Did You Ever Want A Goat?

I first read about goats in Hobby Farms Magazine and the book, The Urban Homestead. It wasn't long after I'd agreed to raise chickens, and I was so delighted with the experience that I was curious what other kind of mischief we could get into. We haven't yet indulged our fantasies of goat herding, but....haven't you ever wondered about having one? Maybe you were at a petting zoo or a state fair and you had a chance to see a goat or feed it. Maybe you noticed how clever the goats were, and how oddly cute they are, and thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if I had a goat?"

But then someone said, "They eat everything. They'll even eat their way out of the fencing. They're terrible to keep!" and you gave up the thought.

These days, urban homesteaders are making poultry farming so commonplace that big-box stores like Petco are starting to carry chicken supplies. And goats aren't far behind. 

Goats are great for milk, meat, and hair, depending on which breed you select. I can't speak much to the meat and hair, and I'm only speaking from what I've read, not what I've lived, so from what I've read, goat milk is no different in taste from cow's milk and many people find it easier to digest. I've read that goats need to be milked twice a day, which can be a bit of a burden (and is one of the big reasons we haven't actually delved into owning goats yet). There are dwarf and pygmy goats, which means you need less room, but you still need loads of attention and the goats require some training and socialization.

Leo and I are still pondering the possibilities (where would we keep a goat, are we even allowed to have one in our neighborhood, and do we have time to monitor our goat?), but don't be too surprised if you see sometime in the future that we've decided to add a goat or two to our little urban homestead. You just never know.