6 reasons to keep goats

 Most frequently asked question, Why keep goats?

I will deal in-depth at a later stage with many issues raised, Broadly speaking here are the six reasons to keep goats.

Most importantly Milk

Goats milk is similar to human milk not quite as sweet. It is an A2 protein, and does not harm the biome as it develops. Going from cows milk, to goats milk, you should not taste the difference, going back to cows milk you notice it is not so creamy.  If there is a goatee taste to the milk, this is a breed and husbandry issue. Of the two goat milk producers that supply supermarkets one has a goatee taste the other is OK. Without causing controversy, I would buy  St.Helens milk if I had to. I would never recommend the other.

Wool

two types of wool are produced by goats, Cashmere, and Mohair.

 Angora goats produce Mohair (the diamond fibre) Mohair is between 19 and 23 Microns thick and equates to Merino wool and has similar thermal properties. Having flat scales it is less prickly than sheep's wool.

Cashmere is the under coat of all other goats. Around each guard hair secondary hair follicles grow. In a good quality Cashmere there can be as many as 20 secondary follicles. Cashmere must be between 14 and 17 microns, thicker is called cashgora. It is 8 times warmer than merino wool.

Leather

high quality soft leather can be obtained from goats. Ideal for gloves (kid gloves)

Meat

This has all the protein and good things without the bad of cows meat. Eaten young still on milk it is similar to chicken and gradually grows darker. Will be as tasty as lamb up to 4 years old after which it will taste like mutton. The fat is in the brown tissue so needs to cook slowly to release the full flavour. Not a meat to eat rare of medium rare.

Weed control

Goats are mainly browsers, They will eat grass and hay but love the fibrous broad leaf weeds.

if Your meadow is full of nettle, doc, thistle, brambles, dog rose, and briers, it is a goat dream menu. There is no need to plough and reseed when the hard to get rid of weeds are a nutritious diet. Ploughing releases carbon, thus goats keep the turf unturned and goes towards saving the planet. In Australia they use 1 goat per 4 sheep to keep the grazing land fit for sheep. 

Soil nutrient 

We are not making land any more. We are loosing good soil to erosion, flooding, and modern farming methods. Goat dropping help break down poor quality soil and rock with the gut microbes. It is not enough to treat the ground with fertilizer you have to encourage the microbes. Good microbes promote soil growth. If you dig up a piece of land and it is not teaming with life, That is dirt. Soil is life abundant, carbon hungry.

The future is goat (been saying that for thirty odd years). We will not see miles of lush green grass in the summers with global warming. The climate will be more suited to Mediterranean agriculture. Less cattle more goats and sheep