Goats are rapidly becoming recognized as a truly versatile animal and rightfully so, with folks becoming more aware of the need for self sustainability, the goat makes the perfect choice for the hobby farmer or farmstead owner.

We own Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats which are small, affordable to feed and adorable! They produce about a 2 quarts of milk a day per goat and have a high butterfat content (usually 6 to 8% but can be as high as 10%). Other goats and cows yield 4% or less making Nigerians milk ideal for creating products such as cheese or ice cream.

Goat Milk:
Why goat milk? Goats provide more milk per pound of food consumed and do well where there is not enough vegetation to support cattle. The goat is a perfect milk producer for a family on as little as a 1/2 acre! Goat's milk (especially Nigerian milk) is creamy and perfect for cheese making, yogurt, ice cream, butter, buttermilk and SOAP! With cow's milk protein sensitivity on the rise, especially in infants, it is found that the biochemical make up of goats milk is different thus made more tolerable to those who cannot drink cow's milk. Goat's milk has more essential fatty acids of the medium and short chain varieties than cow's milk, and is lower in cholesterol and higher in calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamins A and B. In addition, goat milk fatty acids have a unique metabolic ability to limit cholesterol deposits in body tissues. Some people say goat's milk has a funny taste but the key is to rapidly cool the milk as soon as the goat is milked by submerging your container in ice water. There will be no goatie taste, I promise! My kids were raised on cow's milk purchased from the supermarket and I thought there would be no way they would ever go for goat's milk but they couldn't taste the difference! I love the fact that we know our milk is safe to drink because we know what we feed our animals, which doesn't include hormones or chemicals you find in typical store bought milk, making me feel a better about the safety of my family.

Meat:
Goats are an excellent source of meat (chevon). The protein is higher than most other types of meat and the fat content lower than beef or pork. Obviously, Nigerians are a dwarf breed but I know many people who consider them to be a dual purpose animal, meaning for both dairy and meat. The Borer and Kiko are large and considered to be primarily meat goats, growing fast with a lot of mass.

Brush Abatement:
Goats can be used in most any terrain and are both an effective and environmentally friendly method of clearing land. They quickly work through vegetation, clearing large areas of brush and saplings in a short amount of time leaving behind nutrients for a healthier soil. Are they cost effective? Yes, they nearly work for free! Note: goats do need a balanced diet to thrive which includes a good quality hay and mineral to stay healthy. I have a friend who used his goats to clear his property then brought his geese through to clean up any additional weeds left behind. I was amazed by his results as it looked like a well groomed field! Sorry, goats will not eat trash! A common misconception, dairy goats have very discriminating eating habits and are quite particular about the cleanliness of their food. They are very curious creatures and will investigate and nibble new things, but they will turn their nose up at anything that is dirty. Even hay and grain will be refused if it falls on the ground.

Other:
There are many other uses for other breeds of goats including: packing, pulling carts, fiber or just a great pet depending on your interest and use. Regardless, one thing is for sure, goats are a diverse and productive animal worthy of anyone interested in independence.