9 Reasons to Buy a Goat for Your Yard

Written by Nina Phillips
Published: November 27, 2023
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PYGMY GOAT

These charming little animals aren’t only funny, but they can actually provide a service for your home better than a pet dog or cat could.

©Paul Moore Photography/iStock via Getty Images

Have you ever thought that there has to be a better way to take care of your yard than a loud, annoying lawnmower? Do you want an animal that helps you out around the house and looks devastatingly cute doing it? Perhaps you want a pet, but a dog or cat just doesn’t sound right for you. A goat may be just what you need. There are plenty of reasons to buy a goat for your yard.

Goats are adorable farm animals. They produce quite a bit of milk, which can then be used to make all sorts of dairy products and self-care products. But other farm animals can do this as well, so what makes a goat special? If you want to learn more about why goats are the best farm animals to get for your home, keep reading below.

1. Minimal Costs

Saving money concept preset by Male hand putting money coin stack growing business

While goats aren’t cheap, they are much less expensive than other farm animals you may consider buying.

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While goats aren’t cheap, they are much more cost-effective than other farm animals. They don’t need as much food, especially if you let them browse, They also don’t need a lot of enrichment or medicine compared to other farm animals. Goats live a long time, so you get quite a benefit for the money.

2. You’ll Have Milk

Fresh cow's milk. On a wooden background.

If you don’t mind the unique taste of goat milk, a goat is a good financial decision.

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Goat’s milk is a great alternative to cow’s milk. Usually, people who can’t drink cow’s milk can drink goat milk without a problem. Plus, raising a goat is a lot easier than raising a cow.

3. Fertilizer

Peat moss, fertilizer soil for organic agriculture, plant growing, ecology concept.

A goat pairs perfectly with a vegetable garden.

©sweet_tomato/Shutterstock.com

Goat manure is an amazing fertilizer. This is great because goats produce quite a bit of it. The fertilizer doesn’t need much time to rot down or cool off, so you can pretty much throw it directly from your goat’s pen into your garden.

4. A Companion Is Always Nice

A playful goat kid jumping around at a English dairy farm in Norfolk

Goats don’t just have to be farm animals, they can be more like pets.

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Goats are quite cute animals. They all have unique personalities that make them a joy to interact with. They are great for those who have poor mental health, and they are sure to make you laugh.

5. If You’re Crafty, Goats Provide a Lot

Pieces of hand-made soap

Goat milk can be used to make all sorts of self-care items.

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Goat milk, in addition to making cheese and milk, can be used for a variety of beauty products. For example, they make excellent soaps. Their milk is also used for lotions.

6. No Need to Mow

A strip of mowed grass

Grazing goats help to keep yards well-maintained.

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Goats aren’t a huge fan of grass and prefer to eat whatever else they can. However, if you have a yard filled with bushes and weeds, goats will happily chow down. This reduces how much you need to mow.

7. They Don’t Need a Lot of Space

Artificial turf creates a natural look in a backyard garden.

Most farm animals need a lot of space and don’t fit easily into a standard yard.

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If you’ve always dreamed of having farm animals, your plan might have been stunted by a small yard. Thankfully, goats don’t need a lot of space. Generally, around 16 square feet per goat is more than enough. This provides them with a place to sleep, eat, and explore.

8. Goats Can Help You Start a Business

Packing, Box - Container, Equipment, Adhesive Tape, Mover

Want to start your own business? Hire a goat!

©iStock.com/Andrey Deryabin

Because goats offer so much, they make great business partners. Take them around and offer them as a part of petting zoos and goat yoga. When you’re at home, sell off their milk. You can also sell off cheese, yogurts, soaps, lotions, and yarn that you make from your little goats.

9. They Provide Meat

Fresh goat meat from the farm

If you want to have a farm animal so that you can raise it for meat, then goats are a good option.

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Goats, in addition to producing milk, leather, and yarn, also produce meat. You can benefit from goats all the while they are alive. When they reach maturity, you can also harvest them and benefit from the leather and the meat they offer.

Summary of the Reasons to Buy a Goat for Your Yard

List NumberBenefit of Goats
1Low cost
2Produce milk
3Provides fertilizer
4A companion
5Create self-care items
6Less mowing
7Don’t need a lot of space
8Start a business
9Produce meat

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Sviatlana Lazarenka/ via Getty Images


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About the Author

Nina is a writer at A-Z Animals, FIDIS Travel, and Giant Freakin Robot. Her focus is on wildlife, national parks, and the environment. She has been writing about animals for over three years. Nina holds a Bachelor's in Conservation Biology, which she uses when talking about animals and their natural habitats. In her free time, Nina also enjoys working on writing her novels and short stories. As a resident of Colorado, Nina enjoys getting out in nature, traveling, and watching snow hit the mountains from her enclosed porch.

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