Goats and sustainable living
Although my initial introduction to goats was as pets, I now believe the dairy goats is perhaps the most useful and versatile homesteading animal.
The humble goat contributes to the homestead in many ways:
The humble goat contributes to the homestead in many ways:
- Goats provide raw fresh wholesome milk for drinking
- Milk can be used for making dairy products
- Excess milk can be used for activators in compost and humus making systems
- Excess milk can be used for making garden sprays
- Offspring are sold as future home milkers or pets
- Offspring can be raised to 5 months to use as meat
- Strip grazing and rotational grazing of pastures with other species maintains pasture diversity and reduces parasite burden
- In this way, they are an aid to gardening/farming sustainably and organic by reducing the need to use chemicals on both pastures and for parasite control
- Graze long pastures, weeds and scrub/brush which other livestock do not
- Control weeds in pastures to maintain palatability for other livestock
- Control weeds from spreading by preventing eating, ringbarking and preventing weeds from seeding
- Bedding from stables and dairy house (straw/sawdust, manure and urine) provides compost material and mulching material
- Manure used in compost, humus making systems, worm farms
- Can be fed the fallen autumn/winter leaves from the orchard
- Goats convert fallen leaves, excess vegetables/fruit, and prunings of certain shrubs and trees to body weight, milk, manure and urine.
Farming principles at Serendipity Dairy
- FORAGE BASED: Herbivores should be just that – herbivores. Goats are ruminants with four stomachs, designed to thrive on roughage. My goats are maintained on a diet of mainly roughage comprising good quality pasture, hay, forage trees and bushes, fruit and vegetables. Their diet includes a small amount of grain and for this I choose natural, unprocessed whole grains. My animals do not eat overly processed foods, animal-based proteins, chicken manure, by-products of human food production or damaged chocolate bars (just some of the things that are included in the ration for animals in conventional intensive farming systems).
- ANIMAL WELFARE: Humane animal treatment is my number one priority here. Although my goats serve a purpose, they are also beloved pets. Every animal has his/her own name and personality, not simply a serial number. They are treated as loving individuals and pets, not as an army of mass milk production. The relationship between dairy goat and goat-keeper is built on trust, understanding, patience and affection.
- CLEAN, NUTRITIOUS ANIMAL PRODUCTS: The world is full of junk food, with controversial inputs and questionable nutritive quality, all while compromising the animals involved. It is time to bring REAL food back, produced humanely and NATURALLY. It is my great pleasure to be able to produce REAL milk, NATURALLY. Raw goat milk is healthy, nutritious and packed full of flavour.
- LOCAL FOOD FOR LOCAL PEOPLE: My greatest wish is for people to become closer to their food source, to understand where it comes from and how. I believe if we decide to consume animal products (meat, milk or eggs) we have a responsibility to know where it comes from, and to ensure that the animal has been treated humanely. For this reason I encourage people to produce as much of their food as they can; if you have half an acre or an acre and enough time, keep your own home milker. If you can’t, purchase your milk from a farm which you physically inspect yourself. Meet the animals, meet the farmer, taste the milk and reap the rewards. Our farm is always open to visitors (by appointment), we welcome all people, children and cameras to come and see how our goats are managed – and our goats are always happy to meet new people too!
Farming Naturally (NOT Organically)
I am often asked if my goats/goats milk is organic, and the answer is no. I do not farm organically, however I do strive to farm NATURALLY.
