I for one know next to nothing about goats. Thanks to SWE I am learning though.
I do know that goats are a good source of milk and meat and that you can make cheese and butter from the milk. I did find out that goat meat is considered a red meat but is suppose to be better for you than beef.
They are a good option for people who do not have a lot of land because their needs are smaller than those of cattle. Along with rabbits and chickens, pygmy goats would be a great option for people who live in the city if SHTF. So let's take a look at two breeds of goats and see which option might be good for you.
PYGMY GOATS
I do know that goats are a good source of milk and meat and that you can make cheese and butter from the milk. I did find out that goat meat is considered a red meat but is suppose to be better for you than beef.
They are a good option for people who do not have a lot of land because their needs are smaller than those of cattle. Along with rabbits and chickens, pygmy goats would be a great option for people who live in the city if SHTF. So let's take a look at two breeds of goats and see which option might be good for you.
PYGMY GOATS
In the above photo we have a full size pygmy goat. She is standing next to a 5 gallon bucket. She is not very big is she? Female pygmys, called does weight between 53 and 75 pounds. Males called bucks can weight between 60 - 86 pounds generally. They stand 16-23 inches high at the withers.
Pygmy goats are precocious and polyestrous breeders; bearing one to four young every nine to 12 months after a five month gestation period. Does are usually bred for the first time at about twelve to 18 months, although they may conceive as early as two months if care is not taken to separate them early from male kids. Newborn kids will nurse almost immediately, begin eating grain and roughage within a week, and are weaned by ten weeks of age.
Polyestrous sexual behavior means that they experience heat and can be freshened (made to come into milk production) year-round. If milking is a priority, a continuous supply of milk can be obtained by breeding two or more pygmy does alternately. Some full-size dairy breeds are also noted for polyestrous sexual behavior.
From what I have been able to learn a newborn pygmy goat can weigh between 2-4 pounds at birth. The picture below should give you an idea of just how big a 1-3 day old baby is.
Pygmy goats are precocious and polyestrous breeders; bearing one to four young every nine to 12 months after a five month gestation period. Does are usually bred for the first time at about twelve to 18 months, although they may conceive as early as two months if care is not taken to separate them early from male kids. Newborn kids will nurse almost immediately, begin eating grain and roughage within a week, and are weaned by ten weeks of age.
Polyestrous sexual behavior means that they experience heat and can be freshened (made to come into milk production) year-round. If milking is a priority, a continuous supply of milk can be obtained by breeding two or more pygmy does alternately. Some full-size dairy breeds are also noted for polyestrous sexual behavior.
From what I have been able to learn a newborn pygmy goat can weigh between 2-4 pounds at birth. The picture below should give you an idea of just how big a 1-3 day old baby is.
It's not very big is it? Just imagine having a couple of these little cuties running around your place for awhile. They love to jump, run and play.
Below is a two week old pgymy next to a 5 gallon bucket. They grow pretty fast don't they?
If I can ever find a place where I can have goats I want the pygmy goats. They are the perfect size for some one like me who is new to raising goats.
BOER GOATS
Boer goats are bigger than pygmy's. A full grown Boer male can weigh bewteen 240-300 pounds. A female between 200 - 220. As you can see in the below picture a Boer goat is quite a bit bigger than a pygmy. This a picture of Boer female next to a 5 gallon bucket.
BOER GOATS
Boer goats are bigger than pygmy's. A full grown Boer male can weigh bewteen 240-300 pounds. A female between 200 - 220. As you can see in the below picture a Boer goat is quite a bit bigger than a pygmy. This a picture of Boer female next to a 5 gallon bucket.
While Boer goats can be used for milking they are generally raised as meat goats. The Boer goat has a fast growth rate and excellent carcass qualities, making it one of the most popular breeds of meat goat in the world. Boer goats have a high resistance to disease and adapt well to hot, dry semi deserts.
