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    Practical Goat Keeping and Farming
    Practical Goat Keeping and Farming
    Practical Goat Keeping and Farming
    Ebook121 pages1 hour

    Practical Goat Keeping and Farming

    By A. Abbey

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    About this ebook

    Originally published in 1935. "No other animal belonging to the category of smallholders stock will reward one so well in return for kindness and considerate treatment." - This detailed book on goat husbandry will prove invaluable to the amateur breeder. Contents Include: Breeds Housing Management Goatlings Breeding Kidding Feeding The Male Shows and Showing Ailments etc.Illustrated with photos. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHome Farm Books
    Release dateDec 21, 2016
    ISBN9781473348035
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      Book preview

      Practical Goat Keeping and Farming - A. Abbey

      13-14.

      PRACTICAL GOAT-KEEPING

      CHAPTER I

      BREEDS

      There are many different breeds of goats but it is my intention to mention only those that are likely to be obtainable in the British Isles and for which there is a section in the British Goat Society’s Herd Book.

      The Anglo-Nubian. This is said to have originated from crossing the Nubian and English goats many years ago, but be this as it may, there is now no sign whatever of the English parentage left in them. The Anglo-Nubian goat is usually a big animal with a fine skin and glossy coat, with very long pendulous ears and a definite Roman nose; it is, in fact, best described as camel-headed. There is a tendency for the jaws to be undershot when the type is very definite, but when this is so pronounced as to cause protrusion of the teeth it should be considered a fault as it prevents the front teeth in the lower jaw from closing on to the hard pad of the upper jaw, and thereby tends to make the biting of grass and twigs difficult, but if the animals are entirely stall-fed it makes very little difference to them.

      The Anglo-Nubian may be any colour, in fact it shows remarkable variation in this particular. There are numerous whole colours, and also specimens of beautiful marbled and spotted colourings in fawns, blacks, and whites, and this, in conjunction with their Eastern look, greatly adds to their bizarre appearance and is most attractive.

      Their milk yield is not so heavy as that of the Swiss breeds, but their butter fat percentage is decidedly higher; in fact, they are the Jersey cows of the goat world.

      The Toggenburg. This is a Swiss breed which originated in the valley of Toggenburg, from which it takes its name. It is on the small side as a rule, and often inclined to carry a good deal of rather long hair. The colouring varies from deep chocolate to pale drab and in England the drab colouring (resembling weak cocoa and milk) is usually preferred and considered the most typical of the breed; it is certainly a very soft and pretty colour and most unusual amongst animals. There are white or light fawn markings down each side of the face and from the knees or hocks to the feet, and a rather wide strip of white round about the tail and rump which spreads towards the thighs. The ears are small and pricked. In temperament the breed appears to be very gentle and quiet, seldom using the voice.

      These goats are not very heavy milkers but are very consistent in their yields and excel in long lactation. Their butter fat percentage is not high.

      The Saanen. This is another Swiss breed which was imported into England many years ago, but I believe had practically died out in its pure state until the importation of 1922 which was carried out by officials of the British Goat Society. In colouring they are white, but from my experience of the breed, I should say they are, or were, definitely of two types, one with very fine short hair, more resembling fur, with a tendency to stand up slightly, and the other with coarser and longer hair, which lies so flat that it gives one the impression of being short, until handled.

      These goats, like the Toggenburg, are on the small side, and are very affectionate and nice to work with.

      In the hands of British breeders they are improving in every respect and in the making of the British Saanen their value has been incalculable.

      There are many heavy milkers in this breed and in their length of lactation they are undoubtedly second to none.

      Their butter fats are about the average.

      British Toggenburg. This breed I should describe as an improved version of the Swiss Toggenburg. It was developed from British goats of Toggenburg colouring, including, as a rule, some blood of the Swiss Toggenburg, and it is now recognized as a definite breed. It is a larger and finer coated animal than the Toggenburg but the colouring is identical. On the average it is best described as a good milker both in quantity and quality of milk, and at the moment there are one or two outstanding animals of the breed.

      British Saanen. As with the British Toggenburgs, so it is with British Saanens; they are a great improvement on the breed from which they took the latter half of their name.

      This breed can undoubtedly claim to be very heavy milkers, with splendid length of lactation.

      They are usually decidedly on the big side and heavily built, but unfortunately a great many of them fail in their hind-quarters, being too narrow and their legs badly placed, thus causing their hocks to turn inwards.

      The British Alpine. This is another goat that has been made in England. but unlike the two previously mentioned it has no foreign prototype. It is black in colouring with the same white or pale fawn markings as the Toggenburg, usually referred to as Swiss markings. It is a big animal with very fine skin and coat and the contrasting colours of its markings make it both smart and striking in appearance. The breed includes many heavy milkers in its number and its butter fat percentage is in the same category as the majority of other British bred goats. It is very placid and silent, but seems to need more exercise than some of the other breeds.

      British. These goats can be any colour, but they are usually of Swiss type and often have white markings on the body, but nevertheless their size, build, and general conformation is frequently so good as to make them very attractive in appearance. As milkers they are excellent, both in quality and quantity of milk yield, and many of the highest recorded yields have been produced by them.

      English. This is a small, short-legged, thick-set goat, said to be indigenous to England. It occurs in varying shades of fawns, greys, and browns, and has a short but thick coat and is practically always horned; in fact, I am told by breeders of these animals that they do not like hornless ones. Its milking qualities have not been developed as in the other breeds.

      A BRITISH FEMALE

      Ch. Didgemere Dream Q**

      Breeder and Owner: Mrs. Arthur Abbey

      CHAPTER II

      HOUSING

      In many cases the accommodation for the goats has to be a converted stable or outhouse of some sort, so that it is not possible to have the ideal measurements or things just as one would like them. If the goat-house is to be built for the purpose, it should face south or south-west. On no account must it face north. I strongly advise the use of loose boxes in preference to stalls. For many years I have had my milkers in boxes 5 ft. square and I find this size splendid for them. It gives them plenty of room and allows space for a hay-rack, food pail, and water pail without any cramping, and also provides sufficient accommodation for attention to the animals in cases of kidding or illness. When no outhouse is available I have found very good results can be got by buying a sectional house made by one of the reputable poultry-house builders. The house needs to be made of stronger wood than for poultry, but this the manufacturers did for me for very little extra cost, and if I had to rebuild goat-houses they are unquestionably the people I should employ, as it comes so much cheaper than having a goat-house built of wood on the site and is quite as satisfactory. Of course, if one could have exactly what one wanted, regardless of cost, brick no doubt would be used, but the price is too high for the average person.

      A sectional house should be fitted on to a concrete floor with an extra six inches or so all round the outside.

      The building should be planned so that the boxes can be arranged opposite each other with a 4 ft. passage down the

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