Here's why:
1. Animal welfare - this is my main reason for not wanting to run a certified organic goat farm. I try my best to manage my goats using natural and herbal methods to treat illness and prevent parasites. I do not routinely use chemicals, hormones or antibiotics for prevention of disease (often used in large systems to compensate for lack of hygiene) or to increase growth or production to unnatural levels (used in large systems as profit is the primary concern, not animal welfare). However, if I were to be a strict, certified organic farmer I would be prevented from using antibiotics and chemical wormers even when my goats really truly needed it. It has been my experience that it is difficult if not impossible to manage goats completely organically in our area of Western Australia, simply because it is too wet. Goats by nature tend to thrive in drier conditions, and it is possible to never chemically worm goats if you live in a hot, dry climate. However, located where we are in Perth, we have a warm and wet climate, which makes my goats prime suspects for parasites. Although I use natural worming methods throughout most of the year, for the health of my animals I find I have to use a chemical dewormer once or twice a year. Not being certified organic also lets me treat my goats with antibiotics (under veterinary direction) when they become sick. Just as I go to the doctor if have a serious illness, I do not want to withhold life-saving antibiotics from my goats when truly needed.
2. Shortage of organic inputs - this is a far simpler reason, and this problem has been encountered by several of my friends who have tried to go organic. There simply isnt a steady available supply of organic feed for livestock in Perth - as a small farm I buy in the majority of my goat feed, and it is extremely hard to buy certified organic hay and grain to feed to my goats.
3. Timeframe required for certified organic status - again a very simple reason. Guidelines require the farm to be run in an organic state for many years before the certified organic status is achieved. At this stage I am renting the property which is currently home to Serendipity Dairy, and during my three years in Perth the herd has moved three times. So it clearly isnt feasible for me to begin managing a farm using organic guidelines, when there is a chance I may need to move again.
So - my goats are managed NATURALLY, but not organically. For me, natural goat raising is about catering to the animal's instincts. Their diet is based mainly on roughage, rather than force fed unnaturally high levels of grain for high output. My goats free range across ten acres of carefully managed pasture, instead of being locked up in a small area or inside a shed. Natural methods are used for controlling parasites and illness. Chemicals, hormones and antibiotics are used only when absolutely necessary.
Here's why:
1. Animal welfare - this is my main reason for not wanting to run a certified organic goat farm. I try my best to manage my goats using natural and herbal methods to treat illness and prevent parasites. I do not routinely use chemicals, hormones or antibiotics for prevention of disease (often used in large systems to compensate for lack of hygiene) or to increase growth or production to unnatural levels (used in large systems as profit is the primary concern, not animal welfare). However, if I were to be a strict, certified organic farmer I would be prevented from using antibiotics and chemical wormers even when my goats really truly needed it. It has been my experience that it is difficult if not impossible to manage goats completely organically in our area of Western Australia, simply because it is too wet. Goats by nature tend to thrive in drier conditions, and it is possible to never chemically worm goats if you live in a hot, dry climate. However, located where we are in Perth, we have a warm and wet climate, which makes my goats prime suspects for parasites. Although I use natural worming methods throughout most of the year, for the health of my animals I find I have to use a chemical dewormer once or twice a year. Not being certified organic also lets me treat my goats with antibiotics (under veterinary direction) when they become sick. Just as I go to the doctor if have a serious illness, I do not want to withhold life-saving antibiotics from my goats when truly needed.
2. Shortage of organic inputs - this is a far simpler reason, and this problem has been encountered by several of my friends who have tried to go organic. There simply isnt a steady available supply of organic feed for livestock in Perth - as a small farm I buy in the majority of my goat feed, and it is extremely hard to buy certified organic hay and grain to feed to my goats.
3. Timeframe required for certified organic status - again a very simple reason. Guidelines require the farm to be run in an organic state for many years before the certified organic status is achieved. At this stage I am renting the property which is currently home to Serendipity Dairy, and during my three years in Perth the herd has moved three times. So it clearly isnt feasible for me to begin managing a farm using organic guidelines, when there is a chance I may need to move again.
So - my goats are managed NATURALLY, but not organically. For me, natural goat raising is about catering to the animal's instincts. Their diet is based mainly on roughage, rather than force fed unnaturally high levels of grain for high output. My goats free range across ten acres of carefully managed pasture, instead of being locked up in a small area or inside a shed. Natural methods are used for controlling parasites and illness. Chemicals, hormones and antibiotics are used only when absolutely necessary.