Nostr Web Client

1. the smaller the animal, the more efficiently they convert sunlight to meat (rabbits are the most efficient human regularly consume)

2. they can survive off of margin land, whereas cattle need straight grass

3. goats would be optimal, but are impossible to train to a 1 wire rotational grazing system. They need at least 2 and most likely 3/netting

4. most ewes have twins and triplets are even possible.

5. taste way better

6. If you live in a wet climate, they're lighter and won't pug up the ground. Which also means you can graze riparian buffers more frequently.

7. Highly unlikely to get injured by a ram.

Don't get me wrong, cattle and beef have their place in our system, but there is a reason lamb and goat consumption used to be way higher in the US before subsidized agriculture.

AU9913 1y ago

Some thoughts, if you've not eaten lamb lately, here's your sign.

nostr:nevent1qqsv9mhyhxfx7gug5jjhaa3gs5ep0cnhky0e0yjuhq23jglg4l2njfspr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmqzyrts65qfz5ztnyk3swyz9teyt40kkwskhqkez7kt0yjvaas76jkwuqcyqqqqqqgej0g8h

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Flemingfarm 1y ago

I raise sheep for all these reasons plus lamb tastes devine. Goats suck all around as they climb on everything and don't taste the best. Sheep stay in my field fencing really easily.

FiddleHodlHomestead 1y ago

Thanks, Auggie! this is very helpful.

We have a few goats and 2 cows, and we're starting to think about the next steps. Adding sheep to graze with the cows probably makes the most sense, and if it weren't for the anticipation of milk from the cow (she's not pregnant yet) we might consider only sheep.

Pugging from cows is indeed an issue for us, and those few days that they're cranky and get out of the fencing, their size makes things much more challenging.

For our goats - they're amazing at clearing brush and we have given up on fencing them. Each gets its own stake and tether, and that works pretty well. We haven't butchered on yet but I'm assuming that wethers probably have less of the gamey taste that people associate with goat.

AU9913 1y ago

What kinda fence do you use to rotate your cows? Also nostr:npub1f5pre6wl6ad87vr4hr5wppqq30sh58m4p33mthnjreh03qadcajs7gwt3z milks his sheep, apparently it's sweeter than cows milk.

How are you using the goats on a tether to clear brush? Don't they get tangled?

FiddleHodlHomestead 1y ago

We use one or two strands of electric wire (solar powered) for the cows.

I actually love sheep milk cheeses, so I could be persuaded! Also our land is extremely hilly. I do'nt know the angle, but our pasture is quite steep. The cows are navigating it pretty well, but it's probably somewhat more suited to sheep.

In any case, right now we have a heifer and are borrowing a bull to get things started for her, so we're committed to cows for the time being.

The goats: it's only 3 (well, four because we had a little one born this week 💕) so they each get their own stake and tether. It seems like a lot of work to me but it's in my husband's daily rhythm and he enjoys it.

AU9913 1y ago

My land is hilly too, that's why I went with sheep when I moved here even though I wanted cows more.

Do the goats not get tangled in the brush on their tether?

FiddleHodlHomestead 1y ago

occasionally they wrap themselves around their stake but it's not usually a big problem. The brush that they're in isn't that intense, though. It was probably bush-hogged just before we got the land about 2 years ago.