Homesteading Advice on Dairy Animals

For most newcomers to the land — provided they’re not
the very strictest of vegetarians — the homestead dream
includes at least one placidly grazing dairy animal. Just
what animal, though, is a matter of personal
preference. In the U.S., Canada, and most of Europe, the
usual options are cows and goats . . . and each has its
vigorous partisans. If you’re not violently prejudiced one
way or the. other, it’s best to make the choice rationally
on the basis of your own circumstances and the nature of
the beasts in question.

Homesteading Advice on Dairy Animals

Cows, for instance, are basically grass eaters and require
good pasture in summer and plentiful hay through the
winter, with some grain as a supplement. If your homestead
is blessed with lush meadows, Bossy will thrive. On the
other hand, if what you have to offer is rough terrain and
brush-grown hillsides, a herd of goats will clamber and
browse happily on your place (and help control the
undergrowth while they feed). They can’t produce milk on
twigs alone, though, and will need additional rations of
hay, vegetables, and grain.

There are many other pros and cons . . . mostly questions
of cost versus productivity. A good cow will require a
fairly large initial investment (in many areas, $300 and up
for an established milker) and will need more food and more
elaborate shelter than a goat . . . but she’ll also produce
much larger quantities of milk (several gallons a day) and
her calves will be valuable regardless of sex (steers of
even the dairy breeds will provide large quantities of
high-quality protein for home use).

While a doe’s production is much smaller than a
cow’s — an average is two to three quarts daily over a
10-month season — always remember that you can keep
about five goats for the cost of one cow and that goats’
milk can often be tolerated by people who are allergic to
cows’ milk. Nanny is also given to multiple births, which
means that your herd will increase quickly (and also that
you’ll have to dispose of numerous male kids. . . not an
easy decision, since they’re among the most charming of
young animals. Chevon, however, is good food if you can
bring yourself to do the slaughtering.)

Two more points to consider before you commit yourself to
any milch animal: