The interest of small farm owners in goat farming has significantly increased recently. This is no surprise, as goats in the household are highly versatile animals. With relatively simple care, you can provide yourself with tasty and nutritious milk, meat, and high-quality wool for home crafts.
In addition, interacting with goats is a very engaging process. They quickly adapt to a set daily routine and easily get used to their owner. It is no wonder that the goat was one of the first animals to be domesticated. Goats are agile, social, and sensitive animals, which react quickly to changes in their environment. Their sociability is evident not only in their relationships with each other but also with humans. They can perceive a person as part of their herd and willingly follow them as a leader. If a person was present at the birth of a kid, they will later be perceived as one of their own by the kids.
Goat in the household – Products
The main product obtained from goats is milk. Here, its advantages over the “main competitor” — cows — are obvious. The space required for keeping goats is significantly smaller, meaning lower costs for maintaining the goat shed.
Goats are undemanding when it comes to food. With good pasture, an owner may not need to supplement their animals during the spring and summer. Generally, a goat eats much less feed than a cow and can even consume things that no other domestic animal will touch—branches of deciduous and coniferous trees, bark.
A single goat can produce between one and four liters of milk daily. However, there are dairy goat breeds that can produce up to 15 liters a day, which is clearly beneficial for small farms in terms of investment and return.
Hardly anyone would deny the benefits of goat milk. Compared to cow’s milk, it contains higher levels of beneficial proteins, vitamins, and calcium. It is also very similar to human breast milk, making it indispensable for the nutrition of preschool children. Despite its high fat content, goat milk is easily digestible. This is particularly important for older people, who may develop intolerance to cow’s milk.
A popular by-product is goat cheese. It is relatively easy to make, though it does require some experience. With numerous available recipes, various types and varieties of cheese can be made from goat milk, from hard, long-aged cheeses to quick-maturing ones. Goat milk can also be used to make high-quality cheese and sour cream.
Let’s not forget about wool and down. Special breeds have been developed for their production.
From a well-fed adult goat, one can obtain 20-28 kg of meat. The taste of goat meat (chevon) is comparable to lamb. High-quality meat is obtained from castrated goats, fattened females, and young stock. To achieve good-quality meat, male kids should be castrated before they reach one year of age. This prevents the unpleasant odor typical of goat meat.
Goat in the household – Special Features
With proper care and good feeding, goats rarely get sick. In most cases of illness, their temperature rises to 41-42°C, their pulse increases to 100 beats per minute or more, and they experience difficulty breathing, with their respiratory rate rising to 80 or more. Their ears become cold, and their appetite decreases.
When should a goat be introduced to a buck? Goats of all breeds are fertile and mature quickly. Sexual maturity occurs at 5-7 months of age. They show active signs of estrus, but young goats should not be introduced to a buck before 1.5 years of age. Goats can live up to 15 years, but the best period for giving birth is between 6 and 9 years of age.
Breeding goats involves investing money, time, and effort into their health. However, considering all the positive aspects of keeping them, it can be concluded that having goats in a household is a wise choice.
