Customer Reviews

Goats: A Guide to Management

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This title is aimed at small-scale operators and hobbyists, designed to cater for the needs of those who have only limited resources, in terms of time, money and land. Covering all aspects of raising goats and written in such a way that it is accessible to the novice, the author discusses choice of animals, day-to-day management, diseases, breeding and caring for the young, and showing. Whether the intention is to keep goats for milk, meat, hair or other products, all the basic necessary information is found in this book.

I donated it to the local library, it was very short and very little useful info

The book is shallow. The auhor's limited personal experience and misguided feelings interfered with research and information. For example:

1) The author being British, all goats according to her are of British origin. The only Alpine is "British Alpine", Saanen becomes "British Saanen", Toggenburg becomes "British Toggenburg". Out of eleven breeds that she included only Angora, it appears, is without British connection. She is wrong on that too. She claims Angora is imported to Asia Minor from Tibet. That is incorrect. The fact is Angora goat belonged to Turkmens, and they brought them to Asia Minor (Turkey) when they moved from Central Asia. Turks weaved precious silky cloth using Angora's hair. Turks guarded this breed jealously for 600 years until a British colonel smuggled a breeding pair out of Turkey, by painting them black. So perhaps the only true British involvement is with Angora, and it is not an honorable one.

2) She states "there is little else to be done with male kid than to have him put to sleep". Castration is a perfectly acceptable and more humane way and should be listed as an option.

Steve Sert