Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats, 2nd Edition: Managing, Breeding, Marketing PDF
Preview Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats, 2nd Edition: Managing, Breeding, Marketing
SECOND EDITION Storey’s Guide to RAISING MEAT GOATS Managing Breeding Marketing MAGGIE SAYER The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. Edited by Lisa H. Hiley and Deborah Burns Art direction and book design by Cynthia N. McFarland Cover design by Kent Lew Text production by Liseann Karandisecky Cover photograph by © Adam Mastoon Interior photography by © claudia Marcus-Gurn, page 29, Sue Ann Weaver, pages 6, 215, 272, 273, and 275 Illustrations by © Elayne Sears Indexed by Nancy D. Wood © 2010, 2007 by Sue Ann Weaver All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. the author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396. Storey Publishing 210 MASS MoCA Way North Adams, MA 01247 www.storey.com Printed in the United States by Versa Press 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sayer, Maggie. Storey’s guide to raising meat goats / by Maggie Sayer. — 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-60342-582-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-60342-583-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Goats—United States. 2. Goat meat— United States. I. Title. II. Title: Guide to raising meat goats. III. title: Raising meat goats. SF383.4.S24 2010 636.3’913—dc22 2010029324 To LORI OLSON Thanks for helping me get started in Boer goats! and UP LUDO (December 18, 2005–February 20, 2006) The sweetest little goat that ever was Contents 1 Why Meat Goats? The Pros and Cons of Raising Meat Goats Finding and Working with a Goat-Savvy Veterinarian There’s More Than One Way to Raise a Goat Which Niche? 2 Before You Begin Adding Your Farm to the Equation Availability Matters Do the Homework 3 Which Breed? Parts of a Goat Boers Savannas Kikos Myotonics Tennessee Meat Goats Composite Breeds Spanish Goats Dairy Goats Angoras Registered, Fullblood, Purebred, Percentage, or Crossbred? 4 Where (and Where Not) to Buy Goats Individual Producers and Breeders Which Seller? Production and Dispersal Sales Sale Barns 5 Selecting Breeding Stock Don’t Buy Trouble Breeding Better Boers Look ’em Over Before You Buy Closing the Sale 6 Think Like a Goat Range and Feeding Behavior Social Order Breeding Behavior: Bucks Breeding and Kidding Behavior: Does Behaviors of Newborn Kids Goat Handling 101 7 Goats on the Go Stress and the Traveling Goat Plan Ahead Weather Kills Choosing a Hauling Conveyance 8 Meat Goat Housing and Facilities Shelter Pens Feeders Watering devices Handling Facilities Fencing 9 Feeding Meat Goats The Caprine Kin (Keep It Natural) Diet and Your Goats The Goat’s Digestive System Goats and Poisonous Plants A Forage-Based Diet 10 Keeping Goats Healthy (and What to Do When They Aren’t) To Be or Not to Be Your Own Vet? Learning the Ropes Checking Vital Signs Caprine Maladies You Should Recognize Stop Disease in Its Tracks — Vaccinate! Antibiotics: Good or Bad? Epinephrine — Don’t Leave Home without it Drenching a Goat Medical Alternatives for Goats 11 Parasites 101 Dewormer-Resistant Worms Meet the Enemy Other Gastrointestinal nematodes Reducing Drug Resistance Those Other Worms External Parasites 12 Livestock Guardians Statistics Tell the Tale Protecting the Herd 13 Breeding Meat Goats Bucks Are Half the Herd Those Does You’ve Got to Be Kidding 14 Marketing Meat Goats Market Goats Breeding Stock
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