Cow or goat??

[rondam24]

This actually belongs in two forums - this one and the goat one.

We know we want a dairy animal. We've done a lot of research but we can't decide if we should get 2 does or one Dexter cow.

We know that the goats are cheaper - 2 doe kids are about 1/3 the price of a Dexter heifer.

Goat Pros:
- 1/3 the price
- More readily available
- Easy to keep clean/better poops

Goat Cons:
- Notorious escape artists
- What the heck do ya do with all those kids?? We couldn't eat them. :/

Dexter Pros:
- Can make butter
- Easier to contain
- Only one or two babies, and we eat beef

Dexter Cons:
- Harder to find in upstate NY
- Messy poops/ harder to keep clean


So for you people with experience: do you have anything to add? What made you choose one or the other?

It's much appreciated!

 

[The Egg Bandit]

You can make butter with goat's milk. And they like browse as well as grass. And if you get Nigerians, they are easy to contain, have a higher milk solid and fat ratio than most other lactating mammals. Nummy stuff.

 

[freemotion]

Goat pros:

Ease of getting the animals bred each year and vet bill potential are two more factors!

Sell the kids, even as bottle babies.

I haven't had an escape in a while....couple of years....oops, now that I said that.....

Cheap, cheap, cheap to feed and house and much less pasture needed.

Cow pros....

More butter. You can make butter with goat's milk, but it will be a rare treat, not the butter for your family. More familiar cheeses, as in taste and texture. And, as you said, beef.

BTW, I've had cow hoof prints in my yard.....I don't have a cow....

 

[ksalvagno]

The 2 biggest factors are how much pasture you have and how much money you can spend on the animal. Hay and feed aren't cheap and you want to get quality stuff no matter which animal you choose.

 

[rondam24]

Thanks to all.

We have considered Nigerian Dwarf goats because their milk has a high fat content but its been difficult finding some nearby.(upstate NY) The same is true of the dexters-can't seem to find any. Well, I did find a breeder about 1 1/2 hours away but he hasn't been very responsive to my questions so that has been discouraging.

There's quite a few unregistered alpines around and most of the cows are holsteins (too big). Realistically I guess my choices will be limited to what's available locally.

We have 3 acres of old field that has quite a variety of grasses with some goldenrod, briars and a few small pine trees mixed in. The field hasn't been cultivated for 20 years or so. I know that goats would love the briars but am unsure if they would eat the grass. Would a dexter do ok on our field?

I'll have to look into the price oy hay. Yes, money is a factor. We spend about $1500 a year on dairy products at the grocery store!

Cow prints on the lawn? One summer morning, we woke to see a small herd of huge holsteins grazing contentedly on our lawn. They had travelled half a mile to come trample our grass! Thanks for the reminder that cows escape too!

 

[haviris]

I have both, nigerians and a recently added nubian, and a jersey cow. I love them both! The goat poop is definately cleaner, but the goats are bigger pests and harder to fence, and at times when I let them free range I have to hunt them up at milking time. The cow needs more space, getting her bred is a bigger ordeal (if I want to breed her to a dairy bull, I have access to a beef bull). but she's always ready to be milked, knows her name and comes running when called.

They each have their pros and cons, I'm not giving up either one!