Raising Goats Naturally: The Complete Guide to Milk, Meat and More

So my husband and I finally got baby goats. We started with 5, then got 5 more, now we have almost 20 baby goats. (only keeping 10, the rest are meat goats) We have plenty of space for them, but didn't know much about raising them, their general care, etc.So I got this book, thinking it would be helpful.In some ways, this book helped: worming and vaccination information was very informative. The illness section was also quite helpful. The various personal stories of goats and what the author learned from those goats was priceless information. Our favorite story was the pregnant goat that was trying to sit in the author's lap on the way to the vet.In other ways, this book was NOT helpful: This is a book of opinions. For some people, that might be great. For my husband and I, we wanted specific information about goats that we ended up finding out by visiting goat farms in the area and asking the farmers. Things like: "one of the babies is coughing a lot and sounds congested, what should I do?" or "One of the baby goats seems lame in one leg, what should I do?" Those types of questions are not answered specifically enough for me, or even addressed at all.Also, my husband and I wanted dairy and meat goats. We figured with a title like: The complete guide to milk, meat and more, there would be tons more information about meat. There wasn't. I would have liked a butchering guide or a picture of the different cuts of meat on a goat or how to extract rennet from a baby goat. This book had some information about goats for meat, but it didn't have much information that was helpful.I did enjoy the milk section, especially the cheese-making section! I thought that was perhaps the best part of this book! Tons of recipes that are easy to follow and delicious.Even though this was NOT the complete guide in my mind, it had tons of helpful information and goat stories. For most people doing backyard goats or small herds this is the ideal book for you. If you are thinking of being a commercial dairy or meat production, this is not the best book to buy.

Both before and after we got goats, we read a lot of books and online resources, but Deborah's book is definitely our "Goat-To", no pun intended. We rely on all the research she did for writing this book, and trust her personal experience with goats. We learned a lot of useful info, especially in the controversial area of deworming. We are new to keeping goats, and Deborah's book has helped us tremendously. We highly recommend both her book and her website and blog.

I am a beginning goat keeper and I feel I have gained 20 years of experience without paying the price in time. This has been so helpful to me in giving my goats a great start. I feel I have been mentored through this book. I also love the author's stance on parasite control protocols. As farmers, we need to be aware that scheduled worming has the potential to create super parasites that eventually will not respond to wormers. There is a better way!

This year we bought our first Nigerian Dwarf goats. I used this book for getting set-up. There is a lot of information, but I feel like there could be even more in-depth information...for example: exact feeding requirements and supplements, being able to tell if your kids are growing fast enough or if your does have enough body condition, etc.. I just think that if you advertise a "Complete Guide" it should literally cover every aspect of goat rearing in-depth...with lots of charts and a plethora of information. With that being said, I think that this book is a great resource for new goat owners, just not a comprehensive one.

This book is very helpful. We are first time goat owners and want to raise them as naturally as possible. This book has a lot of great advice. Any time we have a problem or need help with something we look it up in this book, and can usually find a solution. Deborah has lots of experience and I'm glad that she took the time to write it all down.

Experienced breeders and newbies alike will learn something from this book. The title may confuse some people looking for a book of herbal remedies; this is not the focus here. Instead the author presents strategies for raising healthy goats for milk or meat. I definitely agree with another reviewer that the chapter on parasites is one of the most comprehensive I've seen outside of a textbook.

Well written. Informative. There were some bad reviews about it being just anecdotal, but it really covers details of selecting and caring for a goat you need to know. I found ways to improve my goat care. And I had never heard of Nigora goats. Now I have to learn more. Her section about wormers brought me up to date. Glad I bought this book.

Just didn’t have enough information

fantastic book with easy to read chapters and a wealth of information loved itthank you

Lots of good info and a balanced a approach to raising goats. Not averse to using meds if need be, but seeks to implement healthy daily living practices in order to avoid unnecessary medications. A wise choice in an era where farming is hyper-dependent on prophylactics as a way to deal with crowded, unhealthy practices.

Very systematic book with a lot of detail and no filler text. Information is very well organized and unbiased. The advice given and from first-hand experience and are just that honest and personal opinion and accompanied but other options thus leaving the choice what to do to the reader.

Great book very good quality and great quality. Also has a few cheese recipes that I enjoyed. I’ve come back to this book also for a good reference.

Excellent book for anyone interested in raising goats. Packed with helpful info, put together in an interesting way along with many personal stories that help the reader to learn more about goats, often with humour. Author seems extremely knowledgeable and writes in a way that is easy for the average person to understand.