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.
The goat is a versatile animal. It can provide meat and milk, is gentle enough for even transplanted city folks to handle, and it's small size means that it can be kept in a small barn lot. It requires only a small amount of feed. Two good milk goats can give enough milk for a family.
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 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.
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.
If you don't want to fool with milking, you can still raise goats for meat or use them for clearing. You won't get a lot of meat from a goat, but many families can't use up a whole beef cow. If you also raise chicken or rabbits, you'll fill your freezer with no trouble.
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.
Goats are fun to raise. They can be very affectionate. A family can keep a few chickens, a few goats, and a vegetable garden and make out just fine. Their 'barn' can be a shed, and even young children can handle most of the chores. The goat should definitely be part of a plan to live off the land.
The goat is a versatile animal. It can provide meat and milk, is gentle enough for even transplanted city folks to handle, and it's small size means that it can be kept in a small barn lot. It requires only a small amount of feed. Two good milk goats can give enough milk for a family.
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 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.
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.
If you don't want to fool with milking, you can still raise goats for meat or use them for clearing. You won't get a lot of meat from a goat, but many families can't use up a whole beef cow. If you also raise chicken or rabbits, you'll fill your freezer with no trouble.
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.
Goats are fun to raise. They can be very affectionate. A family can keep a few chickens, a few goats, and a vegetable garden and make out just fine. Their 'barn' can be a shed, and even young children can handle most of the chores. The goat should definitely be part of a plan to live off the land.
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