The Best Livestock For Beginners

Wondering what livestock you should get for raw milk?

After having a milk cow and a milk goat this is my pros and cons list for each and what might be right for you when starting your own homestead.

These are all based on my personal experience with both animals. I was initially steered away from goats because of how they are escape artists and a lot of cow-people DID NOT like goats. If you’re wondering what is right for you, don’t ask a cow person for their opinion on goats LOL. After having both, I MUCH prefer goats.

My cow was giving me 3-6 gallons of milk a day. I didn’t want to sell it, so I had a lot on my hands and it was difficult to deal with at times. Whereas, my 1 Nigerian dwarf goat is giving me about 3 cups a day and it is perfect. Of course, you would want to adjust for your family.

People despise goats because they get out and cause a mess and will eat your shrubs and trees. If you have good fencing, this isn’t a problem. My dairy cow actually escaped so much and didn’t mind electric fencing. Wrangling a cow is more difficult than wrangling a goat in my opinion, lol.

Goats, in my experience, are so much cleaner at the milk stand. Cows will go to the restroom while milking and it is a gross disaster. Goats generally don’t and if they do, it is wayyyyyy easier to clean than a cow pie.

What’s your preference?