Raising Goats For Dummies
For Dummies (Verlag)
978-0-470-56899-6 (ISBN)
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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.
Cheryl K. Smith has raised a small herd of dairy goats under the herd name Mystic Acres since 1998. She published Ruminations: The Nigerian Dwarf and Mini Dairy Goat magazine and Goat Health Care. She writes a blog (ruminationsongoats.blogspot.com) and is an expert on goats at allexperts.com.
Introduction 1
Part I: Getting Acquainted with Goats 7
Chapter 1: Discovering the Joys of Raising Goats 9
Finding Goat Basics 9
Glimpsing the Benefits of Owning Goats 10
Becoming more self-sufficient 11
Using goats for companions or helpers 14
Raising goats as a 4-H project 16
Determining Whether Goats Are for You 16
Devoting time and effort 17
Deciding which goats are right for your situation 17
Finding out about local ordinances 18
Knowing your neighbors 19
Chapter 2: Glimpsing Vital Goat Statistics 21
Doe, a Goat, a Female Goat 21
Taking a Look at Goat Anatomy 22
Parts of the body 22
The digestive system 23
Hooves 25
Teeth 26
Beards 27
Wattles 27
Eyes 27
Signs of a Healthy Goat 28
Noticing posture 28
Identifying the meaning of goat cries 29
Determining normal temperature 30
Using ruminations as a health indicator 31
Taking a goat’s pulse 32
Counting respirations 32
Recognizing life expectancy 32
Using a Goat Scorecard to Evaluate a Goat 33
Chapter 3: Knowing Your Capra Aegagrus Hircus (Goat, That Is) 35
Looking Into Dairy Goats 35
Standard dairy goat breeds 36
Miniature breeds 40
Discovering Meat Goats 45
Boer 45
Tennessee fainting goat 46
Kiko 47
Spanish goat 48
Newer crossbreeds 49
Investigating Fiber Goats 49
Angora 49
Cashmere 51
Miniature fiber goats 51
Chapter 4: Getting Your Property Ready for a Goat 53
Figuring Out How Many Goats You Can Support 53
Making Sure Fencing Is Adequate 54
Running through types of fencing 55
Planning for gates 56
Protecting Your Plants 57
Considering which trees to protect 57
Making trees goat-proof 57
Protecting Your Herd 59
Putting hazards out of reach 59
Avoiding tethering 60
Providing a safe place to bunk down 61
Considering local predators 61
Using guardian animals for security 62
Removing poisonous plants 65
Part II: Bringing Your Goats Home 67
Chapter 5: Home Sweet Homestead: Sheltering Your Goats 69
Outlining Shelter Types 69
Using an existing building 70
Building a shelter 71
Providing a Safe, Cozy Place for Goats to Bunk 72
Building a sleeping shelf in an existing barn 73
Using and maintaining bedding 76
Keeping Your Goats and Their Living Space Clean 78
Controlling flies and other bugs 78
Feed storage and ratproofing 79
Chapter 6: Dinner Time: What and How to Feed Your Goats 83
Goats Don’t Eat Tin Cans: What and How to Feed 83
Understanding the two types of feed 84
Feeding hay and alfalfa 84
Using chaffhaye instead of hay and alfalfa 85
Feeding grain 85
Following a feeding schedule 87
Choosing organic — or not 87
Minerals are a must 88
Supplemental feeds 88
Using Body-Condition Scoring to Fine-Tune Feeding 90
Feeding for Special Cases 92
Pregnancy 92
Milking does 93
Kids 93
Old goats 93
Getting the Basic Supplies 93
Bowls 94
Buckets 94
Water supply 95
Mineral feeder 96
Hay feeder 96
Storing feed 97
Building a Simple Hay Feeder 98
Building a Mineral Block Holder 99
Chapter 7: Getting Your Goats: Choosing, Buying, and Bringing Goats Home 103
Choosing the Right Goats for Your Needs 103
Goats need company 104
Size matters 104
Horns can hurt 104
Registered or unregistered 105
Looks count: The basics of conformation 105
Finding Sources for Goats 106
Visiting local feed stores 107
Reading the agriculture paper or thrifties 107
Checking out Craigslist 107
Surfi ng breeders’ Web sites 108
Joining registries and goat clubs 108
Going where goat people congregate 109
Making Sure You Get a Healthy Goat 109
Asking questions 109
Examining the goats 110
Observing the home herd 111
Protecting Yourself with a Contract 111
Bringing Your Goats Home 113
Transporting your goats 113
