Perhaps one of the most dynamic animals you can ever own is a goat.
If you are currently interested in adding a goat to your farm or ranch, then you’ve made a great choice! But if you’re hesitant, let us convince you on why you need a goat.
For this article, we’ll tell you all the benefits of owning a goat. If you’d like to produce your own organic food, aside from keeping chickens, it will also be an excellent idea to start with goats.
Without further ado, let’s begin reading all these 17 reasons on why you need a goat.
Table of Contents
1. They can clear lands
One of the many good things about goats is they naturally clear lands.
They eat almost all types of unwanted plants on your farm, including weeds, shrubs, bushes, and poison ivy, as well as pine needles, barks, and leaves.
Their existence eliminates the need to spend money on materials to clear out your land. Not only that, but it also reduces the risk of forest fires.
Like mini-bulldozers, goats can clear your land in just about no time. But, of course, it is still important to check and remove plants and grasses that may be toxic to your goats.
Also, keep in mind that while they can clear your land, it won’t be as neat and uniformed as if you were to use equipment.
2. They produce fresh and nutritious goat milk
What’s better than having free goat milk?
One of the many benefits of having a goat is that you are able to regularly produce your own healthy and nutritious goat milk that you don’t even have to go to the grocery store to buy!
It’s better and more cost-effective than raising a cow, since they are smaller in size, thus making them less expensive to maintain.
But, it is important for you to be knowledgeable about how to care for dairy goats. Having the right tools and shelter is also important to keep them healthy.
Also, if you are lactose intolerant, then goat milk is more suitable for you. It is proven that goat milk is more easily digested by allergy sufferers and those with lactose intolerance.
It does have a different taste than cow’s milk but it’s quite delicious once you get used to it.
3. They produce cheese
The cheese from a goat is called chevre.
Because the goat milk is tangier than the cow’s, their cheese is also tangier but can be spread more easily than cow cheese. It’s perfect to spread on toast with some honey.
Goat cheese is also a great addition to salads, quiches, and frittatas. And, of course, it’s also suitable for people who suffer from lactose intolerance.
Not only do you get free cheese, but it can also be profitable if you venture into the goat cheese business.
If you haven’t noticed, goat cheese sold at the supermarket tends to be higher in price than the regular cow cheese.
4. They can provide security
A common person will have a watchdog to protect his home and family, but you should know that goats are actually good at alarming you of possible intruders.
They’re talkative animals who will constantly bleat at everyone that passes by your property, thus making them watchgoats.
If someone attempts to invade your house, a bleat from your goat could be enough to distract and startle them.
Aside from having free goat milk and cheese, you also get a free burglar alarm!
5. They produce fiber
If you are an artistic or a crafty person and would like to produce your own wool, then having a goat could benefit you in many ways.
Just keep in mind that the type of fiber varies per goat breed, so you might need to do a little research before owning one.
A female or a castrated male is an ideal goat to keep if you want to have a goat because of their wool.
With a goat to produce fiber and wool for you, it will now be easier to produce a variety of products, including hats, blankets, and sweaters.
If you’re not crafty enough, you can also sell the wool to your local spinning companies.
6. They produce manure
Well, all animals produce manure, but what’s great about goat manure is that it’s actually full of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate, thus making them an excellent fertilizer for your flowering plants, vegetables, or fruit-bearing trees.
Regardless if you’re a farmer or a gardener, having a goat helps you engage in organic farming because of the manure they produce.
Don’t worry, their pellets are naturally dry and odorless, therefore making it easier to collect and apply.
Their manure can also be composted and used as mulch, and they also make great fuel for fires.
7. They are excellent companions
They may not be the first choice for a pet, but goats actually have a good temperament that makes them suitable as a companion.
They are loyal, caring, fun-loving animals who are gentle with children. They can also make you laugh with their funny antics, such as parkour jumps.
But, it is important to know that goats are herd animals that although they can get along well with other farm animals, they will thrive if they live with other goats as well.
There’ll be no sad days just seeing these goats chasing and head-butting each other.
