. While I don't find that true, you do need good fences. It's a great question, I'll write a post on it soon!
ReplyDeleteGoats are the livestock for us, besides chickens. I agree with you, Kathi. They are smaller, and if you work with them to tame them down, pretty easy to handle. The meat is excellent and so is the milk. We make butter, cheeses, yogurt and kefir from the milk, as well as feed it to our Pyrenees and chickens, have it on cereal and drink all we want. And besides all that, I really like and enjoy my goats.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the question.
Fern
Lol! Just the post I needed. We want goats so badly!
ReplyDeleteHello, I've been wanting to have a dairy animal for a while and a goat seems to be a good choice. I have a chance to have a freshened nubian nanny for the season and I'm seriously considering it. The problem is this: I also keep Corriedale sheep, only 8, and they are a large breed. The goat owner has asked me what I'm planning to do about the mineral situation. Sheep cannot eat copper, goats need to. I'm thinking maybe I could offer minerals while milking or have the goat housed separately at night. Do you have any thoughts about keeping a goat or 2 with sheep?
ReplyDeleteI don't have goats so I can't comment on that... But you could always look into dairy sheep. We have two, an East Friesian/Lacaune and an Icelandic/Finn, that we milk and the milk is wonderful!
DeleteYou're welcome, Veletta! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question, Julie. Yes, you could offer minerals when milking, but you'd also have to provide them during the time your doe is dry. You could house your goat separately at night. You might also be able to put the mineral feeder up higher than the sheep can reach, or even build a platform for the goat so that she can reach her mineral. I don't have much experience with sheep and whether they will jump up like goats will. The goat owner is correct that goats need much more copper than sheep.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying for years to get my husband on board with a goat or three :) Honestly, we can't really have them at our current home, or I think I would have worn him down by now :)
ReplyDeleteWe had goats on the farm where I grew up, they were there mainly for poison Ivy control...well, that and being adorable.
Bekah, they are very good at being adorable.
ReplyDeleteFern, chickens are the perfect first homestead animal, and goats seem to be the second most popular. Like you, I really like my goats and enjoy having them around, but I also use the milk for just about everything.
ReplyDelete{Blogger is being kind of strange today; comments are showing up out of sequence and yours was really late.}
Great post Kathi!
ReplyDeleteI like goats, but you have to be ready for the "goat" attitude :)
They can be "lovely" at times! But they do bring a great deal to a homestead.
They do have an "attitude", don't they, Sandra?! On the other hand, there are a lot of benefits to having goats.
ReplyDeleteWe have a wether. Totally recommend a bottle-raised goat - very lovey & affectionate. He is leash-trained but comes along better just calling him. He came as a companion for the pony but has been great "helping" with the yardwork. I picket him around the horse trailer or near brush piles & he eats the brush & weeds saving the hubby much weed-whipping. He loves the yellow rocket & burdock in the pasture so the grass has come along much better. My husband doesn't "get it" on why we have the goat but since he's low maintenance & does on save mowing/weed-whipping he doesn't care much. :) A lot of people talk about the smell. When our wether came home he did smell like a skunk because he had been in with his un-fixed father. I treated him a few times with dry dog shampoo & brushing him with baby powder every day (sprinkled it on, rubbed it in & then brushed until it was all removed) like you would with a skunked dog & the smell was gone - he doesn't really have a smell of his own any more than the horses now.
ReplyDeleteHi April, I totally agree that bottle-raised babies are extremely friendly. Phoenix still thinks she's a person and is offended that I make her live with the other goats. I want my does to raise their kids, and it does take time and work to keep the kids friendly, but it's time well-spent.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's the good thing about wethers, they don't smell like bucks do!
I LOVE my goats and can't imagine not having them around. It doesn't matter what kind of a day I'm having, when I go down to milk, it always makes me happy! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, Candy. They're always glad to see me, even if it's just because I have a feed bucket. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was ignorant about A-1/A-2 until I read your post via The Homesteaders Hop. Now we have one more reason to love our goats:)
ReplyDeleteGlad to help, Diane. As you said, another reason to love goats.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that I never considered having goats. After sampling goat milk last night for the first time, I can see the benefit of giving these critters a try.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your outdoor post on The Maple Hill Hop!
Hi Daisy, thank you for stopping by. After chickens, I think goats are the next logical homestead animal. Besides, I just like them.
ReplyDeleteKathi,
ReplyDeleteNo goats on our homestead yet but I'd love to have some. Thanks for your informative post!