Quarantining new goats 114
Watching for signs of stress 115
Chapter 8: Working with Your Goats 117
Identifying Normal Goat Behavior 117
Establishing a “pecking” order 118
Biting, butting, and mounting 119
Conducting Basic Training with Your Goats 121
Collars are not just decorations 121
Handling goats regularly 122
Walking goats on a lead 123
Teaching basic manners 124
Moving Up to Advanced Goat Training 125
Teaching tricks with a clicker 125
Using an obstacle course 126
Housebreaking 126
Preparing goats for packing 127
Training goats to pull a cart 129
Supervising Your Herd 131
Meeting their social needs 131
Evaluating the time you have to be home 132
Finding and training a reliable helper 132
Maintaining Physical Fitness 133
Walking with your goats 134
Furnishing your yard or pasture with toys 134
Taking Your Goats to Schools or Nursing Homes 135
Chapter 9: Handling Routine Care and Important One-Time Tasks 137
Grooming Your Goats 137
Brushing 138
Bathing 138
Clipping 138
Specialized clipping 140
Caring for Hooves 140
Preparing to trim 141
Trimming the hooves 141
Dealing with Horns 145
Horned or not? 145
The case for no horns on goats 146
When to disbud 146
How to disbud 146
Preventing and dealing with scurs 150
Castrating Your Bucks 151
The problem of poor Elmer, or why to castrate 152
Knowing when to castrate 152
Choosing a castration method 153
Identifying Your Goats: Microchipping and Tattooing 155
Choosing a method 155
Tattooing your goat 156
Microchipping your goat 157
Part III: Glimpsing Goat Health and Breeding 159
Chapter 10: Outlining Basic Health Care Requirements 161
Recognizing Signs of Illness 161
Working with a Veterinarian 162
Finding a vet 163
Knowing when to call 163
Preparing for a vet visit 164
Working with a non-goat veterinarian 165
Building a First Aid Kit 165
The Straight Poop: Fecal Analysis 167
Giving Injections 169
Considering Vaccinations 171
Deciding whether to vaccinate 171
Looking into common vaccinations 172
Giving a vaccination 173
Keeping Health Records 173
Documenting important information 173
Keeping track of recurrent problems 174
Providing information for the vet 175
Tracking trends 175
Testing to Avoid Problems 175
Knowing what to test for 176
How to draw blood for a test 176
Knowing the Law Regarding Drugs in Food Animals 178
Chapter 11: Addressing Common Health Problems and Ailments 181
Managing the Creepy-Crawlies 181
Controlling external parasites 182
Minimizing internal parasites 184
Helping keep parasite problems at bay 187
Acquainting Yourself with Goat Viruses and Infections 187
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) 188
Abscesses 189
Hardware disease 190
Johne’s Disease 191
Listeriosis 191
Soremouth 192
Pneumonia 193
Wounds 194
Ringworm 194
Foot rot 194
Examining Feed-Related Problems 195
Scours 195
Bloat 196
Enterotoxemia 197
Nutrient imbalances 198
Poisoning 201
Chapter 12: Breeding and Looking After Pregnant Goats 203
Preparing for Breeding 203
Running Through Goat Mating Habits: Courting Is Crucial! 204
Identifying the season for goat love 204
Manners, or what to expect from your goat 205
Doing the deed 207
Housing a buck after breeding 207
Finding Breeding Solutions When You Have Only Does 208
The invaluable buck rag 208
Leasing a buck 209
One-night stands, or driveway breeding 209
Artificial insemination 210
Looking Into the Finer Points of Goat Pregnancy 210
Length of gestation 210
False pregnancy 211
Dealing with common pregnancy problems 211
Getting Ready for Kidding 214
Preparing the doe 214
Setting up a kidding pen 215
Being prepared with a kidding kit 215
Knowing when she’ll kid (and what to do!) 216
Chapter 13: Now Comes the Fun Part: Kids! 219
Grasping the Basics of Kidding 219
Knowing what to expect from labor and birth 220
Handling multiples 223
Taking Care of Mother and Kids after Kidding 224
Caring for the new mother 224
Caring for newborn kids 225
The importance of colostrum 226
Dealing with kid problems 226
Tube-feeding a weak kid 229
Vaccinating 231
Feeding the Kids 232
