Goats or Cows

big rockpile · #1 01/19/08, 12:44 PM

Ok we have 20 acres which is mix of brush and grass.But wouldn't be too hard to open up for more grass.

I have dealt with both Goats and Cows.Leaning more towards Cows.Because fencing will be easier.And Cream is easier to seperate from Milk.

Thinking two Cows,or do you think one will be ok?Use neighbor Bull or A.I. when needed.

What is your ideas on this??

big rockpile

MTplainsman · #2 01/19/08, 01:15 PM

I'm not sure what your stocking rate could be on your 20 acres, but Missouri grass can run a lot animals on few acres as far as I know. Anyways, to only run 2 pair and keep a bull around = loss of profit in short order. It would be easiest to borrow a bull, but for the best gene pool in the world, I'd concider the A.I. route. Maybe you should run both goats (for under brush) and cattle at the same time. Fill both niches of your land use.

P.S. if you know of a few thousand acres of cheap Missouri grass, don't hesitate to zip me a pm

Joy in Eastern WA · #3 01/19/08, 01:28 PM

Are you open to the idea of pigs? Quicker turnaround on the investment.

mamahen · #4 01/19/08, 01:54 PM

Fencing is easier, but with lots of area, the goats may stay in.

Do you want to deal with big critters, or smaller ones?

I like both, have both at the moment. They eat differently. My goats DO love regular grass, plus the brush & trees. The cow is more of a grass only. Although the goats taught her to eat bark off of trees.

How about a couple of heifers and 3 or 4 goats? You could milk the cows & either milk the goats, or have meat a little faster?

If it's only milk for yourself, I'd probably just go with one cow and a few goats for meat.

greeneyedgirl70 · #5 01/19/08, 02:09 PM

OK here is my 2 cents worth.
If you are wanting to buy a jersey Cow for milking and butter making, I suggest just one, you will have far more milk, cream, butter than 3 families could handle. If you are thinking of doing this as a business then yea go for two.
If you are interested in getting rid of brush, goats are a fairly inexpensive way to do that. Also you can have milk, cheese, make soap etc with goats milk so you could make money in that aspect.
But Cows will bring you more money in the long run or they do for us in this area.

As far as fencing goes, We have 3-4 strands of electric fence for our goats and have no problems with them ever getting out.
My husband is thinking about selling out our goats and getting sheep in there place. Except my Nubian, i have big plans for her and well i have another that is going to grow old here also.

Quote:

Joy in Eastern WA Are you open to the idea of pigs? Quicker turnaround on the investment

I agree, Pigs are a fast return. We bought 4 and raised them big and slaughtered them, we sold 3 after they was sectioned off like the hams,loins, ribs , we made sausage etc.. nothing went to wait and we got all our money back we had into them and then some adn we had one hog all for ourselves left over, so we made money and had a hog to eat ourselves and folks wanting more!
So i agree it is a fast way to make money, a quick return!

uncle Will in In. · #6 01/19/08, 02:59 PM

Rocky, One hot barb wire will keep a cow or two home until she get amorous. No fence is cheaper than that. If she jumps ship on her special day and makes contact with a beefy type feller some where, you will have the breeding problem solved.
Having way to much pasture isn't any problem. She can graze all winter and save you a bundle on boughten hay. She'l still need hay, but not as much. Two cows could raise you about four calves and still furnish you more milk than you'll care to squeeze out of her. Lets see now. You'll have milk, cream for the coffee, cream for the tea, ice cream, cottage cheese. sour milk for your laying hens. butter, buttermilk for that fattening pig out in the sty. Steaks from the baby beef she raised for you, hamburger, and I don't know what all. Oh yes. Don't forget all that precious organic fertilizer right there at your feet, and on your shoes. Everywhere you walk, the grass will be greener. I could go on and on here but you get the picture. A goat would never stay in any pen you could construct for under a small fortune. The goats would wipe out your big truck garden that was intended to feed everyone all year.
Besides that a jersey always have big beautiful eyes. Did you ever look a goat in the eye?
In the meantime work up a deal where you can trade raw milk for hay, and your home free. If Tina knows how to milk. LOL

big rockpile · #7 01/19/08, 06:20 PM

Ok Goats around here sell for more than you could get out of them in the way of meat.I have had 30 Goats on 15 acres of this place,never had one out.

I've been thinking get a Cow and Calf,I milk one side let the Calf have the other.

As far as Hogs I was thinking 3 Sows and a Boar.Butcher what I need,trade and sell the rest.

Not really interested in making money,nice if it is to be,but supplying my meat milk and butter at little cost.I know if I run Goats and Cows they will clear it pertty good,which I could do this.

Ok I just wrote this above while talking with DW,so I'm leaving it too.But was talking we could get 4 or 5 Does and a Buck.They would have plenty to eat.Milk them.Now as far as milk where could I get a Seperator?Ok where could I get a Milker for Goats? I do pertty good by hand but if they have little teat makes it very hard.

