Learn to raise goats and start reaping the benefits of owning these fun and useful animals Raising goats is a major part of human life (and survival) around the world. The movement has increased in popularity in recent years as consumers embrace a more sustainable lifestyle, reject commercialism, move to organic food options, and raise concerns about industrial agriculture practices. Raising Goats For Dummies provides you with an introduction to all aspects of owning, caring for, and the day-to-day benefits of raising goats. Breaks down the complicated process of choosing and purchasing the right goat breed to meet your needs and getting facilities for your goat set up. Provides in-depth information on proper grooming, handling, feeding, and milking Covers the basics of goat health and nutrition Offers tips and advice for using your goat to produce milk, meat, fiber, and more You'll quickly understand what makes these useful and delightful creatures so popular and gain the knowledge and skills to properly care for and utilize their many offerings with help from Raising Goats For Dummies.
"Practical, well written, and comprehensive. . . . Read this book cover to cover, or keep it handy as a reference for all aspects of goat care."—Sarah Flack, author of The Art and Science of Grazing This one-of-a-kind guide will empower even novice goat owners, offering expert guidance on maintaining a healthy herd—whether they are dairy, meat, fiber, or pet goats Goats have provided humankind with essential products for centuries; indeed, they bear the noble distinction of being the first domesticated farm animal. From providing milk and meat for sustenance and fiber and hides for clothing and shelter to carrying packs and clearing brush, there isn’t much that goats cannot do. Managing goats successfully requires an understanding of how nature designed them to thrive, including nutritional and psychological needs, as well as how to identify a problem and intercede before it’s too late. For more than a decade, Gianaclis Caldwell and her family have operated Pholia Farm Creamery, an off-grid, raw milk goat cheese dairy. In Holistic Goat Care, Caldwell offers readers a comprehensive guide to maintaining a healthy herd of goats, whether they are dairy goats, meat goats, fiber goats, or pet goats. Holistic Goat Care will empower even novice goat owners to confidently diagnose and treat most of the ailments that goats might experience. For the experienced goat farmer, the book offers a depth of insight and approaches to treatment not found in any other book. Caldwell places special emphasis throughout on holistic, natural, and alternative approaches to caring for goats, including information on: Handling and managing goats using their natural instincts as an asset Developing good farm management practices such as appropriate housing and fencing systems and manure and mortality management Making feeding decisions based on understanding goats’ ruminant digestive system and their evolutionary needs Growing forage and garden crops as feed and utilizing wild browse Troubleshooting health problems based on assessing symptoms Implementing advanced health procedures such as pain control, fecal testing, and transplanting rumen microbes from healthy to sick goats Diagnosing, treating, and preventing more than 75 common goat ailments Whether your herd is two or two hundred, this first-of-its-kind, comprehensive book will help you keep your goats healthy, safe, and productive and give you a deep and enjoyable insight into the wondrous creature that is the goat.
This best-selling handbook is packed with detailed information on housing, feeding, and fencing dairy goats. It’s been the trusted resource on the topic for farmers and homesteaders since it was originally published in 1975, and the new edition — completely updated and redesigned — makes Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats more comprehensive and accessible than ever. In-depth sections explain every aspect of milking, including necessary equipment, proper hand-milking techniques, and handling and storing the milk. New color illustrations show each stage of kidding, and substantial chapters on dairy goat health and breeding include the most up-to-date research and practices.
This book is just what the goat industry needs if it is ever going to make the leap from being a backyard hobby operation to becoming a legitimate food animal production industry. While there are many books about raising meat goats available, this one is different in that it is the only book that addresses how to manage meat goats on a commercial scale. Author Greg Christiansen draws on his years of experience in raising meat goats on a commercial scale to explain the principles of managing meat goats as a viable farm business. Greg tells you how to breed does that are capable of working for you and the necessary management to enable the does to do their job. He has excellent sections on fencing goats, working facilities for goats, protecting goats from predators, wintering goats and many other subjects necessary for raising meat goats. This is the most practical how-to book with real life examples of making management decisions to solve problems I've seen. For the producer seeking to raise goats on a commercial scale, this is the only book available with the necessary information and it will be the best money you ever invested in your goat business. Dr. Steve Hart Goat Extension Specialist Langston University Langston, OK.
Goat meat production is the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture, and an estimated 70 percent of all meat consumed globally is from goats. Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats is the essential reference on raising, caring for, and marketing meat goats. This updated edition gives caprine producers the vital information they need to start a meat-goat business or expand their current operation.
No butts about it! Because of increased interest in self-sufficient and sustainable living practices, people interested in having their own milk supply are turning to goats, which are easier to keep than cows. Whether for pets, milk, fiber, or even meat, The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Raising Goats provides everything a beginner needs to know about raising goats. ?According to the June 2007 issue of Better Nutrition magazine, goat's milk is gaining popularity in the United States because it is less allergenic and more easily digestible than cow's milk, and contains higher percentages of key nutrients ?Like raising chickens, raising goats ties directly into the sustainability and thrift movements
A wonderful resource for goat breeders, Raising Meat Goats for Profit includes Information about the Meat Breeds, How to get started with meat production, Easy to use feed ration tables, Real advice for new breeders, Kidding and Raising Kids, How to sell your goats, Up-to-date informations about health and diseases, Recipe book, 250 pages of user friendly information!
In the newest addition to the successful “Living With” series, Hathaway and Schatz let readers in on everything they need to know about how to raise one – or twenty – goats in their own backyards. Readers will discover how to raise goats either for milk, meat, or companionship, and how to shelter and care for their pets depending on the breed (whether they’re eventually going to eat them or invite them into their family circle). Between the friendly advice, first-hand wisdom, and hilarious stories, Living With Goats reassures readers that raising goats is a rewarding and sustainable endeavor well worth their while.
Full of information and practical advice, this book will be invaluable for anyone thinking about keeping goats, for those who have recently acquired goats, and for the more experienced keeper. This book provides everything you need to know including: legal requirements; land, fencing, housing and equipment; the breeds that will suit your best and acquiring your goats. There is information on year-round husbandry tasks; feeding and nutrition; health and welfare and breeding and kidding. Detailed guidance is given on dairying, raising for meat and other ways to make the most of your goats. This new book is a comprehensive guide to over eighty goats breeds with accompanying photographs.
