Receive Your Copy Storeys Guide To Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying Articulated By Jerry Belanger Accessible As Volume

is certainly a good book for the budding goat enthusiast although some of the information is outdated it is a bit folksy.
I would like to have seen tables and charts with uptodate information from the leading goat registries, In short, it is more of a neophyte's book rather than a book for the experienced goat keeper, A really good starting point if you want a small herd of dairy goats, or are wondering whether you want goats.
This book will give you a good foundation in goat care to use as a jumping off point for further research.
I rate NonFiction books based on how much information they have, This book was very informative hence the five star rating A very enjoyable guidebook, written in a chatty, accessible style, with lots of useful information clearly presented and well organized.
The authors treat the subject with a good sense of humour, so the writing isnt dry, Highly informative. Would recommend if you're considering getting goats, Oh dear me What did we get ourselves into This book was EXTREMELY helpful, I finished it in one day! It made me really excited to get dairy goats! Definitely a book to have onhand for referencing.
I read it cover to cover before we brought our goats home, but have already thumbed to sections more than a few times in the past month.
Well presented information and copious useful imagery and photos, The ultimate guide. My only quibble The authors constantly talk down to the reader, A great book for a beginner or someone looking for information on goats, Very thorough! Tons of info, definitely will but when I am closer to keeping goats, This book is so wonderful and very informative, We will be referencing this again and again, The sections move from beginner to advanced goat owner and covers many different topics, The pictures are just wonderful,

Thank you to Jerry Belanger, Storey Publishing and Netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
A book on a subject you know nothing about

I asked a fellow librarian friend of mine what I should read for this challenge.
It was difficult to come up with an answer because being the information grazer that I am, I know a little bit about a lot of things so finding something that I know nothing about was hard.
She chose this and I had to admit I knew nothing about the practice, Now though, I know enough to know that I could never personally run a farm of dairy goats, And that is fine with me, That being said they are still cute and adorable,

For those interested, when she asked me what she should read for this prompt, I sent her down the road of serial killers, of course.
I love Storey's guides books, They're very helpful and informative, Great for beginners wanting to learn before deciding on an animal, And great reference for later if you do get these animals, I think I want to become a certified veterinarian before I take on goat raising, I also don't believe in drowning animals of either gender, just because YOU don't need or want them! I loved this book.
I've been going back and forth on getting two or three diary goats, After reading this book cover to cover I'm sold! I want goats now, . . And this book has given me good options to consider before bringing home goats, Goats are much more work than my flock of chickens, so I'm glad to have knowledge behind me to make good choices.
Originally published on my blog: sitelinkNonstop Reader,

sitelinkStorey Publishing is well known for producing practical, sensible, well illustrated books aimed at helping smallholders and gardeners get the best out of their properties and small farms.
Many of their books and leaflets have found a permanent place in my gardening library and I turn to them often for inspiration and advice.


Raising Dairy Goats, originally published more thanyears ago, is now in itsth edition with updated information and many new photographs.


I have heard many people call this the 'goat bible' and it really is, It is comprehensive, well written with sensible timely advice and covers pretty much every eventuality,

The book starts from a very basic introductory level what are goats, where are they from, what are they like, how do they react to different situations and moves through very well written chapters concerning milk and dairy products, how to source your first goats and which breeds to buy or even how to decide if purebred animals are suitable for your needs.
The next chapters cover how to house, feed and care for your goats and how to estimate costs, I really liked the examples used in the book concerning how to figure the costs of the dairy and/or meat you produce from your goats.


There is a very indepth chapter on health and how and when to consult a professional and what healthcare and grooming tasks can be carried out by the owner.


To produce milk and dairy, the does must produce kids, and to produce kids, they must be bred.
There are comprehensive and realistic chapters on buck goats and the inherent challenges they represent and how to decide if you need to own a buck or not, breeding, kidding, milking and producing cheese and other items, including meat.


The book concludes with appendices, a resource section with links, a glossary and a very useful index,

For the lastyears, if people bought one goat book, it would be Storey's Guide to Goats, Theth edition is a worthy addition to that legacy, A wonderful updated encyclopedic sensible book for the homesteader or 'someday' goat owner,

Five. Couldn't be better written or presented in my opinion,

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher, A delightful and welcoming intro to dairy goating, This book lacks detailed instructions for many things, with the suggestion you go "talk to people that own goats" to procure answers.


Much of the care instruction amounts to "some people do this, other people think that's no good, Whatever, figure it out. "

It did not at all meet the detailed instructions I'd come to expect from Storey's Guides, I will have to purchase additional books on dairy goat care before feeling confident about owning and caring for one.
"The goal of the home dairy is to start out with the best milkers possible and then to improve the herd through breeding and selection.
. .

"Peak

production comes in the fourth or fifth year, . .

"Goat milk is more easily digested by humans than cow milk because most of the fat and protein particles are finer and more easily assimilated.


"Goat milk lacks a fatagglutinating protein, a euglobulin, that would cause the fat globules to adhere to one another and mass up.
In fact, the cow is probably the only domestic animal that produces this particular protein, . . when fat globules are forcibly broken by mechanical means homogenization, an enzyme associated with milk fat xanthine oxidase is freed.
This enzyme can penetrate the intestinal wall in humans, enter the bloodstream, and damage the heart and arteries, creating scar tissue.
. .

"Bucks stink! And some bucks that were not properly raised or trained can be dangerous, especially to people not physically and mentally equipped to handle them.
. .

"Some women goat owners have said their breeding bucks tend to be inappropriately amorous toward them, perhaps because of some confusion of pheromones in the heat of the rut.
. . "

January
Check for lice, use louse powder if necessary
Vaccinate with CDTdays before kidding
Get everything ready for kidding iodine, feed pans, bottles/nipples, heat lamps

February
September breddoes kid
Disbud byweeks old
Castrate byweeks old
Spend lots of time with your kids

March
October breddoes kid
Feed hay first, limit time on fresh spring pasture due to grass tetany

April
Keep on dry hay first versus pasture to prevent bloating

May
Keep bedding dry to control flies

June
Provide shade and plenty of water

July
Provide shade and plenty of water

August
Deworm, vaccinations
Check production records for breeding prep for bestproducing does

September
Record date bred does and expect dates

October
Prep lounging areas for winter

November
Exercise expectant does

December
Reduce amount of grain to expectant does
Breed any remaining unbred does
Once again, Storey's guide is the authority on animals.
We just bought two saanens and needed the lowdown on raising them in a hurry, This book was great for that purpose, The only thing I wish he covered in more detail was basics of owning a goat, such as how often to change their bedding, how much to feed them, if they can stay outside all day, etc.
But all books/sites seem to overlook those necessary details, so Storey Belanger isn't alone, I did appreciate Belanger's unique tone and dry humor, something I didn't notice in the other Storey books I read.
Informative, like all of the Storeys Guides Ive read, This one was especially encouraging, despite the complexities of raising dairy goats, .