As people get more and more interested in raising their own food and eating organically, the idea of owning a goat or two is becoming more popular. If you have lots of land, it may not matter how big your animals get or how many you have. For homeowners with limited space, owning goats is still a possibility. A good option is raising Nigerian dwarf goats Santa Cruz County residents have for sale.
These are dairy animals, often raised as pets, not livestock slaughtered for their meat. They are about as big as a medium sized dog, standing under two feet at maturity. The goats produce a substantial amount of milk. The day output from a mature dwarf is more than a quart. The milk is great for producing cheese, cream, and soap because of the high fat content.
You will find them quite easy to train. Dwarfs are intelligent and have sweet dispositions. It's not hard to get their attention with whistles and clickers, and they will remember audible commands. Goats have a tendency to rush gates, but you can correct their behavior with a spray bottle filled with water. Dwarfs don't like getting wet, and soon understand to stop when they hear the spray.
If you use collars on your dwarfs, you have to be careful they don't get caught on fences or buildings. You also have to be careful if you are holding the collar while the dwarf is walking beside you. It's easy for the collar to slip up and choke off blood supply to the brain. When this happens the goat will collapse, and you must release the pressure from the collar immediately.
Goats have famously been compared to cats. They are equally curious and both are prone to getting stuck in unusual places. Fences have a special attraction for dwarfs. They will invariably try to push their heads through openings just to get firmly stuck. You will need a good pair of wire cutters.
Another fence issue is the way a goat loves to rub against it. You will find that repairing and reinstalling fencing is something you do on a regular basis unless you find a substitute for the animals to rub against, like a street sweeper. It's a great idea to give your animals furniture, like crates, to climb and jump over. You just have to remember to keep them far away from the fence.
You might think that a goat will eat anything, and can live under all kinds of conditions, but the reality is that most of them are extremely picky. They hate being wet, and they won't eat food that is left out for an extended period of time. It becomes dirty, in their minds, and unappetizing.
If you want to live the most organic life possible, growing your own food is a good way to begin. You don't need hundreds of acres to plant a vegetable garden and fruit trees. When you add dairy animals to the mix, you will have plenty of milk and cheese eat with your meals.
These are dairy animals, often raised as pets, not livestock slaughtered for their meat. They are about as big as a medium sized dog, standing under two feet at maturity. The goats produce a substantial amount of milk. The day output from a mature dwarf is more than a quart. The milk is great for producing cheese, cream, and soap because of the high fat content.
You will find them quite easy to train. Dwarfs are intelligent and have sweet dispositions. It's not hard to get their attention with whistles and clickers, and they will remember audible commands. Goats have a tendency to rush gates, but you can correct their behavior with a spray bottle filled with water. Dwarfs don't like getting wet, and soon understand to stop when they hear the spray.
If you use collars on your dwarfs, you have to be careful they don't get caught on fences or buildings. You also have to be careful if you are holding the collar while the dwarf is walking beside you. It's easy for the collar to slip up and choke off blood supply to the brain. When this happens the goat will collapse, and you must release the pressure from the collar immediately.
Goats have famously been compared to cats. They are equally curious and both are prone to getting stuck in unusual places. Fences have a special attraction for dwarfs. They will invariably try to push their heads through openings just to get firmly stuck. You will need a good pair of wire cutters.
Another fence issue is the way a goat loves to rub against it. You will find that repairing and reinstalling fencing is something you do on a regular basis unless you find a substitute for the animals to rub against, like a street sweeper. It's a great idea to give your animals furniture, like crates, to climb and jump over. You just have to remember to keep them far away from the fence.
You might think that a goat will eat anything, and can live under all kinds of conditions, but the reality is that most of them are extremely picky. They hate being wet, and they won't eat food that is left out for an extended period of time. It becomes dirty, in their minds, and unappetizing.
If you want to live the most organic life possible, growing your own food is a good way to begin. You don't need hundreds of acres to plant a vegetable garden and fruit trees. When you add dairy animals to the mix, you will have plenty of milk and cheese eat with your meals.
About the Author:
You can get a summary of the things to keep in mind when picking a breeder of Nigerian Dwarf goats Santa Cruz County area at http://www.quailmeadowfarm.com today.
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