Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats

by Belanger, Jerry

• ISBN13: 9781603425803
• ISBN10: 1603425802
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-12-03
• Publisher: Storey Books

Summary

With minimal space and housing needs, dairy goats are a practical choice for the small or backyard dairy farmer. Dairy goats require a smaller investment than cows and produce easily digested milk that is much in demand for making yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products. * 4th edition, now with 80,000 copies in print * Replaces ISBN: 978-1-58017-259-2 New and expanded features: * More information on pygmy goats * Updated information on desease diagnosis and treatment * More information on breeeding, milking, dairying, and cheesemaking

Author Biography

Jerry Belanger, former editor and publisher of Countryside Small Stock Journal, has raised goats for more than 50 years. He has written numerous books on country living and homesteading. Sara Thomson Bredesen is a licensed cheesemaker who established one of Wisconsin's first farmstead goat cheese plants. Both authors live in Wisconsin.

Table of Contents

Basic Information About Goats	p. 1
Basic Terms
Goat Myths and Truths
A Little History
Breeds of Goats
Selecting a Breed
So, You Want a Goat?
All About Goat Milk	p. 17
How Much Milk?
Discovering a New Taste
Goat Milk as "Medicine"
Exploding More Goat-Milk Myths
Goat Milk vs. Cow Milk
Raw Milk vs. Pasteurized
Getting Your Goat	p. 30
Beginning Your Search
Terms to Learn
Which Goat Is Best for You?
Spotting a "Good" Goat
Assessing a Goat's Worth
Getting Your Goat Home
Housing Your Goats	p. 49
Ideal Housing
Size Requirements
The Manager
Gates and Latches
Other Considerations
Final Thoughts
Fencing	p. 68
How Much Is Necessary?
What Kind of Fence?
Feeding	p. 74
The Long and the Short of It
The Digestive System
Basic Nutritional Requirements
Formulating a Goat Ration
The Science and Art of Feeding
Grooming	p. 109
Hoof Care
Disbudding
Dehorning
Tattooing
Hair Care
Health	p. 123
Health: The Natural State
Finding and Using a Veterinarian
How to Tell If Your Goat Is Sick
An A-to-Z Guide to Common Health Problems
Don't Expect to Be a Goat Doctor
The Buck	p. 150
Reasons Not to Keep a Buck
Reasons to Keep a Buck
Improving the Breed
Choosing a Buck
Living with a Buck
Caring for the Buck
Breeding	p. 160
Milking Through
Preparing for Breeding
Successful Breeding
Kidding	p. 169
Anticipating the Delivery
The Birth
Caring for the Newborns
Raising Kids	p. 182
Early Feeding
Weaning
Castration
Milking	p. 192
Milking Essentials
How to Make a Folding Milking Stand
Facilities: A Milking Parlor or In-Barn Milking
Preparing to Milk
Milking Procedure
Milk Handling
Cleaning Your Equipment
Keeping Records	p. 209
The Basic Barn Record
Figuring Out Costs
Capital Costs and Operating Expenses
Chevon	p. 217
The Market for Chevon
Slaughtering and Butchering
Dairy Products	p. 223
Preserving Milk for Future Needs
Cheese Making
Yogurt
Kefir
Koumiss
Butter
Cultured Buttermilk
Recipes for Goat Products	p. 239
Recipes for Goat Milk
Cooking Chevron
Soap Making with Goat Milk
Appendixes	p. 257
Where Milk Comes From
Somatic Cell Counts
The Composition of Milk
Giving Injections
Immunizations
A Goat-Keeping Calendar: Plotting Tasks for a Year
Making and Feeding Silage
Resources	p. 278
Glossary	p. 281
Index	p. 287
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.