During April, I'll be posting daily in the A-Z Blogging ChallengeMy theme is the Hunzas
Today is G....... for Goats
Goats provide a vital food source for the Hunza People. Goats are sure-footed animals and lend well to the steep rocky mountains. Not being picky eaters, they are browsers and sample a little of this, a little of that as they walk along a mountain incline.
The goats pictured above are angora goats . Their wool can be spun into a strong, warm yarn that is marvelous for knitting caps and mittens for a cold mountain climate.The goat milk is made into yoghurt and butter or just served as a drink with their meals. Goat milk is high in silica and makes glorious shiny hair and strong bones and teeth.
Every Hunza family is fortunate to have a small herd of goats.
Below is a short video of Hunza kids playing with a wild Ibex goat.
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We saw a clip on the Animal Planet the other day (I think that's where it was, anyway) showing a woman playing with a goat. She'd jump and the goat would jump ... until they were frolicking, and "dancing" all over the place. Really neat, but then the narrator pointed out that the jumping was natural behavior for the goat, so it was more an example of the woman imitating the goat than training him. Our neighbor had a pair of goats when I was a kid. (heh) My mother hated those things, because they were forever coming over to our yard and eating everything out of her garden. (But I'll never tell if my brother and I had anything to do with luring those smelly cuties into our yard in the first place ...) Happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting post.Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've never had goat milk or meat, just never had access.
I wish you a Happy Easter Manzanita.
Goat milk does not sound very appetizing at all to Pat or the cat. But amazing how they are used for so much to help them survive.
ReplyDeleteGoats are very practical, but funny animals. I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month.
ReplyDeleteI always thought goats were much smaller than that. I'm such a townie!
ReplyDeleteShiny hair and strong bones and teeth.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's not just the goats, right?
Susan I imagine you and your brother had fun with the goats. Kids and goats go well together. Goats love to frolic and ditto kidlets.
ReplyDeleteAnthony : Try it if you have a chance. The milk is better than cows milk. The meat is good too, but I don't like to think of goat meat because goats are like a pet on our ranch.
Pat : I thought cats always asked for a saucer of milk. ... When it's for a cat, why do people typically say saucer. Why not dish or bowl or plate?
Sharkbyte : That is very ambitious of you to read all the blogs. good luck.
Rosalind : The black goat in the picture is an angora goat. They appear skinnier after being sheared.
Al : He...As I think about it, the goats should have the shiny hair too. Strong bones and teeth, too.
Goats! Hmmmm I guess living where they live, goats would be the animal to raise.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried goats milk. I have heard how healthy it is for us though. I just don't know if I could drink it if someone told me it was goats milk.
Terry.... Honest.... it's better tasting than cows milk. BY FAR. I used to milk my Nubian goat every morning and watched the sun come up. So beautiful and relaxing, you can't imagine. I always drank a warm glass of milk every morning. I can't tolerate cows milk but the goats milk was waaay easier to digest. Someone made me a little portable milking stall. I usually preferred to milk outdoors so I'd move it out of the barn and milk. That goat was almost human. We have so many funny stories to tell about "life with a goat."
ReplyDeleteBut then, I also raised Angora goats for their wool. I didn't milk then. I had about 40. We did all our own vet work. We'd get the whole family together and each person had their specific job. The angora were bigger goats so we needed more people for them. My nubian wasn't very big so I could pick her up. Twas fun.
I love goats - of any kind! I was just recently on a relative's farm, and spent a lot of time with the goats there - and it was there that I found out that goats in Canada can climb trees!
ReplyDeleteDif-tor heh smusma
- T'Laina (vibrant-oxymoron.blogspot.com)