Why Homestead Goats Are Easier Than Cows And Better Than Chickens

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Why Homestead Goats Are Easier Than Cows And Better Than Chickens

I’m sure many of us remember hearing at one time or another that a goat will eat just about anything. A fellow I once knew told me you can never trust a goat around farm equipment because they will eat the tires.

At the time, I had no experience with the horned garbage disposals, and so I bought it lock, stock and barrel. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Until I took a job on a friend’s farm years ago after graduating high school, the only experience I had with a goat was a neighbor’s expensive European breed that did nothing but stink and spit at me.

Needless to say, goats had a long way to go to endear themselves to me. I had always liked pastured hogs better. And the idea of raising animals that would eat the stuffing out of my tractor seat or the antenna off my car was anything but appealing.

I had it all wrong. I have never seen a goat eat anything beyond grasses, shrubs, vegetables, some odd plants here and there and feed pellets. Yes, the John Deere and Farmall still have their tires.

Today, I recommend goats to anyone looking for a relatively low-maintenance animal to raise for meat or milk. They are much easier than cattle and provide much more meat than a chicken.
Getting Started
Before you commit to raising a new animal, do your homework and be sure this is something that is feasible for you and your family. Goats do much better on pasture than they will in a pen, so you should have some acreage available.

Also, decide what you want to raise – meat goats or milk breeds. With a meat goat, you can get away with entirely raising them on pasture. On the other hand, you likely will have to supplement a dairy goat (at least in my experience) to get an excellent-quality milk and high production amount. Most homesteaders raise goats for meat, so that is what I will focus on here.

Typically, breeds of goats are not expensive. You can even once in a while get a few for free. Since there are more breeds out there than rocks on a country road, I encourage you to research what breed would be best for you and your farm or homestead…..more here

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Why Homestead Goats Are Easier Than Cows And Better Than Chickens