You're so welcome, Nancy. I hope you can have goats someday.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Kathi!! I'm counting down when we can have goats! It's going to be sooo fun!! Lots of great information. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary. I hope you can have goats soon! They are a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI really want goats (for a few years now). We need a different hometead for that because our HOA would lose their mind. I can't wait to find our forever spot!
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine what your HOA would say! LOL!
ReplyDeleteWe're trying to get started with a couple goats, but I'm at a loss. Started doing research, but just haven't found any really amazing all-inclusive type blogs. Like from the beginning type. I'm not positive we are capable. Well, I'm sure we're capable, but I'm nervous. We're thinking of renting some first, to kind of check em out. But haven't even found a real close place for that. Ugh. Any suggestions for nervous beginners? Well, nervous considerers, lol? We want to know what we're getting in to, otherwise it's just not fair to the animals. We currently only have chickens, which are my addiction, and a cat who hates the chickens because we love them more than her now. At least that's what she thinks. I imagine. Anyway....I want goats! To clear the land, give us milk, I say meat, my DH says NO (baby), and to further our grandkids exposure to farm life. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Susan, thank you for researching first, that's smart! Fencing and shelter are important first considerations. You can read about goat fencing here. Shelter doesn't have to be fancy but goats don't like rain, and they need to have shade and of course protection from the cold too. Next, you might browse through my past goat posts (Click on "Goats" in the menu bar under my header, or Click Here). If you have any more questions, please ask and I'll do my best to answer!
ReplyDeletemention how goats help keep snake population down.
ReplyDeleteI've been told that too, Charles. I don't have any scientific proof, but I rarely see snakes even though they are very prevalent in Oklahoma. I do believe it's true.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some of the best "how to" resources to study on goats, regarding raising, housing, feeding, milking, etc.?
ReplyDeleteHi Bill, there are several books that are worth reading. "Raising Milk Goats Successfully" is a good book for beginners, and is the one I started with. It covers all the basics.
ReplyDeletehttp://amzn.to/SvFcR5 (affiliate link)
We would like to get several goats. We have 12 acres in Virginia and have a lot of ground to clear (saplings, seedlings, tons of brush), but need direction as to the best way to keep them fenced. We have 5 dogs and are concerned about how they'll react to the goats.
ReplyDeleteFencing is the biggest challenge with goats. Here's what has (and hasn't) worked for us:
ReplyDeleteGoat Fencing
We just bought our first two Kinder doelings last month. Looking forward to breeding them this Fall! Can't wait to enjoy all that wonderful milk.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your two new goats, I hope they are bringing you joy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight. I'd love to have goats some day. They seem like they would be such an entertaining animal to keep. Stopping by from the Homestead Blop Hop.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're able to have them some day, Alicia. They are definitely fun.
DeleteI like the idea of goats, but I'm not sure we have the room or that we can keep them legally. Thanks for sharing on the Waste Less Wednesday Blog Hop.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting, Katy.
DeleteMy daughter loves your comparison that "goats are like potato chips." She has Alpines and loves them. Thank you for linking up to the All Around the Home and Homestead Blog Party!
ReplyDeleteI think your daughter knows what I mean, Jennifer. :-)
DeleteThat's good information. We've considered goats in the past but didn't know where to even start. Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it was helpful, Meredith. There are quite a few other goat posts too, just put "goat" in the search box in the sidebar. (If you're using a phone, you'll need to choose "web version" at the bottom of the page to see the sidebar.)
DeleteReally interesting! I learned several things. We haven't had goats, but we've thought about it. I even have a few names picked out. We'd love to use their browsing to clean up the woods around the house. Maybe someday...
ReplyDeleteThey are wonderful brush eaters and can make a wild pasture look like a city park. Fencing is key though, Michelle.
DeleteWow, great list! We also keep goats and I didn't realize half of these concepts, especially the goat droppings going into the garden directly! Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jes. Sometimes, when the goats are being difficult, it helps to remember that they are good for a lot of reasons.
DeleteHowever, I once loaded goat bedding from the buck shed directly on some seedlings. While the droppings are safe to put directly on the garden, evidently the buck-urine-soaked straw was a bit too strong for delicate seedlings.
Good morning! Just a little note to let you know we have FEATURED this post today on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kathi,
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you (I'm a goat mommy too)I enjoyed my visit today :-)
Many Blessings Linnie
It's nice to meet you too, Linnie! I hope you'll come back and visit again.
DeleteDare I say that "I'd love to have goats!" I adopted one recently who was abandoned locally but we gave her on as we didn't have a companion for her and she took to trying to head butt the piglets! One day! #TuesdayswithaTwist
ReplyDeleteI need to get my husband to read this post ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope it helps! :-)
Delete