Clark’s Eye on Books

By Clark Isaacs
Living with Goats
Author: Margaret Hathaway, Photographs by Karl Schatz
ISBN: 978-1-59921-492-4, Pages: 198, $24.95, Publication Date: October 1, 2009,
Hardcover, Non-Fiction, Published by The Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot
Press

Raising Meat Goats for Profit

Author: Gail B. Bowman
ISBN: 978-0-9670381-0-3, Pages 255, $19.95, Publication Date: 1999, Soft-cover, Non-
Fiction, Published by Bowman Communications Press

August is National Goat Cheese Month! There are many recipes for making goat cheese
on the internet, but the best way to obtain this delicacy is from your neighborhood
grocery store. Goats are people-friendly and historically important for the three major
religions. In the spring all these sects are often highlighted by their celebrations involving
goats or goat meat (Chevon).

Living with Goats by Margaret Hathaway is being published October 1, 2009 and is an
excellent resource book for those who want to raise either dairy or meat goats. Finding
good information about goats is very difficult if you do not have access to the internet.
Few books are desk reference manuals where you can look up sites and suppliers of
unique materials related to goat raising. This book is clearly that manual.

The “How To-s” in this book relate to testing for diseases, what to look for in buying
goats, and how to connect with an experienced mentor that will ease the selection
process.

A short-coming of the book is it does not specifically get into the treatment of problems
encountered by the novice goat herder, but does send the reader scurrying to obtain more
information. Experienced Veterinarians take courses relating to goats, however, very few
have been exposed to daily treatment. Establishing a goat facility for either dairy or meat
production and interviewing the right Veterinarian is vital for keeping the herd healthy.

Another book is Raising Meat Goats for Profit by Gail Bowman. Even though this book
was written in 1999, it contains many great ideas for calculating costs of feeding, care,
and profit. Some of the methods are greatly detailed and describe the care of goats which
is very helpful, but the dollar amounts are dated when it comes to the cost of feed and
resale. Changing to today’s costs is not difficult since the basic formulas are there.

Some special recipes are contained in Bowman’s book. Chevon is the name given to goat
meat and how to prepare it is quite different than beef preparation. Think about Texas
Ranch-Style Gumbo or Chevon Teriyaki or Stir-Fry Chevon with Green onions, just to
name a few. They are wonderfully described in this book. Goat meat is lower in
cholesterol and fat. It is actually more heart healthy than chicken!
Chevon is not readily available in the stores because the demand has not been great in the
United States. World-wide consumption of Chevon is 63%. As more marketing of the
beneficial use of this meat is forthcoming, the consumer will become more educated. The
United States only imports 1 million metric tons of Chevon per year because there are not
enough goats being raised domestically. This is an opportunity to become a goat herder.

Together these books discuss how prolific goat raising has become. Each Doe is capable
of having 1.5 kids per gestation period. This means that on average they can have 3 kids
per year since the gestation period is 5 months. Many goats have triplets and it is
common to have twins. Goat herds grow in population very quickly and it is possible to
have 60 goats in a very short time. Goats are very manageable because they are docile.
Even a small child can lead them around by a leash. Where you live determines how you
will care for goats.

Author Bowman says “meat goats are not jumpers because of their weight”. Fencing is
very important because all goats are “escape artists”. In the desert, you do not need the
shelter of a barn, but if you live in Maine or another cold climate, it is important to have
warmth in the winter.

Both of these books are recommended as being useful in the care and feeding of goats.
However, if you have been raising goats for some time, you already know most of the
facts contained in these books. New goat owners or those considering raising goats will
benefit from the basics discussed.

= 30 =

Publisher Weekly Best Selling Books:

Week of August 24, 2009

Fiction

1 South of Broad. Conroy, Pat;

Doubleday/Nan A. Talese, $29.95. ISBN 978-0-385-41305-3.
2 Smash Cut. Sandra Brown;
Simon & Schuster, $26.99. ISBN 978-1-416-56308-2.
3 The Help. Kathryn Stockett;
Putnam/Amy Einhorn, $24.95. ISBN 9780399155345.
4 That Old Cape Magic. Richard Russo;
Knopf, $25.95. ISBN 978-0-375-41496-1.
5 The Girl Who Played with Fire. Stieg Larsson;
Knopf, $25.95. ISBN 978-0-307-26998-0.

Non-Fiction

1 Culture of Corruption. Malkin, Michele.;

Regnery, $27.95. ISBN 978-1-59698-109-6.
2 Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julia Child;
Knopf, $40. ISBN 978-0-375-41340-7.
3 Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man. Steve Harvey;
Amistad, $23.99. ISBN 978-0-06-172897-6.
4 Outliers. Malcolm Gladwell;
Little, Brown, $27.99. ISBN 9780316017923.
5 In the President’s Secret Service. Kessler, Ronald;
Crown, $26. ISBN 978-0-307-46135-3.

Are there any books you would like reviewed? This column will find those which are
of special interest for your reading pleasure. Visit Clark Isaacs at
http://clarkisaacs.ning.com and tell him what you would like to have him write about.
Visit the website and find out more about the book swap section.

DO NOT PRINT AFTER Here!!!

Send (2) Tear Sheets to:

Living with Goats

The Lyons Press
Imprint of Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane
P O Box 480
Guilford CT 06437-0480

Send Tear Sheet for

Raising Meat Goats for Profit

Gail Bowman
276 N Baltic Place, Suite A
Meridian, ID 83642