Source: https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-goats/
Adaptable, curious, and sociable, goats were among the first animals to be domesticated. Goats’ hardiness makes them a part of subsistence agriculture almost everywhere, yet they are also found in highly developed production systems and as pampered companion animals. The global distribution of goats, as well as their many uses, has led to the development of a large number of standardized breeds and landraces, though most of these are not well documented.
Goats are among the most versatile of all domestic animals, used for milk, meat, and fiber, and for packing and land management. Goat milk is inexpensive to produce, easy to digest, and nutritionally rich. Demand for goat milk has encouraged the development of many specialized dairy breeds, especially in Europe and India.
Goat meat is consumed worldwide. Despite the importance of meat, however, few specialized meat breeds have been developed. Foremost among these is the Boer goat of South Africa, which has recently become established in several other countries, including the United States.
While all goats grow hair coats, some produce specialized and valuable fiber types – such as mohair and cashmere. Mohair, often considered a luxury fiber, is a long lustrous fiber produced by Angora goats. It is similar to the lustrous long wool of sheep, but distinct from the angora fiber produced by Angora rabbits.
Cashmere is quite different from mohair and is a true luxury fiber. It is the soft undercoat which can be produced by nearly any type of goat. Some goats produce an excellent quantity and quality of cashmere, and while these goats do not constitute a true breed in the genetic sense, they are generally referred to as a breed.
The history of goats in North America began with the arrival of Spanish explorers and settlers in the 1500s. English settlers brought a few goats to New England beginning in the 1600s. These two types accounted for most of the goats found in North America until the time of the Civil War. These goats had little market value and were never recognized as distinct breeds.
In the mid-1800s, goat production in the United States began to change. The importation of several goat breeds from Europe increased the breadth of genetic resources available. Angora goats were imported to the United States beginning in the 1850s, and Texas became the center of mohair production. Importation of improved European dairy breeds, including the Toggenburg, Saanen, French Alpine, and Nubian, began about 1900. Dairy production from these breeds far exceeded that of the Spanish and English goats, and these historic types were rapidly crossbred or replaced. The Old English goat became extinct in North America, and it was only in the southeastern and southwestern United States that pure Spanish goats survived.
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Featured video:
Burn-offs keep the township safe from out-of-control fires, but they hinder the forest’s ability to regenerate, and thus cannot provide the environment necessary for the diversity of insects, birds and animals that are necessary in a healthy forest on a healthy planet. Restoring the forest also allows for traditional indigenous burns to take place, as the danger created by flammable non-native species has been reduced.
The work being done by the Goathand Cooperative is not only showing stunning results on the forest floor, it’s having much broader effects: the forest’s wildlife is thriving, the goats are healthy and happy, but in addition neighbours previously dubious about the project have come on board, so that new and strong community connections are being made. And as one Cooperative member says in the film, an important re-connection is also being made with nature. “We haven’t always been trammellers of land,” says Patrick Jones. This connection to the soil and to the forest is, he believes, “our way back to sanity”.
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Videos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreenMesaFar…
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Cedar Mesa Ranch LLC, https://cedarmesaranch.com/
All things wool, from our flock of Navajo Churro Sheep: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CedarMesaWeavings
Related link: https://rainwaterrunoff.com/navajo-churro-the-oldest-sheep-breed-in-america/
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Spain
Cows or goats or both?
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Cow vs Goat: Which Should You Raise on Your Homestead?
There comes a time in the life of every homesteader when you look at your breakfast plate and you see the homegrown eggs, the garden fresh vegetables, maybe the homegrown bacon, and you start to wonder what life would be like if you had a glass of raw milk from your own cow or goat to chase it down. And therein lies the ultimate question: Cow vs. Goat?
(Or Goat vs. Cow… depending on whether or not you’ve already made up your mind on the subject.)
There are several things to consider when deciding cow vs. goat. How you answer will help you choose which dairy animal is the right for your homestead. Even if your heart is set on having a cow, it may not be a good fit for your situation and it would be unfair to her for you to figure that out the hard way.
Here are 12 things you should consider when making this important decision.
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Why Raise Goats? (not Cattle or Emus?) What are the Advantages?
We’ve mentioned the two major uses of meat goats: meat and land management. Of course, there are other animals that make meat and can use otherwise wasted plants. So, what is special about goats, in comparison to cattle, for example?
Strong market/ethnic demand = strong prices
As previously stated, there is a strong demand for goat meat. This is in contrast to emus, which did not have a good meat market. Many immigrants would rather eat goat meat than any other kind. This presents an opportunity for American farmers and ranchers, as there is a lot of room for expansion in this industry: we are currently importing goat meat equivalent to over 700,000 goats per year with the majority of the goats coming from Australia.
Goats are an attractive enterprise for many who may be intimidated by larger animals. Goats are small and safer to work around than cattle, and because of their size and ease of handling, there is no need for expensive working facilities or head gates, squeeze chutes, and other equipment essential in cattle ranching.
Low cost (to buy and raise)
Goats are one of the cheapest livestock enterprises to start-up, because they do not require much capital to purchase or feed. Also, as stated above, facilities are cheaper than for cattle.
Different grazing preferences = better use of diverse forages
Because goats prefer to browse (eat brush or vines) rather than graze grasses, they are complementary grazing in combination with cattle or horses. Using more than one species to graze an area is called “multispecies grazing,” and in nature it maintains species balance and ecological stability in an area. Modern farming practices have tended to limit the kinds of animals on a specific piece of land, and this encourages less useful plants to dominate an area. For example, on a pasture used by cattle alone, shrubs and vines may increase, because cattle do not graze those plants consistently. Adding goats to the pasture will result in more meat being produced on that land, because the goats and cattle will be turning different forages into meat.
Different grazing habits = sustainable control of weeds and brush
Another benefit of goats grazing plants that cattle won’t is that they prevent weeds and brush from taking over an area. The brush that a goat eats is converted into money by way of meat. Because it won’t be necessary to use chemicals or other means to control the brushy plants, the goats will also save you money. Besides the financial benefits, goats are a much safer tool to use on weeds. Many people develop sensitivity to chemicals after years of exposure; using goats to accomplish the goal is much better for the environment and those living in the area.
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to dairy cows and dairy goats. Which one is right for you?
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Associations
American Goat Federation
https://www.americangoatfederation.org
American Goat Society
https://americangoatsociety.com
American Boer Goat
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBoerGoatAssociation/
