A Brief History of Goats

A Brief History of Goats

  Goats are a wonderful choice for an animal to keep on a homestead. They provide delicious milk which can be used for cheese, yogurt, even butter. They help out with clearing land or mowing since they are notorious for eating nearly everything (we’ve all seen the ubiquitous imagery of a goat gnawing on a can). Meat breeds of goat can quickly and easily fill up your freezer with delicious, nutritious meat. They are also relatively easy to care for, and, since they can provide either meat or dairy, are much smaller and easier (not to mention cheaper!) than cows. […]

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Goat Crossfit (Video)

Goat Crossfit (Video)

Regular Crossfit is all the rage, but now…there’s goat Crossfit! When this urban homesteader’s friends all started going to Crossfit down the street from her house, she knew she didn’t need to go, because she already had goats. This very cute and funny video shows the brilliant invention of goat Crossfit! It has yet to take off, but it looks like such a fun, great workout, we’re confident it will very soon… 😉 If you enjoyed this, you might also like…. Long-Term Survival for Homesteaders… Natural Healing Secrets You Need to Know… Effective Primal Diet Hacks…

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A Basic Guide to Marking Goats

A Basic Guide to Marking Goats

Goats are a wonderful addition to any homestead, but if you have quite a few, you might need to consider marking them at some point. Usually, small homesteads who raise a handful of goats merely for pleasure and can recognize all their goats according to their markings won’t need to rely on marking to identify their goats. But if you’d like to breed, sell, and/or register your goats, you will need a system for keeping track of them. The most common methods of marking goats are either tattooing or ear tagging.  Tattooing is the only permanent method and may be required to register […]

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4 Things to Know About Goats Before You Get Them

4 Things to Know About Goats Before You Get Them

Goats are fantastic homestead animals, and we write about that all the time on this site. They can produce excellent milk, help you clear brush, grass, and shrubs, and can even been great companions. But you might have some misconceptions about goats you’re not aware of, so we thought we’d share four things you might not realize about goats. Before you purchase any, you should definitely be aware of these things, so you are not surprised when it’s not exactly like you thought! 1. Cream doesn’t separate While the cream in cow’s milk naturally separates, providing you with more than […]

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DIY Udder Balm for Goats or Cows

DIY Udder Balm for Goats or Cows

When you have a milk-producing goat or cow, their udders might get a lot of work. They can get sore or irritated, so it’s handy to be able to have a balm to soothe them on hand in case this happens. However, unfortunately, most storebought balms are petroleum-based and expensive, and, if you live in the country, might be far away! Today, we’ve got a very simple DIY udder balm recipe that can be used making the same ingredients we recommend for a lot of our homemade remedies. What you need:  1/2 ounce beeswax 1 ounce shea butter 1 ounce […]

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Tips for Raising Goats

Tips for Raising Goats

Homesteaders should certainly consider raising goats. They can be used for meat, milk, and more. However, it is important that you have a good understanding of how to raise the goats properly and safely, and to provide them with a healthy environment. The following are some tips that can help you get started. More than One Even if you have a relatively small space, you should still have room for more than just one goat. Goats are herd animals, and they like to be social. Having several, at least, is a good option. It keeps them happy and it keeps […]

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The Meat Makers (Infographic)

The Meat Makers (Infographic)

I recently found this great infographic from HobbyFarms.com that breaks down each standard farm animal, recommended breeds, needs, and amount of dressing each typically provides. When you invest in livestock, it’s important that you are getting what you want out of the animal, if your intention is to get a return on your initial investment in sustenance. Obviously, there are plenty of other factors that might influence your choice of livestock, but if meat is your goal, this is a really handy at-a-glance breakdown of the needs and return from each animal. Enjoy! If you liked this, you might also […]

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Learn to Milk a Goat

Learn to Milk a Goat

Most homesteaders are told that they need to add some livestock to their property, and that goats are a great addition. After all, goats can provide milk and they take up far less space than a cow. Of course, those who are new to homesteading probably don’t have a clue as to how they can milk a goat. When you start raising goats, you want to learn everything possible about them; the bucks, the does, raising the kids, and certainly how to milk them. The following are a couple of milking tips to help you get started. You should milk […]

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5 Great Reasons to Get Goats

5 Great Reasons to Get Goats

Goats are awesome. They’re fun, cute, useful, slightly weird, and low-budget and low-maintenance options for livestock. If you’re not convinced, below are five great reasons to get goats. 1. Milk I don’t know about you but I personally don’t need any more reason than this. Goat milk is delicious, and what’s better than loads of free milk, from an animal who’s food you supply and who you see every day? A constant supply of free range, non-GMO, organic goat’s milk of your own is definitely the very best reason to get a goat. 2. Cheese There is such a thing […]

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