So, the "A" Family here, we are pretty new to the whole idea of Homesteading.
We started with our first "official" garden this year. Added in some chickens for fresh eggs. Threw in a bunny for giggles.
Now the talk of the town is adding to our "farm". There have been whispers of sheep (OK, this is totally from ME) and a pony (totally the 4 year old) and GOATS (from the Hub).
I have been on the fence about goats. I mean, we visit petting zoo's with goats and it seems that all they want to do is munch on your clothes...
What happens next...I open the great wide world of the web and check out GOATS.
(Warning: this could result in our Fam having a GOAT soon...)
We live on five acres of land. Our house takes us probably an acre. Our carriage house, pole barn and pond take up probably an additional acre and a half (or so). The back half of the land is a jungle. (I seriously want wood cutouts of elephants, giraffes and a lion!)
Our climate is mostly cold, rainy and we probably could not support a cow (but I did see this dwarf cow that was pretty awesome, js) - so I guess I see why goats might come to mind for Hubby. I mean, goats are light on their feet, great browsers, and require much less space than said cow...or pony! They also produce milk, although I'm not to sure about this point.
Here are 5 of the TOP REASONS why YOU should choose Nigerian Goats for your homestead:
- They are a smaller goat, which might be a good introduction to this newbie, considering they are not much bigger than our chickens. A Nigerian buck weighs about eighty pounds. Fencing doesn't have to be quite as high or strong to keep this breed of goat contained either, but we would want a good fencing to keep predators out.
- The Nigerian Dwarf Goats also pay for themselves quickly by regularly kidding twins, triplets, and quads more often than any other goat breed. They rarely have difficulty kidding and they make excellent Moms. Also, if you have a purebred, registered Nigerian Dwarf, the babies sell for about $400 each.
- Unlike other goats, Nigerian Dwarfs also can be bred throughout the year, allowing for a continuous milk supply. If you choose, you could have each goat kid once a year, in the spring and the fall to avoid winter kiddings.
- Nigerian Dwarf goats are trendy right now. Trendy means that we would not have any trouble selling the babies, at a decent price! (Plus)
- Nigerian Dwarf goats produce a lot of milk for their size. A good Nigerian dairy goat, after maxing out at about 2 qts. a day several weeks post-kidding, will produce on average 1 qt of milk a day. Their milk is the sweetest (no goaty flavor) and the richest, averaging about 8% milk fat. This also helps to make yummy yogurt, cheese and ice cream!
And, not to mention, they have an excellent disposition also. The babies are about 2-3 lbs at birth and very cute.
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