"Back to the land!' is the war cry of those who want to drop out of modern life. Instead of working nine to five and earning 'a good living', they want to live the good life and make it pay for itself. Five acres of land can support a family, if you do it right. A lot of small farmers know that sustainability using goats really is possible.
The goat has many advantages. It's small and gentle enough for even inexperienced people to handle. It's pretty tough and can live many years with decent care. It doesn't need a large pasture, a large barn, or a large amount of expensive feed. Two of these hardy animals can provide all the milk a family needs.
Actually you don't even need to provide a pasture for a goat. This animal is a browser rather than a grazer and prefers brush and weeds to grass. You can also keep one on hay, but that's more expensive than letting it eat weeds that are free. Save manpower and let the goat clear out all the weeds and grasses that grow where a mower 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.
A goat will have one or two babies every time it's bred. It's not always necessary to breed every year; a good milker will often keep on going for two years or longer after it's had babies. The unpasteurized milk is considered more digestible than that of a cow, and it has medicinal properties, too. Many European cultures have used goatsmilk as a wound dressing and as a nourishing food for invalids.
Goats can be very affectionate; you can take them for walks like a dog. They can browse along the side of the road or along a wooded path, and you've fed them for free. If you have a goat or two, a few chickens, a vegetable garden, a berry patch, and an orchard, you've got almost everything you need for the good life.
The goat has many advantages. It's small and gentle enough for even inexperienced people to handle. It's pretty tough and can live many years with decent care. It doesn't need a large pasture, a large barn, or a large amount of expensive feed. Two of these hardy animals can provide all the milk a family needs.
Actually you don't even need to provide a pasture for a goat. This animal is a browser rather than a grazer and prefers brush and weeds to grass. You can also keep one on hay, but that's more expensive than letting it eat weeds that are free. Save manpower and let the goat clear out all the weeds and grasses that grow where a mower 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.
A goat will have one or two babies every time it's bred. It's not always necessary to breed every year; a good milker will often keep on going for two years or longer after it's had babies. The unpasteurized milk is considered more digestible than that of a cow, and it has medicinal properties, too. Many European cultures have used goatsmilk as a wound dressing and as a nourishing food for invalids.
Goats can be very affectionate; you can take them for walks like a dog. They can browse along the side of the road or along a wooded path, and you've fed them for free. If you have a goat or two, a few chickens, a vegetable garden, a berry patch, and an orchard, you've got almost everything you need for the good life.
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