I just love goats milk and products - would have some if I lived on a farm (always was my dream or a small holding) instead of a bungalow with an allotment a mile away.

I would love meat goats- I came across some not too far from here the other day and fell in love. But like you have said everyone poopoos goats. I myself think they are charming and if I get my way think thats what will end up here.

The pig is also a good choice since we just picked up a couple of chops the other day and we didn’t like them, again because they had no taste!

I’m no livestock expert, since I’ve only ever raised ducks and chickens for meat, but here are some of my thoughts…

Cow. Takes two years for a calf to reach slaughter weight. Granted, you only have to slaughter every two years, but you also need a chest freezer big enough for a whole cow. That’s a lotta meat! One cow provides something like five gallons of milk A DAY. Can you handle that much milk? Can you sell it or sell something value-added, like cheese or yogurt? Ok, if you decided to go cow, you need to get your cow impregnated. Would you do AI or bring her somewhere to visit with a bull? Would you be able to transport a 800 lb heifer? Or would you keep a bull? What if your cow gave birth to a heifer calf… would you be able to eat a milk animal? Is your land good enough to graze a couple of cows.

Pig. A friend raised a couple of pigs a few years ago, and it was very successful. You can buy piglets for cheap in the spring, then grow them up on slop, and by fall can slaughter a 300-400 lb animal. Pigs don’t graze, but you can use them to till & fertilize a plot that you want to plant in the future. You can also plant things like sugar beets and carrots, and let the pigs root them up and turn the ground. They probably eat some amount of pasture also, because you see “pasture raised pork”, right?

Meat chickens. Really easy, and not much land required. Grows fast… by 8 weeks you have a 4-5 lb bird, dressed.

Lamb/Goat. This is where my preference lies. Small animals that are easier to handle, although harder to keep fenced in. (with cows a single strand of electric is all you need) With sheep, good grass to meat conversion… a lamb born in spring can be raised entirely on grass, and be slaughtered in the fall and dress out at about 50 lbs. We eat one lamb per year that we get from a friend, but I’ve entertained the idea of having my own meat sheep, and selling one or two a year to friends. Some people will tell you that if you knit/spin you should raise sheep for wool, but I think it’s a losing game. It’s nearly impossible to find a shearer for a small flock, and then what do you do with all that wool? Handspinners are very particular about what they’re looking for, and if the animal has any stress in it’s life, it shows up in the fleece in the form of dandruff, broken fibers, etc. I’d be inclined to go with a meat breed that doesn’t need shearing (like Katahdin) or goats.

The other thing I’ve heard is that dual purpose breeds are a myth. You can’t have good fiber and good meat. Or good meat and good milk. One animal can’t do it all. Like with the cows, a Jersey gives fabulous, creamy milk, but a Jersey cow has a really skinny form… no good steaks. A beef steer is going to have lovely, well-marbled steaks, but not be a good milker. It’s all a tradeoff, and it’s good to think about what would work best for your needs.

Sorry this is so long, but I’m fascinated by animal husbandry. I say go for the pig!