Cheryl K. Smith - Raising Goats For Dummies

Raising Goats For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

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Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021930797

ISBN 978-1-119-77258-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-77259-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-77260-6 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Beyond the Book Icons Used in the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: Getting Started with Goats Chapter 1: Discovering the Joys of Raising Goats Finding Goat Basics Identifying the Benefits of Owning Goats Determining Whether Goats Are for You Chapter 2: Glimpsing Vital Goat Statistics Doe, a Goat, a Female Goat Taking a Look at Goat Anatomy Signs of a Healthy Goat Using a Goat Scorecard to Evaluate a Goat Chapter 3: Knowing Your Capra Aegagrus Hircus (Goat, That Is) Looking into Dairy Goats Discovering Meat Goats Investigating Fiber Goats Chapter 4: Getting Your Property Ready for a Goat Figuring Out How Many Goats You Can Support Making Sure Fencing Is Adequate Protecting Your Plants Protecting Your Herd Building a Milk Stand

6 Part 2: Bringing Your Goats Home Chapter 5: Home Sweet Homestead: Sheltering Your Goats Outlining Shelter Types Providing a Safe, Cozy Place for Goats to Bunk Creating an Outdoor Shelter Keeping Your Goats and Their Living Space Clean Chapter 6: Dinner Time: What and How to Feed Your Goats Goats Don’t Eat Tin Cans: What and How to Feed Using Body-Condition Scoring to Fine-Tune Feeding Feeding for Special Cases Getting the Basic Supplies Building a Simple Hay Feeder Building a Mineral Block Holder Providing Supplemental Feeding Options Creating a Hedgerow Supplementing with Fodder Chapter 7: Getting Your Goats: Choosing, Buying, and Bringing Goats Home Choosing the Right Goats for Your Needs Finding Sources for Goats Making Sure You Get a Healthy Goat Protecting Yourself with a Contract Bringing Your Goats Home Chapter 8: Working with Your Goats Identifying Normal Goat Behavior Conducting Basic Training with Your Goats Moving Up to Advanced Goat Training Supervising Your Herd Maintaining Physical Fitness Entertaining with Your Goats Chapter 9: Handling Routine Care and Important One-Time Tasks Grooming Your Goats Caring for Hooves Dealing with Horns Castrating Your Bucks Identifying Your Goats: Microchipping and Tattooing

7 Part 3: Managing Goat Health and Breeding Chapter 10: Outlining Basic Health-Care Requirements Recognizing Signs of Illness Working with a Veterinarian Building a First-Aid Kit The Straight Poop: Fecal Analysis Giving Injections Considering Vaccinations Keeping Health Records Testing to Avoid Problems Knowing the Law Regarding Drugs in Food Animals Chapter 11: Addressing Common Health Problems and Ailments Managing the Creepy-Crawlies Acquainting Yourself with Goat Viruses and Infections Examining Feed-Related Problems Chapter 12: Breeding and Looking After Pregnant Goats Preparing for Breeding Running through Goat Mating Habits: Courting Is Crucial! Finding Breeding Solutions When You Have Only Does Looking into the Finer Points of Goat Pregnancy Getting Ready for Kidding Chapter 13: Now Comes the Fun Part: Kids! Grasping the Basics of Kidding Taking Care of Mother and Kids after Kidding Feeding the Kids Chapter 14: Caring for Aged Goats Identifying Health Problems Making Allowances for Disability Determining When to Let Go

8 Part 4: Making Your Goats Work for You Chapter 15: Discovering Goat Milk: How to Get, Use, and Sell It Developing a Milking Routine Getting a Grip on Hand-Milking Using a Motorized Milking Machine Handling Milk to Keep It Clean and Fresh Staying Legal while Selling Milk Chapter 16: Goat Meat: From Breeding to Selling and Beyond Getting the Basics of Raising Goats for Meat Selling Your Products Slaughtering Goats Using All of the Goat Chapter 17: Showing Your Goats Finding Shows Preparing to Show Your Goat Showing Your Goat in Person Showing Your Goat Virtually Chapter 18: More Benefits of Goats: Fiber, Breeding, Weed Control, and More Harvesting and Selling Fiber Creating Mini Breeds Backpacking with Goats Offering Buck Service Boarding Other People’s Goats Selling Compost Hiring Out for Weed Control Providing “Goat Therapy”

9 Part 5: The Part of Tens Chapter 19: Ten Common Mistakes First-Time Goat Owners Make Getting Too Many Goats Too Fast Failing to Educate Yourself before Getting Goats Underestimating the Costs Paying Too Much or Too Little for Your Goats Getting Only One Goat Buying Unhealthy Goats Neglecting Routine Management and Care Overlooking Your Goats’ Dietary Needs Giving the Goats Too Little Attention Getting a Buck before You’re Ready Chapter 20: Ten Misconceptions about Goats Goats Will Eat Anything Goats Stink Goats Aren’t Very Smart Goats Make Good Lawn Mowers Goat Milk Tastes Bad Goat Meat Tastes Bad Goats Get Most of Their Water from Plants Goats Are Only for People Who Can’t Afford Cows Only Male Goats Have Beards A Dog Makes a Good Friend for a Goat