Off the Urban Grid

Raising Goats in the City?

May 2, 2009 – 9:30 pm by Lindsay

raising-urban-goats Goats offer quite a lot. They can clear invasive weeds (they’ll even mow down those Himalayan blackberry bushes that are taking over your yard…), offer fresh goat milk (which can be used to make everything from goat milk soap to goat cheese), and they can be a fun pet. They can also be used for, er, meat, but let’s not go there in those post.

Goats can be quite a bit of work too, but many city dwellers are finding that raising urban goats is quite rewarding.

Before you get too excited at the idea, however, you’ll want to check with your city and county and see what the regulations are. In some places, goats can be raised in the city, and in others, they can only be raised in the country on acreage.

If raising goats is allowed where you live, here are a few resources that can give you more information and help you decide if this is an animal you want to keep:

Goats 4H – Lots of articles that include information on the cost of raising goats, health care, feeding, etc.
Goats as Pets — Just what it sounds like–find out what goats are (and aren’t) like as pets.
Trials & Tribulations of Backyard Goats — A cute read with some insight into goat-keeping moments.
Naughty Goat Rescue — Check out the article on goat care for information on their needs, requirements, and quirks. Also it debunks some myths… goats don’t eat tin cans after all!

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