Goats - you either love them or, well, you don't.
A friend of mine told me that her husband insists goats have too much personality. In other words, he doesn't like them. Not that I can blame him after he had to chase his wife's new goat down the road when it got loose. More than once.
I happen to love goats, even though they make me pray for control over my tongue. They definitely are full of personality.
Goats are great animals if you're working towards self-sufficiency. Once a homesteader has chickens, goats are often the next species in line. Goats require much less land and feed than a dairy cow, and those bouncing baby goats are so cute! Owning goats seems to instantly raise your status from newbie to accomplished homesteader.
At first glance goats provide milk and meat, but they have so much more to offer. Their manure is great for your garden, and they are excellent at clearing brush and improving your pasture. Not to mention that now you can make goat milk soap and cheese.
Like any animal, goats have some basic care requirements. They need shelter, food and water, and they need their hooves trimmed regularly.
Goats do have a bit of a learning curve too. Before you run out a buy a goat (actually, you should buy two, not one; goats are a herd animal and need company - remember the story of my friend's husband chasing their escaped goat?), let’s take a look at some of their needs, and how those needs change with the seasons.
Today I'm guest posting at Hello Homestead, where April is "homesteading skills month." All month long at Hello Homestead you'll find how-tos and tips to help you build the skills needed to live sustainably and have a successful homestead. Growing your own food, food preservation, homestead repairs, natural cleaning, livestock care and more - you'll find it all in this series.
Read today's post, How Your Goats' Needs Change with the Seasons
and check out the other posts in the series.
and check out the other posts in the series.
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