LIVESTOCK NEEDS AND ANALYSIS

By Jeremy Martin

GOATS• NEEDS – Water, Hay, Grain feed, Shelter, Medications

• YIELDS- Raw Milk (2-4 cups daily from each lactating Doe)

• HABITAT-Goats naturally live in rugged mountain or desert habitats. They are strong and skillful climbers and jumpers. Like other bovids, goats have a digestive system that enables them to survive on rough, low-quality plant material such as leaves and grasses. Goats can eat a wide variety of foods

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Goat Physical Characteristics There are numerous domestic goat breeds available around the world. On an average, domestic goat can weights around 15 kg to 130 kg depending on the breeds. Coat color vary depending on the breeds. Usually most common colors in domestic goats include black, brown, red, tan and white. Some goats also have several different colors in their body. Most of the domestic goats have horns and beards. Usually male goats tend to be larger than the female http://www.roysfarm.com/goat-characteristics/ Behavior in goats is similar to that in sheep, and horns also play a major factor in caprine social rankings. Goats also hide early in life but, unlike cows, spend more time away from the nannies for the first 6 wk than for the next 6 wk. The nanny initiates early approaches, and the kid initiates the later ones. Sexual behavior of goats differs slightly from that of sheep. Billy goats throw their head up in the air and ventroflex their neck when they ejaculate. They also frequently urinate on their front legs, which they then rub on the doe as part of the courtship ritual. The scent of female urine is important and is transported into the vomeronasal organ during flehmen. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/behavior/normal-social-behavior-and-behavioral-problems-of-domestic-animals/social-behavior-of-goats

CHICKENS• NEEDS – Water, Shelter, Scratch grains

• YIELDS- 6-8 Farm Fresh Eggs daily

• HABITAT- In the wild, chickens move between two primary habitat types -- their feeding areas, which typically feature an ample shrub layer and open canopy, and their roosting areas, which they use at night. Wild jungle fowl and their relatives usually roost in the lower branches of trees, which provides them some protection from predators and partially shields them from the elements.

https://www.cuteness.com/article/natural-habitat-chickens

• Physical Characteristics When the birds are about 3 months old, their feathers will begin to develop, providing clues about the makeup of the flock. The saddle feathers, at the front of the tail, will be long and pointy on a cockerel and the pullet's will be rounded. As the cockerel grows into a rooster, some tail feathers will become long and curving. Both roosters and hens have wattles -- the red, fleshy growths hanging from their beaks -- and combs, the growths on top of their heads. Roosters tend to have larger wattles and combs than hens. Both can have spurs on their legs, but if hens have them, they're smaller than the roosters' spurs.• Behavior Rulers of the roost, the males tend to be bolder and friendlier to people when they're youngsters. That often changes as the chickens age, with hens warming up to others as roosters become more aloof as they grow older. All chickens may fight, but roosters are more violent in their conflict. When it's time to mate, roosters will do a mating dance for the hens, dropping a wing and dancing in a circle. http://animals.mom.me/characteristics-rooster-vs-hen-7813.html

GOATSGoats work out best for the ol’ dirty farm because they provide us with Raw Milk to drink, to pair with other foods, make cheeses, butter and even soap. Through breeding they will provide us with more Doe’s to produce Milk more males that will in turn help eat brush from the forested areas of our homestead and even the occasional kid to sell to other interested herdsman. We are able to manage their manure by putting it directly into grow beds and compost. We also take our Goats to American Dairy Goat Association shows where we have the opportunity to win cash prizes and expand knowledge of our herd