95 of 99 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Serious omissions and cavalier tone, August 24, 2004
This review is from: Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying (Paperback)
This is probably one of the best books on the market, but having raised a few goats before with my mom, I found some serious gaps in the information here, especially regarding illness, post-partum does, and bummer kids.
For example, I recently bought a Nubian cross goat after many years without one, and she came with the surprise bonus of a day-old bummer kid. Unfortunately, never having had a bummer before, I was unsure how to feed her properly and bought this book. Within a few weeks she died due to bloat because of the bad and/or nonexistant advice of this book. I then bought the Storey book on sheep and found the information on bloat that could have saved her life if it had been in the goat book.
Additionally, the tone of Mr. Belanger's writing rubs me the wrong way, sounding somewhat condescending at times and cavalier at others. I was disturbed by some of the things he recommended, such as transporting an adult goat by sticking it in the trunk of a car (!!!), but his attitude is that those who disagree with him are either ignorant or they're whiners. I am neither, and I don't appreciate paying good money to be told I am because I disagree, thankyouverymuch.
In conclusion, this book does have its merits and is good for the basics, but it's not a complete source of information and I would get at least one other goat book as well as the Storey sheep book to fill out your library, especially if your large animal vet is very far away from your goats.
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39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great upgrade of Raising Goats The Modern Way!, June 29, 2003
This review is from: Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying (Paperback)
As previous publisher of a magazine for people wanting to return to nature I had read the original book many years ago. This edition is a vast improvement with some 80 pages of additional information and it has been updated to reflect current practices.
If you are considering raising dairy goats primarily for your family milk needs, or as a part-time supplemental income, this book is perfect for you.
If you want to expand later into making dairy goats your primary income, you will want to add Goat Husbandry. Goat Husbandry has two basic flaws - it is more highly technical and it is intended mostly for the UK.
Belanger's book would be more complete and would eliminate my need for Goat Husbandry if only the following two issues had been more thoroughly covered:
1 - Provide income projections for several classes of commercial dairy goat operations. Perhaps a chapter of 40 pages would be needed to do the topic justice, but if done properly, commercial dairy goats could become more accepted by the financial community and, therefore, could promote the practice.
2 - Provide a chapter showing, say, three dairies that meet the requirements of Grade A. Yes, it is a widely variable regulation even within a single state, but at least readers could gain a better understanding of the costs, design and implementation to achieve such status. Perhaps even interviews of the operators could be included in a manner similar to Gail Bowman's humorous phone chats with Annette Maze in Raising Meat Goats For Profit.
The two points above are not meant as criticism, for, as I stated, Belanger has done a great job with this book. I'm just wishing he could add the two points above so I could make room on my bookshelf by discarding Goat Husbandry. Further, although Goat Husbandry does provide some information on commercial dairying with goats, it itself is not especially thorough on the topic and, further, is so dedicated to costs and incomes in Britain that it is not very useful for North America.
Hmmm...perhaps there is yet room in the market for yet another goat book. Say, "Commercial Dairy Goats in Canada and The U.S.A." Get busy Jerry or I'll write it!
I am certainly pleased with Belanger's Raising Dairy Goats and will keep it on the same shelf as Goat Husbandry and Raising Meat Goats For Profit. With these three, my goat library is nearly complete.
Incidentally: Belanger formerly published Countryside & Small Stock Journal, perhaps the best ever magazine for small livestock farmers. It is now run, I think, by his kids and you can view it on the web.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you need a book on goats buy this, October 17, 2002
This review is from: Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying (Paperback)
I have gotten my hands on several books since I decided to raise goats, and this has by far been the most helpful. Belanger is objective, knowledgeable, and sensible. He covers every aspect of goat dairying - except what might be specific to your own geographic reason. But if he'd put in something like that it would have been a different type of book. He discusses all the many ways that you can do things - not just the one or two that he himself prefers. There are even many recipes in the back.
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