104
—Lmcwtr Farming, Saturday, October 21,1978
The Friendly family goat, more than just amusement *
By LYNN HERSHE Y
University of Delaware
A person who can look at a
goat without smiling has no
sense of humor as far as I’m
concerned.
Goats are the one farm
animal God surely created
as much for amusement as
for utility. Cows are
ungainly, horses are hand
some, mules are powerful,
sheep are simple-minded,
and chickens are ridiculous,
but for me and a lot of other
people, goats are just plain
funny.
I have been fond of goats
ever since one insisted on
joining our family years ago
when we lived in Mexico.
Chivo was an amiable fellow
with bright friendly eyes, a
cheerful expression, and
large ears that flopped at
right angles to bis head like
drooping awnings. He was
devoted to us and wanted
very much to be a house
goat. The closest he could
come to achieving this was
the back porch, where he
spent as much time as
possible peering in through
the screened door, rubbing
against anyone who hap
pened by, and freely
dispensing little round goat
droppings everywhere. Our
porch always looked as if
someone had just spilled a
sack of coffee beans.
This last distressing habit
caused my mother no end of
frustration. Her efforts at
keeping Chivo off the porch
were heroic but un
successful. Somehow he
always managed to outfox
(or outgoat) her and sneak
bade onto the porch when
she wasn’t looking. To her
he was a useless pest. But to
my brother and me he was
an attentive and affectionate
friend. Who cared if he was
useless? Cocker spaniels
were also useless.
THIMFSW
Economical
Steel Buildings for
Rural And Urban Use
No matter what your agricultural or storage
needs, there’s a Thnf-stor building that’s right for
youi needs Equipment storage Livestock -
building Gram storage Workshop or Garage
Thnf-stor’s strong steel construction is available
m four basic building types, in widths ranging
from 20-60 feet and heights from 8-16 feet
Choose from galvanized or nine beautiful color
finishes too
Manufactured by Mesco, one of the nation’s
leading producers of pre-engineered steel
building systems, Thnf-stor buildings are
professionally designed to provide solid.strength
at maximum savings
So, wherever you need a low
cost, low maintenance, light
duty building, let Thnf-stor
provide the practical, attrac- AwCfO
tive solution Give us a call
~ AUTHORIZED BUILDER
All Styles of Commercial Buildings Also Available.
VERNON MYERS, INC.
STEEL BUILDINGS & GRAIN STORAGE
RD4 Box 845
LEBANON, PA. 17042
PHONE: 717-867-4139
I have since learned that
not all goats are freeloaders
like Chivo. They are a
source not only of
amusement but also of meat
and leather. Furthermore,
Kashmir and angora goats
provide some oLthe finest,
most luxurious wool in the
world.
But most of all, goats
provide milk-sweet,
creamy, delicious enough to
give some cows an in
feriority complex. And the
'talented goats homogenize it
themselves! -The butterfat
will not rise to the top, but
will remain evenly dispersed
throughout the milk.
Many non-farm families
keep a friendly nanny goal
(called a doe) to provide
them with milk. It’s simpler
than keeping a cow. Dr.,
George Haenlein, Delaware
extension dairy specialist,
© h
a
:end...-
ave
eek
nice wi
©
CLASSIFIED
says he gets several calls a
week from people who want
to buy a goat-and for good
reason. An ordinary doe can
provide a gallon of milk a
day, and will likely cost no
more than $BO. (If she has
registration papers she
could cost $200.)
Goatsd are easy to keep,
says Haenlein. They eat
much less than cows, and
doh’t require specialized
feed. They thrive on just
about ' anything-grass,
weeds, bark, branches,
leaves, table scraps, kitchen
leavings.
Their bedding require
ments are minimal. A small
three-sided shelter is all they
need, even in the winter.
They like people, and can be
handled by children.
Also, those neat little
pellets that so annoyed my
mother are a big im
provement over cow
Poultry
Facilities
Livestock
Areas
FARMING IS
A DIRTY BUSINESS.
