Goats are independent, rugged animals with tenacious and capricious personalities. Often denigrated as inferior livestock when compared to more productive Cows, or more easily managed Sheep. Though often  blamed for deforestation and desertification, The Goats value was exploited by ancient people to produce protein; milk and meat, from unpalatable lands overgrazed for thousands of years by equine and bovine species. These larger and more selective species consumed the softer grasses and herbs, and compacted the soils on lands often deforested by the harvest of timber and fuel. The ability of Goats to to survive and thrive on forage unpalatable to other livestock, and their profound fecundity, made them,  the most valuable human companions, and besides Dogs, the earliest domesticated animal.

Goats enabled colonization of the wilderness, and are the last to abandon the deserts that we create, friend to first pioneers and last survivors alike. Surefooted and lightweight, goats can traverse any terrain with little impact, and can even be trained as pack animals.  Properly managed, Goats are no more destructive than any other animal. That management is not difficult. A commitment, and attention to detail is crucial. The practice of Goat herding may be a rare art in this country, but the world over is an essential occupation, often filled by children. Bonding with animals, integrating the universal need of socialization, with a valuable awareness of nature, makes for a cohesive culture, and an opportunity for sustainable livelihood.

Introduced to goats by my Grandparents, who lived on a small acreage in San Jose, California.

I remember milking the goats, & enjoying the fresh warm milk when I was very young.

           Goat boy origins, with uncle Tim, baby horse, & family friend, Billie, with kid Goat.

                  

Beginnings:

As a teenager, with an interest in food and nutrition, I found a small book on cheese making and was intrigued, as much by the content, as the form of the book; a heartfelt labor of love, illustrated with simple woodcuts. It seemed ridiculous to start with supermarket milk, so I filed away my desire to produce cheese, wondering if I would ever be able to produce the milk required.

Only after beginning our homestead experience was this a viable option. Recognizing the scope of the responsibility involved with animal husbandry, it felt like an overwhelming goal. How would we integrate this into the lifestyle we led? The answer was obvious- just get started; Prepare, plan, learn, and do! The experience itself would dictate what was required, and  priorities would become self defining.

Our journey to Goats began by collecting as many books we could find on Goats. Our research revealed that there are many styles of Goat husbandry, those that depend on the needs and motivations of the Goat keeper, and also, simple universal standards based on the actual requirements of the animals. This is the basic nature of domestic livestock; balancing the needs of beast, with the needs of their keepers. We learned all we could about the details of feeding, the ideals of housing & the prospects of pregnancies & milk production.

Determined to do it right, we decided the first thing we needed was a barn. A majority of the wood used for construction was salvaged from an old building at the site of an old stud mill, in the valley below us. The walls had been built by nailing studs face to face for a thick heavy wall, with plenty of vertical grain. The termites loved it. by the time it was dismantled, the usable wood; roof rafters, roof planking, & ceiling, combined with odds and ends from other demolitions, turned out to be just enough for the scaled down classic dairy barn I designed. The barn was designed to house 6 goats comfortably, store around 2 tons of hay in the loft above, and includes a small milking parlor. All confined to a 12”x16” footprint.              

   2 of our first 3 Goats: Pickles & Ginger,                  Loading Hay. 

   With Pickles first kids:

   Gene Kelley, Donald O’Conner,

   & behind Ginger, Isadora Duncan

   GOATS PART 1                   GOATS PART 3                          © 2012 Joshua Golden/Partners in time