Pro-Goat Argument 4: Goats are space-efficient food producers

Goats do not require much space, so they can be kept even on small properties. 

After gathering information from a pile of books on goat keeping, I average all their numbers and found that each goat needs 10 to 25 square feet per goat (depending on size) of sheltered area. In addition, an outdoor exercise area of at least 130 to 200 square feet should be provided.  200 square feet is about the size of two regular parking spaces. As you can see, goats are quite "compact" animals.

The smallest lots in the Lansing area usually at least one tenth of an acre or ~4,356 square feet. Of course, some of this square-footage is taken up by the house, garage, driveway, front yard, etc. After taking into account any setback guidelines that may be imposed (guidelines to regulate how close the goats can be kept to neighboring property lines and homes), there still may be plenty of space leftover in a small backyard to keep a few goats (and plenty of space if you have a larger backyard).