Epic Farm Battle: Goats vs. Cows
Updated: Oct 22, 2020
Is there really a comparison between goats and cows? They're both pretty awesome. I might just be really love agriculture but I'm always up for discussing the pros and cons of goats vs. cows. If you're considering adding one or both of these to your farm here are a few things to weigh.
Goats Pros & Cons
People love goats. They're friendly, humorous and fun to be around. Just don't let them get bored.
The Good:
Easy to manage and train (depending on the goat)
Don't need that much space
Meat, cheese (chèvre!), hide, wool (depending on the species)
Smaller and easier to transport
They eat weeds
The Bad:
With any milk animal you have to keep breeding them
Less milk than cows and hardly any cream
You may need to purchase electric fencing
Cows Pros & Cons
There are many reasons many people love owning cows. Some of the reasons are; saving money, exercise, health, and self sufficiency. Also, some types of cows are more friendly and easier to keep than others. But having a cow isn't right for everyone so here are some things to look at when thinking about a cow.
The Good:
All the milk you can handle-and extra for friends, neighbors or other animals.
Meat, cheese, cream, butter, yogurt, hide
More manure - depending on how you look at this it could be a con as well
They aren't picky about what they eat
The Bad:
Need more space about 2-3 acres per cow.
They eat more you may have to supplement hay
Hard to transport
Depending on where you live finding a bull might be challenging. Using artificial insemination might be a way around this but that requires training and equipment.
A larger animal and can be harder to manage
You'll need a milking stand & the right cow personality/training to be milked
Well, which one do you think wins? I believe it all comes down to personal preference. I just want a few of both!
What are your thoughts? Which is your favorite? We'd love to hear from you.
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