Goat

Goats were not as common on the farms as cows and pigs. However, the people who were poor and could not afford a cow could afford a goat as it was cheaper and easier to care for than a cow. That is why goats were sometimes called “the poor man’s cow”.

Goats can live in areas where it is warm and the pasture not so good. Because goats are hardy, they were fed with the poorest quality of hay or moss and straw.

Sheep and goats were kept in the forest and intermediate areas as well as in the archipelago and they were grazed on outlying land and forest pastures. In the archipelago, it was common for the animals to graze freely on the islands in the summer. There have been goats in Sweden for 5,000 years.

Please note that most of the animals are only present from late June to mid August. Only the sheep live at Hägnan all year round.