Table of Contents
Introduction
So goats have caught your attentionI dont blame you! Theyre the right size, reasonably priced, and productive creatures who have been serving humans for thousands of years. Small wonder youre thinking about raising goats yourself! When youre finished with this book, youll have a pretty good idea about how to successfully raise goats and the enormous value theyll bring to your life.
Dairy and fiber goats arrived in this country with the first Europeans, but 1904 marks the official beginning of goats as an industry, and meat goats are relative new-comers since the 1980s. Thanks to the past 100+ years, the nature and needs of goats are well known. Your own journey with these amazing animals will be more fun and successful if you take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and experience of those who have gone beforeboth goat owners and scientists.
Choosing the right goats for you, your situation, and your expectations is the first step to a successful relationship. If you choose a goat who does not fit you, your goals, or your personality, neither you nor the goat is going to be happy. And although goats are generally hardy, they have their own particular needs youll have to accommodate for the best experience. Having the insider information in the following pages will help you make the best decisions for human and goat alike, right from the start.
This book is for the goat lover, who is not an idiot at all, who knows little or nothing about goatsbut is focused on shortening the learning curve. Welcome! Youve come to the right place. Best wishes for a fun, fruitful, and fitting goat experience.
Extra Bits
Throughout the book, youll see sidebars that contain additional information. Heres what to look for:
DEFINITION
New vocabulary comes with the goat territory. Look to these sidebars for goat-related terms and phrases you might not be familiar with.
GOAT HORN
Raising goats can be tricky at times. Check these sidebars for cautionary notes about possible trouble spotsthe things that can maim or kill goats or cause serious problems for you.
HERD HINT
These sidebars offer tips and hints to save you time, money, or frustration and make raising goats nothing but smooth sailing.
KIDDING AROUND
Fun and interesting information about goats abounds. These sidebars share some fun facts you might enjoy and stories that illustrate goatness.
Acknowledgments
No one writes a book alone. Thats especially true with the one you hold in your hands. Im deeply indebted to all the people who have volunteered to help because they truly love goats and want others to have a great goat experience.
My sincere thanks go out to all the people, too numerous to mention, who have contributed photographs for this book. Special thanks to Pat Showalter and Nathaniel and Colette Kemper for specific photos I requested. I appreciate the artists who contributed drawings: Peter Fetzer, Hank Kemper, and Veralyn Srch-Harelson.
Thanks to Mary Kellogg for help on both editing and factual accuracy, and to William Fetzer for technical support. Sue Weaver was invaluable in nontechnical support, and Ken Feaster-Eytchison provided help and friendship above and beyond.
Over the years, hundreds of people have freely shared information, techniques, theories, and practical goat knowledge. The goat community is full of remarkable people who truly have in mind the best interests of goats and the people who enjoy and love them.
Finally, special thanks are due to my mother, who early on in my life instilled a love of animals great and small and an appreciation for the joys of rural living!
Special Thanks to the Technical Reviewer
The Complete Idiots Guide to Raising Goats was reviewed by an expert who double-checked the accuracy of what youll learn here, to help us ensure that this book gives you everything you need to know about raising happy, healthy goats. Special thanks are extended to Kennon D. Feaster-Eytchison.
Ken Feaster-Eytchison resides in Idaho and has been raising and breeding goats for more than 30 years. He and his family currently maintain a small herd of Nigerian Dwarves and LaManchas. Ken serves as a director of the American Dairy Goat Association and actively volunteers his time to the American Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Association and as a 4-H leader in his community.
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
Chapter 1
So You Want to Raise Goats
Making the decision to raise goats is a big one. What a journey youre about to embark upon! But as with any journey, this one is only as good as the knowledge and preparation that goes into it. Thats where this book comes in. Consider it your goat travelogue. Besides wishing you a great experience on your goat journey, I also wish your goats a great experience. They deserve a home where their needs are met in safe and productive waysa home that will appreciate their unique qualities.
Because you chose goats, I can guess a few things about you. Youre concerned about the value and security of the lifestyle you live. Youre probably concerned about the environment and the carbon footprint you leave. Maybe nutrition is important to you. Or maybe youre an independent thinker and love the creativity of your independence. Chances are very good crafts or arts feature in your life in an important way. Nature speaks to you, and youre probably surrounded with pets or other animals.
Youve looked at all your options for more of the health and independence you want. Youve correctly realized that goats are going to help you get it, do it well, and do it for a whole lot less than any other livestock can even come close to. Congratulations! Youve made a wonderful decision.
Goats Around the World
Goats have been around for a long time, probably at least 10,000 years. Humans domesticated goats before sheep and cattleand maybe even before dogs!probably in the highlands of Western Iran. Our association with goats is long because it has served both goats and man well. Theyve provided survival for us, and weve protected them from predators and made their life a little easier.
Because goats were widely traded in ancient times, they spread rapidly into Europe, Asia, and Africa. Depending on the people and what they wanted or needed, they selectively bred their goats for traits that served them well:
