The property maintenance angle is one of the big things. Lots of hills and slopes, rocks and clay around here. Goats improve the soil tremendously. They actually prefer to eat cactus, weeds and brambles. They leave grass alone to thrive, and they fertilize the soil to boot.

We thought to improve the grounds to support some cattle, but we really enjoy the goats, and may just stick with them. They are extremely cute, and easy for my wife and kids to handle. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed the milk (depends on the breed and the handling of the milk). My wife makes goat cheese.

The kids do enjoy the animals a lot. We made a conscious decision for them to have real animals vs. virtual pets, and I see it paying off. They are taking a real interest, and even doing the veterinarian tasks when I'm not there!

Brian Cotner, M.D.
Family Practice