Keeping livestock has been a fairly popular topic in certain social media sites. Questions such as, should I have cows or horses? Can I train an ox like they used to a long time ago? Several others are being raised as well.
I do not like goats. At all. They get into everything, they get on top of everything, they get out of everything, they poop everywhere...and overall I just don't like goats. That being said, however, Goats are probably the way to go, in a family survival situation for several reasons. Let's go into them.
1. They are a heck of a lot smaller than a cow or a horse. Easier to handle, less of a chance to be hurt by them. If they get startled and take off, the likelihood of you being trampled or injured or otherwise incapacitated is a lot less.
2. If you need to 'bug out'...you can just pick them up and toss them into your vehicle. Obvioulsy, this is a less than ideal travel companiong, yet a bonus, because you can take your goats anywhere. Yes, not ideal...but then a SHTF situation is always less than ideal at it's very best.
3. Goats are edible. You can eat your goat if you have too, as a last resort. But ideally you can raise the baby goats, and they are ready to eat in six months. You can even let them 'hatch' in the spring and breed them in the fall to have milk by the following spring. Again, a less than ideal situation, especially for the young doe goat, but it is and has been done before.
4. Goats make milk. The same way cows do of course, but requiring less maintenance. You can have cheese! That will be a delicacy in a post shtf world. It may even be for me then, as I can't stand goat milk or cheese either.
5. Goats can exist on very little. Not that you shouldn't feed them of course, just comparing a little goat to a Holstien or your standard grade horse. A lot less feed is required. They are also foragers and will eat what any self respecting heifer or horse would cast their nose at. This is quite helpful in a situation where you CAN'T just go out and buy a bale of hay.
6. Goats are quiet. Disclaimer: IF they are together they are very very quiet. If they are separated you will hear them hollering miles and miles away.
7. Goats are hardy. While you cannot be lazy and let the goat carry your backpack everywhere you go, you can have them do light packing. NEVER overload a goat, they are just not meant for it...but as I said can do very light packing and can pull things as well.
8. They are very friendly. This kind of goes back to #1 there, but very friendly little creatures, as long as you are friendly to them. If you are a butt-head to them...they will certainly be the same way back to you, however we all should have learned that whole, "treat others the way you would want to be treated" thing by now. So be nice to your goat!
9. Some breeds are protective of other animals. I don't know what kind, and I don't feel like researching it while I am writing, but some breeds are protective, some give LOT'S of milk, Some do both and some give some kind of wool I read about a while back.
10. They can climb over anything. Literally. They can climb a ladder. I would suggest the old carrot on a stick routine to try and talk them into that...for they are greedy little things, but they can go where any horse or cow would (literally) roll their eyes at.
All that goat-goodness aside, there are the downside to goats as well. Once they actually do get sick, they go downhill very quickly. Sometimes the milk a doe gives her kids actually can kill them...I don't know what thats called either, but I read about it on a goat forum. I never had that happen, but I hear it can. You should probably look that up too, since you probably already know I am not going to do it for you by now.
Billy goats really do butt you, "bonk" you as my kids say. If they really don't like you, they bonk you really hard. But to keep getting kids every year it's good to have a buck around.
When you tie a goat out, no matter how you do it...they can get tangled around a blade of grass and hogtie themselves. Yes they are good animals to tie out...but you need to check them constantly...and if they are not within eyesight of each other they will scream. Loudly. For a very long time, or until you place them next to each other, whichever happens first. Usually, their voices will outlast your ears.
All joking aside, Goats are a very ideal animal in a shtf scenario. Many other breeds of livestock will do very well, of course, but the goat is (in just my opinion) a very good animal to have on the go or in a lay low situation. Do your research, figure out what you need and start getting it. :)
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