Goats for Self-Sufficiency

[frustratedearthmother]

This forum IS about self-sufficiency (even though some of us drift away sometimes!) This thread will be a place to discuss the ways goats can help us be self-sufficient. Maybe some of the non-goaty folks get tired of reading about goats, but a lot of us think they are imperative to our journey of self-sufficiency.

Goats can provide so much to a homestead. Have brush? Goats will clear it. Goat milk sells for two to three times what cows milk sells for (where it's legal) and it's cheaper and easier to produce. Goat milk is delicious and healthier than cows milk.

In a SHTF scenario goats can contribute mightily to survival. Goat milk is very nearly the perfect food. It's chemical structure is very similar to mothers milk. Goat milk is the most widely consumed milk worldwide.

Can't live on milk alone? What about cheese? What about yogurt or kefir? Need to get clean? Make goats milk soap! Skin dry - yep - you can make lotion with goats milk also.

Centenarians in many countries attribute their long life to drinking goats milk. Drink up!

Can't live on milk/milk products alone? Goat meat tastes mighty good! Goat meat is the most widely consumed red meat worldwide. "The low levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, combined with its high iron and protein content, make goat meat a good choice for anyone looking for a healthy red meat. It's a leaner, healthier choice when compared to equal serving sizes of chicken, beef and pork." (LIVESTRONG.COM)

Goats reproduce quickly and abundantly. Don't want a 250 lb goat? Pick the size you're comfortable with. They come small, medium and large.

In my own journey towards self-sufficiency I've learned many new skills. I can milk with my bare hands or a machine. I've learned to make many of the above mentioned goat milk products and I'm about to learn a new skill. Goat milk liquor, lol! I can dispatch and butcher a goat on my own - even though DH will handle the hard part for me if I ask him to.

You don't need tons of land to keep goats. They are very adaptable. They can live in a dry lot or wooded and/or grassy land.

I haven't touched on all the benefits of goats.

One of the best things? They're so darn cute!!

 

[sumi]

Lesson- only lease goats for brush clearing if you have adequate portable fencing!

Or snacks

 

[Mini Horses]

Well I don't know HOW I missed this thread !!

I have often said if the SHTF I could survive with a couple chickens, goats and a garden. My goats are wonderful as producers and friends. They can/will do all the things mentioned and yes, I do make soaps...use it every day and sell some. Used to go to town fairs, etc, and got away from it when life brought changes to my time demands. Plan to go back into that this coming year.

My herd is now dairy, mostly Saanen, some Nubian cross.
In '93 I brought first known Boers into VA. Never regretted it and those were the days when they cost thousands! Money was returned via their kids. Now, I can buy a nice Boer buck, registered and great lines for $3-600. They can be large but mine were very tame, like most goats if you handle them a little. Here's one of my past bucks...9 mos old ... one of my current Saanen does & 12 hr old kids...

This get back to the type of goat and their uses. These dairy animals put all they have into milk! Some will be heavier in body but most are thinner. Look at the depth of body on that Boer buck. Does are smaller but, still the shorter leg and heavier body. They produce rich milk as those kids grow huge! They can be milked. But, the dairy doe will milk for a longer time at a higher rate. Some of my Saanens can "milk thru" and produce 3/4 gal a day at 14-16 months of lactation, after being at 1-1 1/4 gal at start. The produce enough and are large enough in body to carry and raise a Boer kid.

Since my herd is all dairy and my buck a huge Nubian, I am looking to buy a Boer buck just to freshen does. The kids are normally sold at a few months old -- income. Most are going to be for a butcher. It brings more $$ per kid as the Boer kids are bulkier. It brings the doe to milk. Each of us need to decide what we want to do and how we can accomplish that. For me, goats are easy to handle and great for the pastures and forage I have. I do have access to a Saanen buck for servicing my does when I want dairy -- several of my does are daughters to my Nubian buck. Personally, I like the Saanen milk better. Do have does not related to my Mr B....some are mini-nubs, as is he according to registration but, he sure isn't "mini" to me.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Also in the income department- I hope to eventually master the soap/lotion making process and sell some of that, I have people asking to buy it already lol. Plus the whey left over from making cheese is great for pigs and chickens. And if you have a litter of puppies, pigs, kittens, whatever, that needs to be bottle fed... Guess what milk is the best substitute? And people are willing to pay for it for their animals too!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's another idea for making money with goats. Actually - that's a two-fer! You get paid for bringing your goats there - and they eat for free!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Right now I'm milking a Nubian and a Kinder. Usually the Nubian will give more. But, right now, as their lactation is winding down the Kinder is proving her worth. For most of the time that I've been milking they were getting grained twice a day and the Nubian turned it all into milk. Now that I'm only graining them on the milk stand, and only milking in the evening, the Kinder's production is holding steady and the Nubian's production is dropping. Less grain for one equals less milk - less grain for the other and the production is the same??? Gotta love those Kinders!

 

[tortoise]

Dang, they sure are cute!

I am not up to dairy animals at the moment.... okay, not really feeling able to keep up with any livestock or pets. I sold our 2 pygmy girls. They are adorable, but not contributing to sufficiency, just more mouths to feed. I replaced them with a bottle raised billy goat of a dairy breed. He is a year old, very well lead trained. I walk him when I'm able and have plans to train him for carrying packs. I am hoping this would help me be more mobile around the farm. We have a hill between house and garden that prevents me from getting out there much in summer. I'm hoping that the goat can carry produce back up the hill for me.

Our goats have been eating down a brushy hillside. They're doing well, most of the brush is stripped completely dead. We might be able to use it for sheep pasture soon.

 

[sumi]

This is awesome, FEM, thank you so much for starting this thread! I am deeply tempted to get some goats, once I have space and facilities to keep them properly. I'm curious about the different breeds, their characteristics etc. What goat breeds are best for milking, meat, dual purpose, good with kids, good for beginners, hardy, etc?

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ooh I love talking goats. They truly are useful little critters. While most goat keepers do feed grain and hay, in a SHTF scenario they can live off brush and give you milk and meat!

I have mini alpines and a nigerian dwarf. I think there's a lot to be said for each breed, but to me the minis (cross between a full size and a nigerian) and kinders (nubian/pygmy cross) are the ultimate homestead goats. They are smaller than the full size goats and have a good feed conversion, and give more milk than a nigerian.

For dual purpose, people often cross a meat buck with a dairy doe. I was going to cross a pygmy buck with my minis to get more meaty offspring, but for now I am focusing on my mini herd.

The breeds are so unique... Different taste of milk, butterfat content, personalities...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@sumi - I really hope you can get some goats! As long as I'm physically able I will have goats. Right now - with DH not working they've really been a life saver. It was nice that kidding time coincided with his resigning from his job because I don't buy milk at the store any more. I'm making tons of cheese that we both love. And I sold some goats
for extra money!

One of the other topics I didn't touch on earlier (keep thinking of more ways goats help us ) is that they can provide supplemental income. I sold over a dozen goats a couple weeks ago and the extra money sure comes in handy. If I would actually sit down and catch up on my paperwork I would start selling them registered and the prices I would ask them would be substantially more than what I ask now.

This time of year I don't give a lot of feed to the "pasture" goats. I give grain/supplements to the pregnant and lactating ladies and a little to the bucks because they are penned. But, from this time of year until the first freeze my goats will mostly feed themselves.

@NH Homesteader - I agree with mini's. They are the perfect size for me. Even though I still have full-sized Nubians, eventually I will probably go with straight kinder-type goats. They meet all of the criteria that I'm looking for.