Ok still thinking Guys??

big rockpile

Alice In TX/MO · #8 01/19/08, 06:28 PM

Look over on the goat board. Emily Dixon has wonderful goats, and she's in southern Missouri. Yarrow's goats are kidding now, too, and she has a really good line of gentle does!

Have you priced getting fence built in southern Missouri? I wanted to fence my 40 acres there, but I can't afford it.

big rockpile · #9 01/19/08, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose

Look over on the goat board. Emily Dixon has wonderful goats, and she's in southern Missouri. Yarrow's goats are kidding now, too, and she has a really good line of gentle does!

Have you priced getting fence built in southern Missouri? I wanted to fence my 40 acres there, but I can't afford it.

Rose most our place is Hog Goat tight.Don't remember cost but I do know we did 5 acres at a time.We did it all ourselves.Mennonites said it was the best fencing in the area.

big rockpile

#10 01/20/08, 12:27 AM

While growing up we would have up to 3 cows on 30 acres. Actually it was the milking cow (b.angus), a one year old heifer or steer, and a new born calf.

We would keep all her calves up to 2 years. If she had a heifer we would sell it at 2 years old for breeding stock. If it was a steer we would have it butchered for our freezer(s).

The milking cow gave plenty of milk. We would milk her twice a day and share the milk with a aunt and uncle who lived next door to us. Actually it was his cows, but we was such a close family we helped each other out. My uncle would milk in the mornings and I would milk in the evenings. We kept our own milking. Shared the cost of the feed, etc. We done all our gardening, wood cutting, pigs, chickens, etc. together and shared.

I've never had a milk cow since those growing up days and have frequently dreamed about having one. But I've gotten so use to having free time and not being around during milking hours that I'm not sure I could get use to being tied down all the time. There's times I like to go summer camping for a few days so I'm not sure that would work out with having a milk cow around. That's been my big drawback of being a farm boy once again. Got to citified somehow and I haven't even lived in a city yet.

Michael W. Smith · #11 01/20/08, 06:03 AM

Seems to me, you have been having health problems and even kicking around the idea of selling your place. Who is going to take care of the animals plus milk them?

It won't make much sense money-wise to get all set up for animals and then end up finding out they are too much work / too hard to handle and have to sell out.

big rockpile · #12 01/20/08, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael W. Smith

Seems to me, you have been having health problems and even kicking around the idea of selling your place. Who is going to take care of the animals plus milk them?

It won't make much sense money-wise to get all set up for animals and then end up finding out they are too much work / too hard to handle and have to sell out.

Well looks like the goverment is not giving us any choice,getting started before we have no means.DW will do what I can't.Thats one reaqson I'm not thinking more animals than we need.

big rockpile

Use Less · #13 01/20/08, 09:09 AM

Even one cow gives a LOT of milk. Unless you are prepared to make cheese for your own use, and even then you will likely have much more than you can use. There may be prohibitions against selling the milk. Hereabouts a stainless steel parlor, etc., etc., is required. Never make up the cost. If you like goats' milk, at least it is a manageable amount. Here people can sell fresh goats' milk to dog breeders. Can you get free pallets? They can be set up in a little zigzag pattern with fenceposts to help hold upright, and electric wire run along the top. Our 25-yr.-old solar collector can run up to 25 miles. We replaced the gel battery once, so a total cost of $305 so far. Sue

big rockpile · #14 01/20/08, 05:57 PM

Well once again things change

I didn't know it but DW was counting on DS to help,that was the only way she was considering letting me have animals.

Well we found a nice Trailer,Furnished,on an acre.For $5,000.Like I told my DS he needs to jump on this.Well he called the Guy,they're trying to work out something.

So we'll wait and see.

big rockpile

YuccaFlatsRanch · #15 01/20/08, 06:42 PM

Problem with AI and only one cow is knowing for sure when she is in season. Having a second cow or a steer helps as the second cow or the steer will mount the cow when she is close to ready. I have been the route of luteylas following a plug, but I found it to be too haphazard to get ol Bossie preggers. Doesn't take much semen and vet visits to afford a steer which you can butcher.

#16 01/21/08, 01:14 PM

Rockpile, one milk cow will give you more then plenty of milk for you and your wife's on purpose. But one way to get rid of all that extra milk is to buy you an extra sucker calf to raise on the side. Unless the cow happens to have twins, then you wouldn't need to purchase an extra sucker calf.

I need to get me a milk cow and just put all my summer camping on hold till all my kids grow up. We go through 2 gallons a week. We would go through more if I would buy more, but at $4.50 a gallon I can't afford more.

Since you brought all this up I'm really thinking of all the benefits of having my own milk cow.