# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Livestock and Animal Husbandry >  Words of wisdom!

## Wildthang

I read this, and I don't know who wrote it! 1) you can feed 11 goats for what 1 cow will eat, you have to breed that 

cow in order for her to give milk, that takes a bull. Thats 22 goats that give 2 gallons of milk a day, thats 44 gallons of milk a 

day vs 4 gallons a day. Not very land savvy and why other countries rely on sheep and goats for milk and cheese not cows. 

Cattle are luxury items if you can afford them. Pigs.. REALLY! sure if you have strong fences and want everything you own torn 

up. Not to mention they are hard to reproduce. Sows lay on their pigs and kill them with out care, thats why wild pigs are not 

seen with 16 pigglets they are seen with 2-5, they killed the others. Again, pretty expensive for the feed and total time suckers. 

Horses. Goats can do the draft work of ponies and allot of fire wood hauled in or garden space plowed. Horses eat allot, they 

drink allot, they tear down allot, and they injure people.. allot. Im an old cowboy and I swear by my horse IF and only IF and 

when there is a reason for one. On a farm stead, is not the reason. Yes cows give milk, pigs are meat and fat, horses are 

transportation, but.. at what cost? Then.. he talks about rabbits. Yes rabbits are good protein but have no viable fat, also they 

eat like pigs and have worms, so you can't butcher them unless its below freezing out side or you will get sick and die if they 

have ever been on the ground, or have eaten anything like grass from the ground. Im assuming under these conditions you 

won't be buying pre made rabbit food. Goats are milk cheese, meat, draft animals and hide. Sheep are wool ( water proof and 

fire resistant clothing that is super warm) meat, cheese and yogurt. Poultry can open graze, you can't go wrong. Keep in mind 

Turkeys will eat baby rabbits and other small animals, as will some breeds of ducks and geese. Muscovy ducks taste just like fine 

beef. All poultry are expensive to feed in the winter unless they run with the sheep and eat their poop. Sorry to go on like this, 

but not everything about farming, was written by people that actually farm, or have even owned animals. Sad to say, but true.

http://homesteadingandprepping.com/l...k-for-preppers

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## BENESSE

Just go vegan, and don't worry about it.  :Winkiss:

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## hunter63

> Just go vegan, and don't worry about it.


Almost sounds like a good idea....But.

Just make me wonder,.... why and how we went down the meat eating road, for as long as there has been recorded history?

Must be a better reason than an ideal?

WT, I'll have seen a version of this before,.... have to look around.....of course I have been a "Homesteader" before I was a "Prepper", before I was a "survivalist".....So looking back may have read it..........Still a good read.

I think now I am retired.

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## Rick

There's probably a list for retired too. After my nap I'll look for one.

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## Camp10

The author of that really had a thing for goats!  I kind of disagree with the ratio of goats to cow though... Goats don't really "pasture" so it would take many acres to produce food for them.  They are super efficient at making milk as long as they are freshened. That means owning a stinky, food sucking buck who only gets used once a year. I've yet to die from eating a rabbit that has touched the ground.  I guess like most things, there is no one correct answer for everyone, everywhere.

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## dallas06

Goats will drive you crazy quicker than cows.  If you have field fence they will get their heads stuck.  If you plant new tree saplings, they will make it their obsession to kill them.  Leave your truck unmanned,  they will climb on it.  The nasty smelly buck will try to breed everything.   This article is like the one where geese will only eat weeds and bugs if let into the garden.  I will stay with cows.

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## Wildthang

Well all I know is that if the world was in a food crisis, and I had to raise livestock, it would be chickens and goats! The are cheap to feed and produce a lot of edibles. Most peoples wives drive them crazy but they keep them anyway so why not goats :Scared:

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## backpacker3

Me and my family have been raising rabbits for years and I can tell you the worms thing isn't true ours live in raised hutches but they get grass and dandelion leaves all the time in the summer not a lot though because too much greens will kill domesticated rabbits. We raised goats and honestly if you want to have a super efficient way of clearing land get goats and sheep. Let's say according to the first post 10 females of each and 1 male each. The goats will clear anything up high and the sheep eat anything that falls and is low to the ground. Yes you do have the stinky buck to deal with but I'll take the smell over dealing with a bull cow any day. If a ram or buck try's to kill me I worst case scenario I get a good bruise if I don't see him coming if I do then I can knock him down/out of the way, a bull try's to kill me it'll kill me. I have absolutely no desire to deal will a thousand pound bull on a daily basis.

