Dairy 101

Dairy Cattle Various breeds of cattle are used most commonly for milk production on both large scale and family farms. The most popular dairy cattle breeds in the United States are Raw milk is demonized by the government but on family farms as long as your are making sure you clean your cattle when milking them, your raw milk is safe to consume. Pasteurized milk is missing a lot of key nutrients that got burned off during treatment. Creating space for dairy cattle on your homestead requires quite a bit of space. Think room to roam and graze, a three walled shelter or barn and place to eat/drink.

Dairy Goats

Using dairy goats for your homesteads milk production may be space saver since they are smaller and require a bit less space than cattle. Common breeds include Alpine, Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian and Sanaan. Creating a space for dairy goats on your homestead means building a shelter with a slanted roof. A three walled shelter is sufficient even for wintery locations. Plans for shelters and milking stations can be found all over Pinterest and Google so find what fits your land.