Often the good breeders will have a doe or two, that is perhaps a little
older, has a limp from injury, or some other defect. These can often be
purchased for a very reasonable price, and they met all our other criteria
as well. One had a bum leg, and the other was just very small and
therefore not show-material. We bought these goats, and after a hard and
fast learning curve on goat care, we have become successful goat herds.
We milk the goats, and they save us about $75 or more each month with
their milk. We can always find someone who is happy to take extra milk,
and often make cheese and soap. Best of all, they were both bred to show-quality sires, and both of them were of show-quality breeding, just not
show-quality themselves due to environmental factors. We ended up with
three beautiful kids for the fair, and plenty of milk to drink.
The story has a happy ending, with the family having lots of milk, ice
cream, cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, and other dairy products to eat and
enjoy. We can sell (or make for ourselves) wonderful soaps, as well
drinking our goats' milk. The does are personable, pleasant and easy to
handle. The children play with them, and they are ideal pets and
companions, even for very small children. The lack of horns, and pleasant
disposition of these two animals has completely erased our negative
impression of these now well loved individuals.
So, looking back I think that a person considering a dairy animal is very
well served to consider a dairy goat. They do require some special care,
and also have some needs that must be met for optimum output. A very
happy goat, is wonderful, and a very unhappy goat is horrid. Compared to
a cow, a good dairy goat is much cheaper, with a pair of does costing
about $200 - $500 for a good pair. A cow would cost at least twice as
much, and often more. The price of the cow not withstanding, they also
have a much higher maintenance cost, as well as a higher breeding fee. A
dairy goat is so much more economical, and gives you so many benefits that
every small farm should look close at the possibility of keeping some
dairy goats.
Goats are small and can be easily transported in regular vehicles. You
can put them in the backs of trucks with camper shells for example, or
even in the back of a van or station wagon. If you are careful to protect
the surfaces from soiling, then a goat will happily go, even in the back
seat of a regular car. Goats are easy to transport and take to the vet,
or to be bred. A cow on the other hand requires a trailer, and a big
vehicle to tow it. Transporting a goat is much easier than a cow, if you
do not already own a trailer and truck or towing vehicle.
Goats also have a much lower feed cost in comparison to a cow. One cow
will eat as much as 3 to 6 goats, depending on the breed and needs of the
individual goat. Pygmy goats are the miniature milkers of the goat world,
and they are extremely economical to keep, and yet put out plenty of milk
for the average family. Even larger breed goats will only need about 7
pounds of hay a day, where as a cow can need as much as 25 or more pounds
each day just to maintain her condition. Add lactation needs on top of
that, and the savings on milk are gone into the expense of hay, unless you
have the equipment to cut your own. Goats will happily eat "weedy" hay
that cows and horses will not, so hay is often very cheap and perfect for
goats as long it is not moldy. Grain, mineral and other expenses also
come into play, and the goats win every time with a lower cost of upkeep.
Two goats are much cheaper to raise and keep than even one cow, and with
two goats, you can keep one fresh almost all year.
Goats are also easier on the land, and graze very well with other
livestock such as cattle or horses. Because they prefer browse, or bushes
instead of grass, you can use your goats to keep brush down, and fence
rows clean. They will go along behind horses or cows and eat down what
was left behind, cleaning up brush and weeds. Provided they are getting
good mineral and grain, they will still fill your pail with wholesome and
delicious milk, all the while helping to keep the place looking great and
the
pasture nice. They do not share worms with cattle or horses and they
get along well with both. Goats can keep a wooded area completely
clean and park like in suitable numbers, without a chain saw or rake in
sight. Fence rows are clean and brush free, with no brambles or
thorny bushes to clear away for repairs. Goats have a real positive
effect on the appearance of their home, and can save their owners much
back breaking labor. They are easy on the land, and will prefer to
eat food that is left behind by other livestock.
