Best animals for a hobby farm8/31/2023 Goat meat is healthy and when prepared properly, has an unmatched flavor. When sheared, you can sell the coat or make your own handcrafted products. Angora goats and other long-haired breeds are raised for their coats. ![]() Besides milking goats for their nutritious beverage, their milk is used in making goat soap, butter, and cheese. As any experienced goat keeper will tell you, a strong fence is a must for keeping goats! One dairy goat can create two to four quarts of milk every day. There is also the advantage of their small size, as far as livestock goes and they’re pretty self-reliant. Goats are one of the most practical and versatile creatures possible to raise. ![]() In the deep south of west-central Louisiana, we had chosen Pineywoods for their heat tolerance and foraging abilities as well as easy births and meat/milk production. Once you’ve made your choice, you’re on your way to a homestead flowing with milk and honey.įor cow farming here in the panhandle of northern Idaho, I would choose Scotch Highland for their ability to withstand the cold temps, foraging, milk and meat production. Other things to consider when choosing a breed for cow farming is which breeds birth easiest and, if meat production is important to you, which breeds are known and bred for meat in your area. Some breeds do better at foraging than others and, you guessed it, deciding which breed is the best fit for your homestead is a yet another research topic for you. When cow farming, trees provide the shade and shelter for the cows and the cows provide the fertilizer for the trees. You’ll be making decisions with your money in the purchase and upkeep of your cow which affects your health in one way or another, so take some time and do a little research before you take the next step.Ĭows also have a great symbiotic relationship with trees. If it works, don’t fix it is a motto we like to live by. I grew up on raw A2 A2 milk and so did my ancestors. This is a relatively new debate in the cow farming arena here in the United States. You’ll find most of American and some European dairies raise cows which produce A1 Milk. raw milk and what makes better sense for you and your family, you’ll stumble across the A1 Milk vs A2 A2 Milk debate. I’m sure you say, as I once did, “A cow is a cow? Right?” When you settle the answer to your questions on pasteurization vs. But what milk is the best for your family’s health and the all-around best for your homestead?Īs always I say, don’t take my word for it. We would enjoy fresh milk, cream on our biscuits in the morning, butter, buttermilk, cheese and milk gravy. Granny would bring in the milk, strain it through cheesecloth into the milk jug and cool it. There are so many products coming from one bucket. One of the biggest benefits of cow farming is the fresh cow’s milk. I learned all I know about cow farming from my grandparents. The first cow I can remember was Betsy, a big brown Jersey. Silly to some, I know, but the smell of the cow manure in the early morning air as you head to the barn fills me with comfort and ease. Some of my earliest memories are of my grandparents family dairy cows. I can’t think of a better animal to start our list with than the good old family cow. ![]() What homesteader doesn’t like things that fill all those requirements? These are all multi-purpose in products, purpose, and value. I’ve chosen my top five animals which, I believe, enable us able to enjoy self-sufficient farm living. For the smallest of spaces, quail and rabbits can be kept in backyard cages. The amount of time and space available certainly determines which you can or want to keep in order to provide some or even a majority of your food. While cow farming may not be an alternative for you, keeping a single cow, sheep, goats or chickens may be an option. When you know the animals which supply food for you and your family are treated with care in a healthy and humane way, a value cannot be put on it.Įven the smallest of homesteads can support a few animals when carefully chosen. From cow farming to chicken keeping, the peace of mind and satisfaction you gain from raising your own animals can’t be matched. If your aim is self-sufficiency and you’re not a vegan, you will need a supply of milk, eggs and meat for self-sufficiency.
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