The above picture really says it all! Goats are incredibly entertaining and require very little care, making them a wonderful addition to your backyard homestead. Even though I might consider raising them purely for a couple of good laughs every day, goats provide many resources.
Characteristics:
Goats are very friendly, curious creatures. Based upon personal experience, wherever you are, they love to be right behind you! Goats always want to be involved in the action, whatever that may be. 🙂 Incredibly sociable in nature, goats will thrive if they are surrounded with a few other goats. If a goat is lonely or bored, they will often cause mischief. A well planned and fortified pasture is important, as goats love to climb and jump, and can often find a way over or through a fence. However, it is so fun to watch them explore logs or climbing obstacles that you purposely place in the pasture! Compared to sheep, goats have a different food palate. While sheep are natural grazers, goats prefer bushes, trees and hay to lush pasture. Goats are intelligent, stubborn creatures, and each one has their own unique personality.
Breeds:
Although goats are generally used for dairying purposes, they are also a source of meat protein in many parts of the world. For homesteaders, raising dairy goats is the common practice. Some common dairying breeds are: Alpine, Nubian, Nigerian Dwarf, and Guernsey. Some common meat breeds are: Spanish, Boer, Rangeland, and Kalahari. There is one other, less common, type of goat, which is the Angora Goat. Angora goats produce a beautiful fiber, called Mohair, which is used to make expensive sweaters and other similar clothing items.
Links:
Here are some links to websites that are good goat-related resources!
How to Raise Goats on Your Small Farm
Sheep/Goat Laws and Diseases; NYSDA
The link below is to a favorite Youtube channel of mine, Weed ’em and Reap. This is a typical suburban family living in AZ… except they’ve turned their backyard into a miniature farm! They have several videos about raising goats. Check them out!