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## dallas06

Pot belly pigs are easy keepers.  Once you get one, you will be amazed how often people offer to give bbq size pigs that didn't quite make the ideal indoor pet.  Much easier to keep free range because of their size.  I sell extra piglets and always offer to trade bigger pigs that aren't cute or cuddly anymore for little ones.  They aren't aggressive,  don't need vet care or a special diet, are very prolific, aren't destructive.   The same people that are horrified that you eat them probably don't want you to eat rabbits either.

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## RandyRhoads

Good stuff but wtf about rabbits? That seemed uh, ridiculous?

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## Rick

Okay, Dallas, now that was funny. I can just picture some neighbor offering you their beloved pot bellied pig only to be invited to an outdoor BBQ some weeks later. While chowing down on pork BBQ they look around and then ask, "say, where's Petunia? Inside?". Of course you just smile. "Inside someone".

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## hunter63

> Okay, Dallas, now that was funny. I can just picture some neighbor offering you their beloved pot bellied pig only to be invited to an outdoor BBQ some weeks later. While chowing down on pork BBQ they look around and then ask, "say, where's Petunia? Inside?". Of course you just smile. "Inside someone".


That is funny.......but I can recall a worker coming in my office at the factory, asking to use the phone...(before cell phones) calling about an ad in the paper...pet section, for a pot bellied pig....he asked the lady how much it weighed.....Bhohahaha.

Maybe you had to be there but still is funny.........

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## Wildthang

> Pot belly pigs are easy keepers.  Once you get one, you will be amazed how often people offer to give bbq size pigs that didn't quite make the ideal indoor pet.  Much easier to keep free range because of their size.  I sell extra piglets and always offer to trade bigger pigs that aren't cute or cuddly anymore for little ones.  They aren't aggressive,  don't need vet care or a special diet, are very prolific, aren't destructive.   The same people that are horrified that you eat them probably don't want you to eat rabbits either.


So, is that where they get baby back ribs?

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## finallyME

> Okay, Dallas, now that was funny. I can just picture some neighbor offering you their beloved pot bellied pig only to be invited to an outdoor BBQ some weeks later. While chowing down on pork BBQ they look around and then ask, "say, where's Petunia? Inside?". Of course you just smile. "Inside someone".

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## hunter63

Now that's funny I don't care who you are....

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## Rick

Buhahahahaha! Pork is in the meat section. It doesn't come from pigs!!!

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## crashdive123

I've seen that vid a few times.....makes me laugh every time.

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## hunter63

Just don't buy a live puppy in the market in China.

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## crashdive123

If they have more than three, they are officially called ranchers.

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## Tokwan

Go chicken, less hassle, and u get the eggs too.

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## Tootsiepop254

> Pot belly pigs are easy keepers.  Once you get one, you will be amazed how often people offer to give bbq size pigs that didn't quite make the ideal indoor pet.  Much easier to keep free range because of their size.  I sell extra piglets and always offer to trade bigger pigs that aren't cute or cuddly anymore for little ones.  They aren't aggressive,  don't need vet care or a special diet, are very prolific, aren't destructive.   The same people that are horrified that you eat them probably don't want you to eat rabbits either.


The problem I see with pot bellys is the sheep amount of belly fat. I hear it ruins the bacon.



> I read this, and I don't know who wrote it! 1) you can feed 11 goats for what 1 cow will eat, you have to breed that 
> 
> cow in order for her to give milk, that takes a bull. Thats 22 goats that give 2 gallons of milk a day, thats 44 gallons of milk a 
> 
> day vs 4 gallons a day. Not very land savvy and why other countries rely on sheep and goats for milk and cheese not cows. 
> 
> Cattle are luxury items if you can afford them. Pigs.. REALLY! sure if you have strong fences and want everything you own torn 
> 
> up. Not to mention they are hard to reproduce. Sows lay on their pigs and kill them with out care, thats why wild pigs are not 
> ...



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