The Backyard Goat: An Introductory Guide to Keeping and Enjoying Pet Goats, from Feeding and Housing to Making Your Own Cheese

by Sue Weaver

Pulling carts around the farm or serving as loyal pack animals, goats are naturally hardworking and make for friendly companions. This straightforward guide teaches you how to choose, house, feed, train, and breed the best goats for your space and needs. Whether you want to churn out fresh dairy products, harvest soft cashmere for knitting, or keep goats as playful pets, The Backyard Goat makes it easy to enjoy the benefits of owning goats, with no experience necessary.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2011

About the author

Sue Weaver has written hundreds of articles and ten books about livestock and poultry. She is a contributing editor of Hobby Farms magazine and writes the “Poultry Profiles” column for Chickens magazine. Sue lives on a small farm in Arkansas, which she shares with her husband, a flock of Classic Cheviot sheep and a mixed herd of goats, horses large and small, a donkey, two llamas, a riding steer, a water buffalo, a pet razorback pig, guinea fowl, and Buckeye chickens.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really wish I had had this book when we were raising goats! It is a great book! Lots of good information, both practical and historical. Author Sue Weaver has done a great job putting together a very helpful book!

[Emily Brogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very educational. A resource I would definitely revisit when buying my own goats.

[Cade Salem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It had really cool pictures and a good book for learning about Goats

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST beginning goat farmer book I have read! After having dairy goats for 5 years now, I have perhaps graduated beyond the beginner dairy goat books to know enough if they are good starter books or not. Sue Weaver covers it all in this book beginning with where goats originated and including breeds of goats I honestly haven’t even heard of before. She uses photo’s, drawings, and side notes to incorporate as much information in a book as possible.
She covers information on milk goats, fiber goats, and pack goats from where to purchase them through their kidding days. Training tips and techniques for pack goats. Milk processing and recipes for milk goats. Shearing know how’s for fiber goats.
Included are housing and feeding needs, health of the goats and emergency care needs.
She includes Goat Tales from literature for a touch of humor. Extremely well written book with insight galore but not in a bogged down know it all way.
Even for the seasoned goat farmer I recommend this book as a basic resource. I learned things I hadn’t known and found beginning concepts I was unable to find in other books on goats.
5 plus stars!
I received a copy of this book from Storey Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

[Fernleaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book for anyone thinking about (or finding themselves with) a new goat. This book is geared much more towards the pet goat and includes chapters not only on milking, kidding, health, and general keeping, but also on packing, fiber, and harness goats. A great easy-to-follow book that gives you the important information without any fuss and keeps it interesting with sidebars that include tidbits of mythology, history and trivia.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely think it'd be fun to have a goat after reading this book. I still feel lacking in information though, like what a good shelter would look like or have, where do I buy food (some guesses here) and how much could I expect it to be (certainly easy to find out). Also gotta figure out which of my friends might be up for some goat-sitting when I'm out of town, which may be the biggest hurdle...

[Bonnie Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great first book to read about goats. Everything from the history of goats, to stories of goats in the military and goat fairy tales, to breed characteristics, to packgoats. Highly recommended for anyone just starting to think about getting goats.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're wondering if you might want a backyard goat, this is a good place to start. Covers the basics on pretty much everything you might like to know.

And the verdict for me? No. I will not be getting goats.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I don't own goats yet, but I plan to, and have read lots of books on the topic. This was the best. It was so thorough, well-explained, and made me feel closer to being somewhat ready for the challenge!! The author's love for goats shone through and made it an enjoyable read.

[Zahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative with tons of tips that help me with my goats

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much great information!

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love goats, and this book was a great daydream fuel reading experience. Lots of sensible information, and some really cute photography.

[Jennifer Shilley]

AWESOME BOOK HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[Jennifer]

A good resource.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't keep to study. Had an excellent calendar for tasks.