How Goats Can Contribute To A Household
Article by Heather Dunne
Most of us have probably never given goats much thought. Sure, in the developing world they’re incredibly popular, for reasons which be very clear after reading this article, but in many countries like the United States, they’ve lost that popularity. If you’ve ever wondered why people all over the world would jump at the opportunity to have a goat, this article will tell you why.
The first and most obvious contribution goats make is milk. Goats can produce up to a gallon of milk per day, so having just one to two dairy goats can produce enough for a whole household. And best of all, that milk will be completely fresh, unprocessed milk. That same day’s worth of milk can be used to produce up to a whole pound of cheese.
The next contribution comes mainly from the male goats. Obviously, male goats can’t give you any milk, but they can give you their meat. Those on diets may be happy to hear that goat meat is low in fat while still being delicious. This is a good use for excess male goats, but it does require the owner to make arrangements for the slaughter, which may be difficult for someone who doesn’t live near an approved slaughterhouse and can’t do it themselves.
For those that don’t like the idea of slaughtering their goats, goats of either sex (and any age) can be used for their fiber. Not only does this allow you to produce your own wool, it allows you to produce your own high quality wool, such as chasmere. The wool produced varies from species to species, so it’s important to do research before buying.
Goats being raised for any of the other three purposes can also be used for one other purpose: killing weeds. Goats will eat up and all weeds you set in front of them, solving two problems (feeding the goat and getting rid of unwanted weeds) at once. You could even let others borrow your goat for the same purpose.
And that’s the four different contributions goats can make to a household. There’s milk, meat, fiber, and weed-killing skills, all of which are useful to have around. It’s something to think about, if you’re looking for a pet.