8. They can be used as pack animals
Goats are intelligent animals who can be easily trained to carry your gear as you go on hikes.
Don’t worry about them having a hard time trailing, they are actually suited to steep and rocky paths.
Because they are not choosy with their food, goats can easily graze on any greens they find along the way, but it is our job to inspect whether there’s grass or bushes that might be poisonous to them.
They can also be trained to pull carts since goats can effortlessly carry 20 up to 30 percent of their body weight.
9. They make a great meat source
Goat meat is called chevon, and this red meat is eaten all over the world.
Their meat is lean and has a higher amount of protein compared to beef. They are also lower in fat compared to chicken meat.
Although they are increasingly becoming popular, goat meat can be difficult to find, so it’s good if you raise your own.
10. They are less expensive to maintain
Not only they can benefit you in many ways, but goats are actually cheaper to keep compared to other livestock animals, such as cows.
Being a smaller animal compared to cows, goats don’t need a big and fancy shelter, just some good fencing would be enough to ensure that they can’t run loose.
11. You can learn many things from them
No, they can’t literally give you information, but having a goat to raise lets you realize things you never knew before.
Goats do not like getting wet. They have a great sense of hearing and are curious animals. They prefer having a routine, and can get upset when things suddenly change.
There are many more things you will learn, and that will only happen once you have your own goat.
Not only that, if you have children, having them learn about where their food comes from is a great way to teach them to respect nature.
They will learn to appreciate and care for animals not only because they benefit people in many ways, but they also provide companionship and comfort when we need them.
12. They help you get to know other people
In everything you do, you do not start as an expert.
Along the way, you’ll be able to meet other people who can help you on the things you want to be good at. If it’s your first time raising a goat, it’s a good idea to get help from people, whether in person or online, to have them share to you the tips and tricks in raising one.
Some can even give you their best milk and cheese recipes! Naturally, goats help you expand your circle.
13. They are great companions to other animals
If you have other farm or ranch animals, such as sheep or horses, goats can actually make an excellent companion for them.
Even though goats are social and fun-loving animals, it’s best if they can have another of their own kind.
Aside from farm animals, they can also get along pretty well with smaller animals, such as dogs and chicken.
In meeting other animals, it’s important that they are introduced properly to avoid any trouble that may occur in the future.
14. They can produce soap
The milk produced by goats can also be used to make soap.
The soap they produce is soft and milky which makes it perfect for people with sensitive skin.
15. Go into business
Since we know that there are so many benefits of raising goats, you could use them to start your own business.
Yes, you can use them to earn a profit, but first, you must do thorough research of your market, including the target market, demand and supply, and other factors to consider whether your business will be successful.
Is your community into organic items? Do you have a local spinning company that can buy the yarns produced from your goats? How is the competition for such items in your community?
You may also consider breeding a goat and selling them to people who want to raise one.
Aside from getting free products and saving money from raising your own goat, you can also earn some profit if you’re serious about getting into business.
16. They help you achieve self-sufficiency
If you’re currently working on self-sufficiency, having a goat would greatly benefit you in many ways.
If you’ve already grown your own trees for fruit and vegetables, and you already have a dozen or more chickens to have organic eggs, then the next thing to do is raise a goat to have your own source of dairy, such as milk and cheese.
Nothing could be more beneficial than this!
17. They keep you healthy
Aside from having your own organic produce, caring for goats can be a huge but beneficial work.
Every day, you will need to milk them until they dry off. This is important to prevent development of mastitis.
Of course, you will also need to clean their area for hygienic purposes. And, if your goat gets pregnant and has her babies, you will regularly need to tend on them.
While you may think that it may be a lot of work, you’ll soon get used to it.
The good thing about this is you’re able to get up earlier, get your daily exercise from working, and of course, what’s better than seeing the morning sun rise while enjoying the fresh air?
Not only can goats keep you healthy, but they also help you get closer to the environment.
Conclusion
And that wraps up our list of 17 reasons you need a goat.
If you were contemplating whether to raise one before reading this article, I hope that by now you’ve finally decided to raise one!
If you find this article helpful, feel free to share it with your family and friends.