Deciding between hand-feeding or natural feeding 232
Choosing milk 233
Feeding individually or as a group 233
Feeding schedule 234
Introducing solid foods 235
Weaning kids 236
Part IV: Living Sustainably and Making
Money from Your Goats 239
Chapter 14: Discovering Goat Milk: How to Get, Use, and Sell It 241
Developing a Milking Routine 241
Knowing when to milk 242
Keeping the milk fresh 243
Caring for the udder 244
Preventing mastitis 244
Keeping records 245
Ending milking (Drying off) 245
Getting a Grip on Hand-Milking 246
Getting the supplies 247
Running through the hand-milking process 247
Using a hand-milking machine 249
Using a Motorized Milking Machine 249
Handling Milk to Keep It Clean and Fresh 252
Straining the milk 252
Cooling the milk 252
Storing the milk 252
Staying Legal While Selling Milk 253
Chapter 15: Goat Meat: From Breeding to Selling and Beyond 255
Getting the Basics of Raising Goats for Meat 256
Cross-breeding standard dairy goats to produce meat goats 256
Using your dairy goats for meat 257
Selling Your Products 257
Identifying potential buyers 257
Selling goats 260
Advertising 262
Legal considerations 263
Determining what to charge 263
Using marketing terminology properly 264
Slaughtering Goats 265
Doing it yourself 265
Using a licensed slaughter plant 265
Hiring a mobile butcher 266
Humanely slaughtering goats 266
Using All of the Goat 267
Hide tanning 267
Animal feed 269
Using the organs for herd health check 269
Chapter 16: Further Benefits of Goats: Fiber, Breeding, Weed Control, and More 271
Harvesting and Selling Fiber 271
Reviewing fiber types 272
Shearing: How and when 273
Processing the fiber 275
Spinning 277
Selling your fiber 278
Showing Your Goats 280
Finding shows 280
Preparing your goat for showing 281
Getting your supplies together 284
Earning more than just ribbons 284
Marketing at shows 285
Creating Mini Breeds 285
Offering Buck Service 287
Selling Compost 288
Hiring Out for Weed Control 289
Providing “Goat Therapy” 289
Part V: The Part of Tens 291
Chapter 17: Ten Common Mistakes First-Time Goat Owners Make 293
Getting Too Many Goats Too Fast 293
Failing to Educate Yourself before Getting Goats 294
Underestimating the Costs 294
Paying Too Much or Too Little for Your Goats 295
Getting Only One Goat 295
Buying Unhealthy Goats 296
Neglecting Routine Management and Care 296
Overlooking Your Goats’ Dietary Needs 297
Giving the Goats Too Little Attention 297
Getting a Buck before You’re Ready 298
Chapter 18: Ten Tips for Showing Your Goat 299
Practice Walking with Your Goat before the Show 300
Thoroughly Clean and Groom Your Goat before the Show 300
Dress Appropriately 301
Keep Your Goat between You and the Judge 301
Keep Your Eyes on the Judge at All Times 301
Don’t Talk with Your Neighbor 302
Remain Calm Even If Your Goat Is Misbehaving 302
Do What the Judge Asks 302
Keep Your Goat Properly Set Up 303
Be a Good Loser (or Winner) 303
Chapter 19: Ten Misconceptions about Goats 305
Goats Will Eat Anything 305
Goats Stink 306
Goats Aren’t Very Smart 306
Goats Make Good Lawn Mowers 306
Goat Milk Tastes Bad 307
Goat Meat Tastes Bad 307
Goats Get Most of Their Water from Plants 307
Goats Are Only for People Who Can’t Afford Cows 308
Only Male Goats Have Beards 308
A Dog Makes a Good Friend for a Goat 308
Appendix: Goat-Milk Recipes 311
Cheeses and Yogurt 311
Drinks 314
Entrees and Side Dishes 316
Desserts 322
Index 325
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 5.3.2010 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 188 x 231 mm |
| Gewicht | 476 g |
| Themenwelt | Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Natur / Ökologie |
| Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Tiere / Tierhaltung | |
| Weitere Fachgebiete ► Land- / Forstwirtschaft / Fischerei | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-470-56899-2 / 0470568992 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-470-56899-6 / 9780470568996 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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