Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying (Paperback)

by Jerry Belanger (Author) "Female goats are called does, or if they're less than a year old, sometimes doelings..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, New York, Department of Agriculture (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For 17 years readers have turned to Storey Books for advice on raising animals. Our Modern Way series of six books has sold more than 1,000,000 copies. In an effort to provide readers with the best how-to animal books on the market we are completely updating all six Modern Way titles and re-introducing them as part of our Guide to Raising series.

Written by experts, these guides give novice and experienced livestock farmers all they need to know to successfully keep and profit from animals. Each book includes information on selection, housing, space requirements, breeding and birthing techniques, feeding, behavior, and health concerns and remedies for illness. The books also address the business of raising animals - processing meat, milk, eggs, and more. The authors were chosen not only for their expertise but also for their ability to explain the ins and outs of animal husbandry in an inviting and authoritative manner. Whether readers are ready to start an entire herd or flock or are considering purchasing their first animal, Storey's Guide to Raising series offers vital information; each book is an indispensable reference.

From the Back Cover
The Best Advice on Raising Dairy Goats

This indispensable, fully illustrated guide provides the very latest practical information for dairy goat owners. All of the essentials are covered here, including:
Individual breeds - Feeding and housing - Health care and disease prevention
Breeding and kidding - Milking and dairying

"We receive many request from novice goat owners wanting caprine information. This book will give answers and help people get started. It can also be used by established goat owners wanting a reference in an easy-to-read format. We will certainly recommend this book as a great reference about goats." - John D. Howland, American Goat Society, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (January 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580172598
• ISBN-13: 978-1580172592
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,002 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Serious omissions and cavalier tone, August 24, 2004

By	W. Polson "writer, jane of all trades" (Groveland, Calif.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great upgrade of Raising Goats The Modern Way!, June 29, 2003

By	Travis C. Ward "C. William Anderson" (Silverton, OR United States) - See all my reviews

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.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource for the begining dairy goat breeder..., September 22, 2002

By	Laura Haggarty (Northern KY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I really like this book. I have been involved with goats for the past two years, and have been lucky enough to keep my herd with a friend who has been "doing" goats for more than ten years. As I read through this book it covers all of the major topics that a novice needs to know about, and presents the information in an easy-to-read format.

The book covers the following topics: Basic Information About Goats; Milk; Getting Your Goat; Housing; Fencing; Feeding; Grooming; Health; The Buck; Breeding; Kidding; Raising Kids; Milking; Keeping Records; Chevon; Dairy Products; and Recipes for Goat Products. It has an thorough appendix, a good glossary, and an extensive index.

All in all I highly recommend this book for someone considering purchasing dairy goats, as well as those who already have goats and want a good reference book to which they can refer as needed. Don't hesitate, buy it!