I’m a newby from Texas

[Scott Henry]

Goats, we can help with! Lots of goat people here. Do you want them for meat, dairy or a little of both?

I really don’t know. I have never had goat meat or milk. I am mainly going to get the goats because that’s what my daughter wants. I have thought about getting show goats and selling the kids to our local FFA and at least make some money off of them.

 

[Britesea]

If you like venison, you will probably like goat meat- it tastes very similar. The milk is delicious, richer than store bought milk.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We haven't tried goat meat yet, we hope to have some extra males to butcher next year. But goat milk is delicious! Depending on breed, it can vary a lot in terms of richness/cream content, and how you manage them can change the taste a lot. People who think goat milk tastes bad, have usually had milk processed wrong or the goats have eaten something that passed a bad flavor to the milk. Having dairy goats is a huge commitment and a LOT of work, but if you enjoy it (like a lot of us do) then it's great!

If you just want them as pets/brush clearers, they're good for that too! If I just had goats as pets, I might have to go with pygmies. @frustratedearthmother has pygmies, they're too cute!

 

[baymule]

If it's your daughter that wants goats, will taking some to slaughter be a problem for her? They are cuter than cute, smart, have personality plus, but it can get out of control if you try to keep them all. It might be a good thing for her to know where meat comes from. You can't keep them all!

I suggested meat goats because the meat is good, you can sell the kids and they are not the commitment that dairy goats are. We don't have goats, we have hair sheep. I studied both and settled on hair sheep. We like lamb!

Our fence is 4' tall. I used 200' rolls of 2"x4" woven wire, 48" tall. We used 7' T-posts and have space to string 1 or 2 strands of barbed wire at the top. The horse pasture has barbed wire at the top, haven't got to the rest of it yet.

 

[Britesea]

About the milk... bad taste is not always a question of what they've eaten, or how the milk was processed. Some goats just simply have bad tasting milk. If you end up with one (like I did), you can either keep her to feed the kids, or just sell or cull her.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Well I said usually. There are also entire breeds that have stronger tasting milk, like toggenburgs. And they stay if you house your bucks with your does it makes the milk taste bucky, but I don't know that firsthand.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Hey everyone, I am new here and new to the self sufficient lifestyle. I just purchased 20 acres to start on and want to learn as much as a can about everything that I can. I am going to start with animals and a garden first.

Welcome aboard. I'm 60 miles north of dallas

 

[Britesea]

we had toggs, and I didn't notice a stronger taste. I've heard it said though.

 

[Scott Henry]

If it's your daughter that wants goats, will taking some to slaughter be a problem for her? They are cuter than cute, smart, have personality plus, but it can get out of control if you try to keep them all. It might be a good thing for her to know where meat comes from. You can't keep them all!

I suggested meat goats because the meat is good, you can sell the kids and they are not the commitment that dairy goats are. We don't have goats, we have hair sheep. I studied both and settled on hair sheep. We like lamb!

Our fence is 4' tall. I used 200' rolls of 2"x4" woven wire, 48" tall. We used 7' T-posts and have space to string 1 or 2 strands of barbed wire at the top. The horse pasture has barbed wire at the top, haven't got to the rest of it yet.

I don’t think talking them to slaughter will bother her. I could be wrong about that but she will watch us process our deer. It could be different for her with it being a pet though so I will have to tread lightly on that and explain to her why we do what we do.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We make a distinction here, breeding animals are keepers. My daughter is allowed to fall in love and fawn all over them. Everything else is food. She only falls for the goats though, they're awful loveable! We haven't butchered a goat yet but she watches my husband butcher chickens, turkeys, pigs and deer with no issues. So important for kids to know where their food comes from!