Raising Goats at Home

Raising Goats at Home
A Complete Guide to Choosing, Housing, Feeding, Breeding, Health, Milking, and Caring for Goats
By Roger S Smith
Thinking about raising goats at home but not sure where to begin? Whether you want goats for milk, meat, fiber, breeding, land management, companionship, or as part of a small homestead, having the right information before bringing goats home can make the experience safer, easier, and far more rewarding.
Raising Goats at Home provides a practical, comprehensive introduction to goat ownership, taking you from the initial planning stages through the daily responsibilities of maintaining a healthy herd. You will learn how to evaluate your property, choose suitable goats, build appropriate housing, install reliable fencing, provide proper nutrition, manage pasture and browse, recognize health concerns, and establish routines that can work for years.
Inside this book, you will learn about choosing goat breeds based on your goals, property, climate, and available resources. You will discover what to consider when purchasing goats and how to prepare your property before they arrive. The book explains housing and shelter requirements, ventilation, bedding, drainage, fencing, gates, goat-proofing, and ways to create a safe environment for both adult goats and young kids.
Feeding is one of the most important parts of successful goat ownership, and this book explains the role of forage, hay, browse, pasture, minerals, supplements, and clean water. You will also learn why feeding requirements change according to age, body condition, pregnancy, lactation, growth, and production goals.
Health and preventive care are covered throughout the book, including routine observation, hoof care, parasite management, vaccinations, common health problems, quarantine practices, emergency warning signs, and knowing when professional veterinary assistance is appropriate. Rather than simply reacting when a goat becomes sick, you will learn how preventive management and careful observation can help you identify problems earlier.
For those interested in breeding, the book explains reproductive cycles, selecting breeding animals, pregnancy, kidding preparation, newborn care, raising young goats, and weaning. Dairy-goat owners will also find practical information about preparing for milking, maintaining cleanliness, monitoring the udder, handling milk safely, and managing the nutritional needs of lactating does.
You will also learn how to manage goats through changing seasons, maintain a small herd, keep useful records, plan for emergencies, manage aging animals, evaluate replacement goats, and control herd size as your operation develops.
Whether you are preparing for your first two goats or planning a larger backyard or homestead herd, Raising Goats at Home is designed to help you understand not only what goats need, but why those needs matter.
This book can help you build a practical approach to goat ownership based on preparation, observation, consistency, and responsible management.
If you are ready to learn how to choose, house, feed, breed, milk, and care for goats while developing a sustainable long-term management system, Raising Goats at Home provides the information you need to get started and continue with confidence.
Learn the fundamentals. Prepare your property. Build good management habits. Give your goats the care they need to thrive.