Boer goats are polyestrous (they can breed throughout the year), and they reach sexual maturity at five months of age. A typical breeding program is to produce three kid crops every two years, meaning the does are pregnant for five months, nurse their kids for three months, and then are rebred. Multiple births are common, and a 200% kid crop is achievable in managed herds. Usually, first-time does will have one kid, but it is possible for them to have more. After that, they will usually have two kids every further proceedings.
The best time to slaughter a Boer goat is when they weigh about 80 pounds which is around 6 -7 months of age because its at that point when the meat is the most tender and has less fat.
NUBIAN GOATS
The Nubian's size makes it a very useful dual purpose animal. The Nubian breed leads the way for the dairy breeds in butterfat production: it produces on average, 5% or more butterfat content. This is surpassed only by the Nigerian Dwarf, Pygmy goat and Boer goat breeds, which are less likely to be used for large scale milk production, as for a dairy or cheesegoat.
Nubians are remarkable in temperate zones of agriculture in being able to deal with temperatures as low as 0 °F (−18 °C) with open faced shelters. They readily attach to their new human owners with simple neck and side stroking. Nubians love human interaction and will call for their owner.
While being stereotyped as vocal, they are relatively quiet when provided with food, water and shelter. Just like human infants if they are making noise, they are doing so to let their needs be known. Nubians are also sometimes classified as stubborn, but Nubians are simply highly intelligent animals who know what they like and dislike. Once shown the correct way as in being let out of its pen to be milked, a Nubian will walk itself, load itself and wait to be milked.
Anglo-Nubians are large, with does weighing at least 135 pounds and 175 pounds for bucks. The minimum height of the breed, measured at the withers, is 30 inches for does and 35 inches for bucks. Like most dairy goats, they are normally kept hornless by disbudding within approximately two weeks of birth.
Boer goats are polyestrous (they can breed throughout the year), and they reach sexual maturity at five months of age. A typical breeding program is to produce three kid crops every two years, meaning the does are pregnant for five months, nurse their kids for three months, and then are rebred. Multiple births are common, and a 200% kid crop is achievable in managed herds. Usually, first-time does will have one kid, but it is possible for them to have more. After that, they will usually have two kids every further proceedings.
The best time to slaughter a Boer goat is when they weigh about 80 pounds which is around 6 -7 months of age because its at that point when the meat is the most tender and has less fat.
NUBIAN GOATS
The Nubian's size makes it a very useful dual purpose animal. The Nubian breed leads the way for the dairy breeds in butterfat production: it produces on average, 5% or more butterfat content. This is surpassed only by the Nigerian Dwarf, Pygmy goat and Boer goat breeds, which are less likely to be used for large scale milk production, as for a dairy or cheesegoat.
Nubians are remarkable in temperate zones of agriculture in being able to deal with temperatures as low as 0 °F (−18 °C) with open faced shelters. They readily attach to their new human owners with simple neck and side stroking. Nubians love human interaction and will call for their owner.
While being stereotyped as vocal, they are relatively quiet when provided with food, water and shelter. Just like human infants if they are making noise, they are doing so to let their needs be known. Nubians are also sometimes classified as stubborn, but Nubians are simply highly intelligent animals who know what they like and dislike. Once shown the correct way as in being let out of its pen to be milked, a Nubian will walk itself, load itself and wait to be milked.
Anglo-Nubians are large, with does weighing at least 135 pounds and 175 pounds for bucks. The minimum height of the breed, measured at the withers, is 30 inches for does and 35 inches for bucks. Like most dairy goats, they are normally kept hornless by disbudding within approximately two weeks of birth.
Anglo-Nubian Goats
Now please remember, I am no expert when it comes to goats. I am just sharing what I am learning as I learn it. If you decide you want to raise goats please learn all you can before jumping in feet first. Like with all animals it's never as easy as it looks because you have to know what their needs are and how to care for those needs properly.
Prepping Granny