Do You Need a Buck — or Two?
Last week, we talked about how many does you need to start your herd. But if you want milk or meat, those does will have to get pregnant, which means you need a buck — or at least his semen. … Read More
goats
How Many Goats to Start With?
Baby goats are so cute, you could easily get carried away and buy a lot, but that’s probably not the best strategy. The number of goats you get depends on how much milk or meat you want. Since goats are … Read More
Goats and Copper Deficiency
Knowledge of goat nutrition has changed drastically in the last two decades. Twenty years ago, goats were lumped into the same category as sheep, and most people believed they didn’t need copper. Ten years ago, most vets realized goats needed … Read More
Basics of Bottle Feeding Goat Kids
Even though I strongly believe that goat kids should be raised by mom, there are times when that simply is not possible. A doe may have more kids than she can feed. A kid may be born too small or … Read More
Jewelry on the homestead
When it comes to jewelry on the homestead, you have to think about your safety, your animals’ safety, and your happiness, in no particular order. Fifteen years ago when we moved out here from the city, I loved to wear … Read More
Is Inbreeding Livestock Okay?
When people are new to owning livestock, they usually don’t want to have too many males. When I’m asked a question like, “Can I breed a buck (or ram or boar or whatever) to his daughter?” I usually say, you … Read More
2 Ways to Sell Meat from Your Farm
If you raise cattle, pigs, sheep, and other four-legged animals, how can you sell meat? You have two basic options. You can have your meat processed and then sell individual cuts, either wholesale or retail, which means you are selling meat. … Read More
Is My Goat Pregnant?
Tis the season for goat pictures to show up on social media, and we are not talking about cute kid pictures. We are talking about pictures of goat’s back ends! They are posted on people’s personal walls, on farm pages, … Read More
Is Copper Oxide Really Safe for Goats?
More than ten years ago when my goats had severe fertility problems, and my bucks all died before the age of three, an experienced breeder suggested that we might have a problem with copper deficiency. My teenage daughter did a … Read More
Farm animal psychology
The children chased the chickens. They couldn’t understand why the chickens didn’t want to cuddle. Last week was the first week of Nature’s Farm Camp on our homestead, and I had to explain farm animal psychology to the children. I … Read More
