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.
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.
Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.
Considering owning Nigerian Dwarf goats? Perhaps you have already bought a few goats. It is important to know what you are getting into! There is no question they are adorable and amazing! Yet they can also be plenty of work. Knowing the pros and cons, the work involved, and all the benefits can help you to make up your mind. I grew up with animals around the house and these delightful goats always had a special place in my heart. That's the reason why I decide to write a book about these cuties. Some of the Nigerian Goat owners I spoke to are content and others wish they had never gotten involved. Some of them feel overwhelmed and others simply lack the right information. I want to share the benefits of goat ownership. At the same time, I want goat owners to have a clear picture of what they are about to embark on. If you own Nigerian Dwarf goats, their daily care is in your hands so it isn't a decision to make lightly. I believe when you have read this book, you will know if it is right for you to have these gorgeous animals as pets. You will know how to keep your goats happy and how to become a happy goat owner. Covered in this Book: Basics of breeding Behaviors and characteristics Brief history of the goats Challenges Coloring Common mistakes to avoid Daily care Difference between Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy Goats Exercise Feeding and watering Finding a vet Grooming Health risks Height and weight Hoof trimming Horn removal Insurance Interacting with your goats Lifecycle Milking your goats Paperwork Preventative care Pros and cons of ownership Registration Resources Sanitary processing of your milk Seasonal care Selling your goats Shelter Signs of healthy goats Supplies to have on hand Tips for buying goats Training your goats Understanding show requirements and disqualifications Understanding the laws where you reside for goat ownership Understanding the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Zoning ......and more."
**Selected for Doody's Core Titles® 2024 in Veterinary Medicine** Get practical answers from the only guide on the care of sheep, goats, and cervids! Authoritative yet easy to read, Sheep, Goat and Cervid Medicine, 3rd Edition covers all the latest advances in the field, including diseases and medical treatment, surgery, pain management, theriogenology, and nutrition. Clear instructions and hundreds of full-color photographs guide you step by step through common procedures including restraint for examination, administration of drugs, blood collection, and grooming. New to this edition is coverage of deer and elk medicine, reflecting the growing interest in these ruminants. Written by an expert team led by Dr. D.G. Pugh, this comprehensive reference is ideal for veterinarians and also for owners of sheep and goats. - Clear writing style and consistent organization makes the book easy to understand and use, with disease chapters including pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. - Coverage of both surgery and medicine in each body systems chapter makes it easier to choose between treatment options for specific disorders. - Superbly illustrated surgical procedures clearly demonstrate the steps to follow in performing medical and reproductive surgery. - Diverse, expert contributors include the most experienced authorities, each providing current information on the care of valuable breeding stock as well as pets. - Useful appendixes, now including veterinary feed directives, offer convenient access to information on drugs and drug dosages, fluid therapy, and normal values and conversions. - Consistent, logical format in each body systems chapter makes information easy to find by beginning with physical examination and diagnostic procedures, followed by discussions of common diseases that involve the system. - Comprehensive Feeding and Nutrition chapter covers diet evaluation, method of balancing rations, total parenteral nutrition, and examples of nutritious diets. - Explanation of the differences in normal behavior between sheep and goats shows how they are not the same, and require different methods of treatment. - NEW! Coverage of cervids has been added to chapters throughout the book, reflecting the growing popularity of deer and elk. - NEW! Thorough content updates are made throughout the book and reflect the latest research evidence. - NEW! 170 new clinical photos have been added. - NEW! Anesthesia and Pain Management chapter includes a new section on pain management strategies, reflecting the emphasis on controlling pain in small ruminants. - NEW! Expert Consult website offers an online version of the book, making it easy to search the entire book electronically. - NEW! Two new authors are respected and well-known veterinary medicine experts and educators: Dr. Misty Edmondson and Dr. Thomas Passler.
Goat meat is growing in popularity in Australia and is also an important export industry. It offers many opportunities for large- and small-scale farmers who need to diversify or seek alternative enterprises. Farming Meat Goats provides producers with comprehensive and practical information on all aspects of the goat meat industry. It covers selecting and preparing a property, choosing breeding stock, breeding, health care and nutrition, drought feeding, condition scoring and marketing. This second edition of Farming Meat Goats has been updated throughout and contains new information about the National Livestock Identification System, current regulations for ovine Johne's disease and animal welfare during transportation, and information about marketing. It will allow farmers to produce animals to specification for targeted markets in Australia and overseas including: butchers; supermarkets; restaurants; on-farm live sales; sales to abattoirs that specialise in Halal kills; and breeding stock either as replacements or for improved herd genetics.
"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.
Goats are adaptable creatures in the wild but, if kept as pets, or commercially farmed, they rely very heavily on their owners not only for food, water and shelter, but also for protection from disease or injury. This second edition has been extensively updated to include more information on current issues such as antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance, herd health planning, and new and emerging or changing conditions such as bovine TB. It is a clearly written, well-illustrated book and should be an invaluable, practical reference work aimed at all those who own, or care for, goats whether they be commercial goat farmers, smallholders, stock people, veterinary surgeons and students. It is written by an experienced veterinary surgeon, and its overall objective is to provide some practical advice on managing goats daily including tips on how to keep them fit and healthy, how to recognise signs of ill health, and when a veterinary surgeon needs to be consulted.
This volume provides a comprehensive overview of goat keeping and farming. It includes twenty-two chapters that address such topics as breeding and selection, goat reproduction, production systems, the effects of goat farming on the environment, the use of goat byproducts, the economics of goat farming, and much more.
A great choice for the small or backyard farmer, dairy goats require a smaller investment than cows and produce milk that makes delicious yogurt and cheese. This fourth edition includes more on pygmy goats, health care, breeding, and making dairy products. You’ll have everything you need to you need to know to successfully raise your own dairy goats.
