Shots, medicine, and general care of the
goats is also easier and especially better if you plan on having children
to help with milking and caring for the animals. Keeping dairy goats
is a great way for children as young as 4 or 5 to contribute and produce a
product for the family to consume. Children get a big benefit from
learning how to care for an animal and they also get a good sense of
accomplishment from being in charge of providing milk for the whole
family. Goats are generally much easier to milk, as they have a
softer udder and their small size and wonderful disposition make it easy
for a child of 7 or 8 to learn to milk the goat. Younger children
can help bottle feed the babies, put out hay or help with other parts of
the goats' upkeep. Children can also learn how to make
money
with an agricultural project as they care for the goats, which makes them
perfect for 4H or FFA. The will be able to sell the milk to Mom, and
also market the kids that are produced from the breeding of the does.
Children can really benefit from the responsibility of raising and caring
for a pair of dairy goats and their kids.
Dairy goats are also easier to keep as they do not have the need for a
large barn like a cow does. A simple shelter that is draft free in
winter and dry will suffice. It can be as simple as a small shed,
and the goats will thrive and be happy. Each goat needs about 25
square feet of space to move about, and they will do well if they have a
place to walk and exercise that is protected from weather as they do not
like to get very wet. If your shed doesn't have a floor, then you
can put down pallets and bed them deeply with straw with great success.
They also do not require a large area for milking, you can easily bring
them into the garage, on the porch or other small area for milking and
have no problems what so ever. A goat will not soil the milk stand
under normal circumstances so waste and urine are not an issue to clean up
if the goat is brought inside a garage to milk. A simple milk stand
is easy to build and very low in cost. The goat stands on the stand
to be milked then is whisked away back to it's pen afterwards, with hardly
any mess to clean up. So a small part of a garage, shop or even a
porch is just fine for milking a goat. Goats have a very minimal
requirement for shelter and milking facilities which again makes them a
smart choice for the small farm.
Goats are obviously more economical than a cow, but what about the milk?
Goat milk is also more healthy, easy to digest and tastes wonderful, if
the goat is well treated, healthy and kept properly. You must keep
bucks away from the does at all times except during breeding season, at
which time the does are dry. Exposure to bucks can cause the milk to
taste goaty and disgusting. You will also need to handle your milk
in a sanitary way. Any bacteria, or unsanitary conditions can also
cause your milk to taste bad. You can drink the milk raw, or you can
pasteurize it. It will keep longer if it is pasteurized and you will
not need to worry about problems with bacteria. Once you are
familiar with milking, then you can drink your milk raw if you choose.
You will also need to make sure that the goat has a proper diet, good
minerals and watch out for mastitis and other illnesses that are related
to dairy animals. There are tests available, and lots of resources
and after a bit of learning, the new goat owner will soon feel confident
and be able to care for their goats, and maintain good milk production
with ease. The milk is not only healthier, but it tastes sweet and
delicious with a wonderful creamy texture that is great for many dairy
products.
Goat milk is also excellent for soap making, with many of the handmade
goat milk soaps selling for impressive prices at farmers markets and
festivals. A person keeping goats can easily begin to learn to make
soaps, and there is a real potential for a side income from a mail order
or booth type business. The soaps can contain natural botanicals, be
organic, and contain oils and fragrances that are beneficial and healthy,
which makes it perfect for the niche markets. The soaps are rich in
conditioners, and once you use one, you will want more. Getting
started doesn't have to cost too much, and you can grow and add to
your soap making business as you make profits. The money you save
with the goats, could in fact start a business that had good potential to
supplement your farm and household income.
There are many dairy products that are very good made with goats milk and
you can learn to make many of these at home with your own high quality
milk. Yogurt, soft cheese, pressed cheese and cultured products like
buttermilk become economical and easy to come by, as you can easily make
them for yourself with surplus milk. Ice cream and other treats such
as home made pudding become even better made with fresh goats' milk.
Gravy, cream sauces and other milk based foods are also improved with goat
milk because of the creamy texture, and light flavor of the milk.
Goat milk is not only wonderful for drinking, but also for making cheeses
and cooking as well. The rich flavor and creamy texture makes a
lower fat alternative to cream, but has a comparable texture and flavor.
Goats are fun, personable and pleasant animals that require very little in
the way of fancy housing, fancy food and fancy surroundings. They
need lots of love, a good buddy, proper diet and good fencing to be
healthy, happy and productive. They will eat on weeds and brush, and
as long as they are supplemented properly still give you over a gallon of
milk in the pail a day. You can clear your brush out, and feed the
family at the same time. You can make your own cheese and dairy
products, which will save a ton of cash in the long run. You can
even make your own soap and market this for resale if you want. You
can get all of this, and save money with a pair of good dairy goats.
The dairy goat is truly the small farmers dream come true.
