This handbook is a reference for goat keepers. Valuable to beginners and veteran keepers, it offers helpful information for enjoying the benefits of healthy, productive goats while minimizing costs and problems.

The book contains information on the biology, origin and behavior of goats; their many uses; the breed characteristics and physical conformation (of dairy and meat types); buying and transporting tips; housing, fencing and other aspects of management; feed; estrus cycles and breeding; newborn care, udders and milk; horn removal, castration, hooves and foot care; diseases and health care; culling the herd; registering, showing and selling goats; and many other topics. Fully indexed, the work contains numerous photographs, charts and tables.

Animal keeper and laureate poet Mary Turner Stille lives in Hope, Arkansas.

Mary Turner Stille
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 252
Bibliographic Info: 55 photos, tables, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2315-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0320-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Preface      1

1. History      3
2. Feral Goats      11
3. Why Do You Want a Goat?      15
4. Breed Characteristics      26
5. Management      37
6. Accepted Conformation for Dairy Goats      41
7. Buying      47
8. Age, Teeth and Weight      54
9. Moving Goats      59
10. Public Relations      62
11. Equipment      71
12. Housing      75
13. Cold Weather Care      84
14. Collars and Fencing      89
15. Feeding      100
16. Breeding Methods      108
17. Males      115
18. The Female Reproduction System and Cycle      126
19. Parturition Is the Actual Kidding      137
20. Newborns and General Kid Care      143
21. Udders and Milk      154
22. Tattooing      167
23. Getting Rid of Horns      170
24. Castration      175
25. Hooves and Foot Care      178
26. Clipping, Hair Cutting, and Spot Trimming      182
27. Health and Preventive Medicine      185
28. Parasites      200
29. Culling      209
30. Registration      213
31. Showing Goats      219
32. Recordkeeping      224
33. Selling      227
34. Chevon      232
Epilogue      235

Further Reading      237
Index      239

“useful…features a wealth of data…well recommended”—Booklist