Will goats be the next
animal to sweep through urban homesteads? Blogger and author Sharon
Astyk likes to think
so, and her tales of life with dairy goats definitely made me wish I had
some of my own.
A nanny goat showing up as a lawnmower in my
Mom’s neighborhood
seems to support the hypothesis that goats can be a productive part of
the urban homestead, along with the obvious choices like chickens and
rabbits.
We’re still thinking
small and sticking to chickens, who have their own unique appeal.
When Everett brought his two-year-old
over to visit our farm, Waylon was completely uninterested in mushroom
logs, fruit trees, and the vegetable garden, but he was rivetted by the
chicks in the brooder. The only way we could get Waylon to move
along was by promising him a viewing of the chicks’ parents in the next
pasture over.
(Okay, yes, this post
has absolutely no educational value. But I wanted to share the
photos, so hopefully you’ll forgive me the light content.)
I have a small herd of goats here in Lincs UK and can highly recommend them to anyone wanting to live more sustainably. They are lovely animals. I milk mine and make wonderful goat’s milk ice cream, soft and hard cheeses and delicious creamy yoghurt. I also use the milk to culture my kefir too!