Contrary to popular belief.. goats will NOT eat everything they see. They will not eat tin cans, or rocks, or old shoes. Like any other grazing animal they eat the things they like first and then move onto the next item that provides nourishment. Most domesticated goats won't even eat anything off the ground unless its REALLY tasty! Our goats used to like to eat tree bark, but that was about the strangest item they ever found to eat. They really liked the tree bark for some reason but we had to put a stop to it because it was killing the pine trees as well as making the milk taste awful. They also loved my dad's lilac trees much to his dismay, but rarely ever got out of their pen to indulge themselves.

Nubian Goat Milk
Goats milk, and particularly Nubian goats milk is very very healthy for you. Many claim the higher fat content makes it bad for you though and it has given goats milk a bad name. It is true that the fat content is higher but our bodies have a much easier time breaking down the fat than that of the highly processed and modified commercially available cows milk. In fact I would venture to say that unpasteurized goats milk is some of the healthiest sources of nourishment available today. Its loaded with powerful probiotics and enzymes that help your digestive track in many ways similar to pro biotic yogurt. It's not recommended that you switch to pasteurized milk 100% right off the bat though. If you've not been raised on it like me and many many others your system may have a hard time coping with all the new bacteria. While that bacteria can be good for you if your body perceives it as a threat because you've followed a completely sterile diet you will likely get sick from it for a while. It could be simple indigestion or full blown food poisoning like symptoms. The latter being quite rare.

Goat Cheese and Other Dairy Products
Goat cheese and ice cream also make excellent supplements to your diet. Most goat cheese is a lot like feta but just like other dairy products can be processed a variety of ways to achieve different flavors and consistency. I've never been a big fan of the cheese but the ice cream is nearly indistinguishable from normal cows milk based ice cream and very tasty!

What Nubians Have to Offer you!
If you've got the room on your property and have been looking for a new hobby or even a pet, Nubian goats make a great choice. Nubians in particular are very affectionate with people and enjoy our company greatly. They are very intelligent and are relatively easy to look after. Much like children they are quiet until they want or need something. Like any animal they settle into a schedule so if you're late with your feedings or milking they will let you know vocally. I HIGHLY suggest getting a goat for your own personal milk production. One goat is enough for up to 3 people and any excess can be given away or sold very easily. It's not spoken of much but there is a very large following for goats milk here in Canada at least. Next time you're in the grocery store take a look at the row in the coolers with the goat milk in it. You won't find any old jugs, and you certainly won't find an overstock. It's not because they under-stock it either. There are countless times now that I've gone out to buy goats milk and they've been completely sold out. Its good stuff!

Also worth noting is that if you where to try cows milk and goats milk at the same time while blindfolded the tastes would not be too far off.. similar to 1% vs 2% milk because of the higher fat content in the goat milk. Most people don't like it right off the bat just because its "different" as if they were 8 years old trying out new vegetables or something. The difference truly is negligible... especially so with store bought milk because its so processed.

I've always thought Nubian goats where the cutest of the bunch too... well perhaps except for Pigmy's but they are so small they can't produce milk in sufficient quantities. With such interesting personalities and intelligence they'll never fail to make you smile. On our hobby farm we had people that would come and visit the goats on a regular basis. They'd feed them apples and watch them play on the rocks and head butt each other. The babies where especially cute and would put on a funny little show for anyone that was watching.

So, if you've got the real estate consider getting some goats. For more information check out my Nubian Goat Blog. The upkeep is minimal and not very expensive. The companionship and personality of your new friend will be the best thing you can do for yourself.

Nubians are a resillient breed. They can withstand temperatures down to -15 C with an open faced shelter. With an enclosed shelter and multiple goats you will not have to worry about the temperature at all.

If you're concerned about the taste of the milk they produce and want it to be the best possible, you'll want to feed them the best food possible. This means good quality, well kept alfalfa and a decent grain. While these two item's are usually expensive for farmers and the like, they won't be too bad for you since the volume you'll need is far less than any kind of diary farm. Lastly, Good grain isn't too hard to find just ask around.

Make sure they have a fenced in area safe from preditors. It keeps them from getting into trouble, and it keeps the trouble from getting to them! Nubians like to scratch themselves on the fence posts and wires so make sure its sturdy! 4x4 posts are a good start.

When it comes to feeding grain, go easy on them unless they're milking. They LOVE the grain and will eat it untill they explode! Cut them off if you think they're eating more than they need.

Other little treats goats love and will do anything for are raspberry seeds and leftovers from jam making. Spread it over a screen as a paste and allow to dry for several days. This is goat crack so look out! I also remember my Dad would collect Alder tree clippings and dry them. Our Nubians would go crazy for these just as much as the dried raspberry paste.

Make sure the Goats have a trough to eat out of. As mentioned earlier they're actually picky about their food and will not usually eat anything off the ground.