You can’t farm clean Equipment, livestock areas and
buildings all get dirty And cleaning them is one of the most
unpleasant jobs you have
A Warwick Power Washer from Whale-O-Wash will make
short work of a /hole farm full of cleaning
Rent a professional grade power washer from Whale-
O-Wash for as little as $65 a day and do a month’s worth
of cleaning in a single afternoon
| ATTENTION DAIRYMENII! I
I Since 1960 the number of Dairy Farms has dwindled from 2 I
■ MILLION to LESS THAN 300,000$ Only 15% of the remaining ■
I dairies produce 50% of the milk <5O + milking cows). Can you I
I survive the continuing trend?! I
■ THE NATIONAL FARMERS ORGANIZATION HAS MARKETS ■
■ FOR PRODUCERS IN FEDERAL ORDERS 2 and 4. R
I WE OFFER I
■ • The ONLY NATIONWIDE, ALL COMMODITY, non-profit, ■
H collective bargaining organization for agriculture in the ■
■ world. * HONEST WEIGHTS AND TESTS ■
H * Competitive Pay price Without accurate buttarfat tacts each year, you may ba losing... |
H • GUARANTEED milk check - Backed by Members Dairy I *»» I Pounds of Milk Produced Par bay ' ■
fsrenca ■
Trust and Reserve inrast 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 iQ.ooo ■
H'' •NO PAST DEBTS to later haunt members with assess- 01 $423 $847 $1270 I $1694 $2117 $4234 ■
■ ments-our books are balanced EVERY 30 DAYS. 847 1694 2540 3387 • 4234 8468 ■
■ . WfINFST WFiriHTF AND 1270 2540 3811 5081 6351 12702 H
■ • HONEST WEIGHTS AND TESTS. 04 1694 6m 16936 H
■ •12 Dairy Accounting OFFICES ALL ON COMPUTERIZED 0 5 2117 4234 6351 8488 10585 21170 ■
■ SYSTEM 06 2540 WBl 7621 10162 12702 25404 ■
I * participate in OTHER COMMODITY ° B 7 Jg g“ ,S Sg JS SS I
■ PROGRAMS Ceg.-gram beef, cull cows, hogs, etc.) 0 9 3011 7021 11432 15242 19053 38106 ■
■ • Privilege to purchase DAIRY SUPPLIES AT 30% • 40% 1.0 4234 8468 127Q2 18936 21170 42340 ■
DISCOUNT. buttsrlat bated at 118 dlffarsntial
■ • A chance to join hands with a host of other farm families H
H nationwide in an effort to obtain COST OF PRODUCTION H
■ PLUS A REASONABLE PROFIT I
■ A PROSPEROUS || ■
■ feßßSitie "FARMERS OWN THEIR FOOD FIRST" !; T otoisSdWe i R
■ For Further Informaton Call Collect; ARE SINCERELY I 1 O
I (201) 859-4050 (office) |, DEDICATED! JJ
manure. They cause less
mess, attract fewer flies,
and are excellent fertilizer
for plants.
According to Haenlein, a
single acre of grass can
support up to five goats,
which means many city lots
could suppprt one. That
brings us to zoning laws.
Communities which permit
homeowners to keep a dog or
cat may not look with favor
on a goat. However, you
might be surprised. For
example, California allows
city residents to keep up to
six goats. Only if you keep
seven or more are you
classed as a farmer.
If you’re interested in a
dairy goat, Haenlein
suggests local auctions and
goat breeders as good
sources. Regional farm
publications contain ad
vertisements for dairy
goats. You might even find a
listing in the classified
1
section of the daily fTj y . “
newspaper. And, of course, decide-to get a dairy goat,
the Delaware Cooperative you can expect her to hve
Extension Service is always P* r^ops *9 1J year |‘ sa ,
a source of helpful in- of milk-and a lot of
formation. ' friendship.
Milking
Parlors
Gas or electric povyered 1000 to 2250 psi high pressure 1 '
<vash Steam, disinfectant, solvent or detergent It’s the
easiest, most effective power washer pn the market
RENT A WARWICK POWER WASHER TODAY!
WHALE-O-WASH
1184 Dillerville Rd.
WjL, ' Lancaster, PA 17603
1-717-393-3600
iipment
r*
* A
* r
f
r
, f
w
I* f
»* * .
t n ft
f i
V"