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Lessons, stories, and reflections from the Goat Midwife
There is nothing about goat care that creates more anticipation, excitement, frustration, and fear than birthing goats. What can you expect with a goat pregnancy? What do you do if things go wrong when goats give birth? What happens when you have a challenging newborn kid?
Seasoned goat farmer Deborah Niemann, author of Raising Goats Naturally, answers these questions and more by distilling the stories and experiences from over 600 goat pregnancies and births. Coverage includes:
- The differences between normal goat pregnancies
- Necessary C-sections
- Incidents that may turn deadly serious.
For both new and experienced goat owners, Goats Giving Birth illuminates the joy, the sadness, and everything in between when birthing pregnant goats, giving you the confidence to handle a large spectrum of goat pregnancies and help birth happy thriving kids.
"Anyone new to goats should read this book! Deborah Niemann explains the process of goat birthing with clarity through many examples of what can go right or wrong. She teaches us to, above all, keep a level head."
—Rebecca Sanderson, lifetime country girl, writer, Goat Journal, Backyard Chickens, and Countryside & Small Stock Journal
"This book is as engrossing as it is invaluable to anyone anticipating goat births. Deborah Niemann's practical guide describes real-life experiences to complement any textbook knowledge— because so many births are not textbook cases. Instructive and sometimes poignant stories are accompa- nied by helpful photographs and enlightened advice."
—Tamsin Cooper, goatwriter.com
"A delightfully excellent and informative kidding resource complete with great photos for new and experienced goat owners alike!"
—Katherine Drovdahl, MH CA CR CEIT DipHIr QTP, and author, The Accessible Pet, Equine and Livestock Herbal
"It's the most wonderful (and frightening) time of the year! From normal births to problem deliveries, all new goat owners could use an experienced mentor during kidding season. Goats Giving Birth is like having a long-time goat-owning friend waiting at your fingertips."
—Marissa Ames, editor, Goat Journal magazine
"If you are starting out keeping goats and forming a breeding program, you need this book. It's full of wisdom, practical experience, and reality. Be ready with advice from a long-time goat keeper. There is no sugar coating between the covers, although there are plenty of great photos to add to the written word. Niemann tells it like it is, the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking, but with good reason. As a goat owner interested in breeding, you need to know this important information. Grab a copy and settle in for a well-crafted read that travels through the years of a respected goat keeper's life."
—Janet Garman, TimberCreekFarmer.com, author, 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Goats and The Good Life Guide to Keeping Sheep and Other Fiber Animals
"Birth: both thrilling and terrifying to novice and experienced herdsmen. So much can go wrong— and right! Through actual accounts of goat births from normal to difficult, Goats Giving Birth prepares readers for the many ways that goats bring life into the world. Highly recommended."
—Karen Kopf, Kopf Canyon Ranch
"Goats Giving Birth is such a useful book for anyone who plans to raise goats and wants to be prepared for labor and delivery. But it's also useful for those of us who have been tending to goat births for many years! The pic- tures are high quality and extremely educational. The vast experience held in these pages will prepare you for just about any possibility you might encounter as your doe's midwife. Even though I've helped bring well over 100 goat kids into the world and have nurtured my share of weak babies, I learned so many new tips and sage pieces of advice from this book."
—Kate Johnson, author, Tiny Goat, Big Cheese, and writer for Goat Journal
Deborah Niemann and her family moved to the country in 2002 to start producing their own food organically, including their own goat cheese. Before she knew what happened, 2 milk goats turned into 20, and a desire to make a simple chèvre launched a whole new career helping people raise their goats. Deborah is the author of Homegrown and Handmade, Ecothrifty, and Raising Goats Naturally. She teaches online courses on raising goats and chickens at the University of Massachusetts and contributes to magazines such as Hobby Farms, GRIT, Mother Earth News, Chickens, and Urban Farm. Deborah maintains a homesteading blog from her farm in Cornell, Illinois. thriftyhomesteader.com
Introduction
Disclaimer
1. Normal Births
Cleo's twin doelings
It's triplets!
Sherri's triplets (for the sixth time)
2. Normal But Different Births
Bonnie's big baby bonanza!
Bonnie's quads
Three breech bucks
Jo's quads
Victoria's twins
Kidding at 17 below zero
3 Not So Normal Births
Always more to learn: Giselle's birth
Our most puzzling birth ever
Lizzie's triplets
Alex's final kidding
4. Caesarean Section Births
Our first C-section
Lesson learned via C-section
5. Challenges With Newborns
Sucking disorder in a goat kid?
Cheating death
You save some
A blind kid?
Linguine update—the not-so-blind goat
Lessons in neonatal goat care
6 Death
Farewell and thank you, Coco
Our most challenging birth...with a happy ending
Some decisions just suck
Farewell, Sadie
7. Final Thoughts
Index
About the Author
About New Society Publishers