Читать книгу Raising Goats For Dummies - Cheryl K. Smith - Страница 18

A number of studies have shown a positive correlation between living on a farm and not having allergies or asthma. One study goes even further, showing a likely benefit of raising goats for their milk.

A 2017 study of farmers and their spouses in the United States looked at correlation between a tendency to develop allergies and exposures to a farming environment (including early childhood farm animal contact and raw milk consumption). The results backed up earlier studies from Europe showing a decreased tendency to develop allergies when in a farming environment. This was especially true in cases where their mothers had performed farm activities while pregnant, as well as when they drank raw milk and were exposed to farm animals before the age of 6.

Goat meat is easily digestible, tasty, and low in fat. If you’re in charge of your own source of meat, you know how the animal was raised and what feed or medications went into the animal.

Meat goat farming provides a great opportunity to start a business or supplement your income. You can raise goats that are bred for meat, or you can use your excess dairy bucks (males) or wethers (bucks that have been castrated) as an alternative to buying meat or to provide income to support your herd. Before you jump into a meat-goat enterprise thinking that you’re going to get rich, you need to investigate a few things:

 Check out the market for goat meat in the area of the country where you live. Contact your extension office for assistance, go to the local livestock auction to see how well and for what price meat goats are selling, and read the local agriculture newspaper or other publications to see what they have to say about raising and marketing meat goats.

 Learn about stocking (the number of animals you can support without overcrowding or overgrazing), how many goats you can stock on your property, and how that might break down in terms of income.

 Determine what kind of meat goats are available and for what price.

 Consider slaughter options. Would you slaughter goats yourself, sell them at auction, have a mobile slaughter provider come out, or transport your goats to a slaughterhouse? Do you have a vehicle to transport goats? Is there a USDA-certified slaughter facility nearby that handles goats? Factors affecting this decision include laws governing slaughter as well as the local market, your capabilities, and financial considerations.

I talk in much more detail about raising goats for meat in Chapter 16.