6. Place the bars on a wire rack or shelf to air-dry for three or four weeks before using. Although you can use them sooner, they will last longer if given the proper amount of drying time.
Butter Bar
This is a great soap for someone who has extremely dry skin. When I first developed this recipe, I started using it on my face, which did not have dry skin, and within a week my skin broke out as if I were a teenager. I still love it as a hand and body soap in the middle of our cold, dry winters. I usually make this soap unscented because many people with dry skin tend to have allergy issues, but you can add an essential oil for fragrance if you like.
Makes approximately 11 5-ounce bars.
2 ounces castor oil
4 ounces cocoa butter
12 ounces coconut oil
20 ounces olive oil
4 ounces shea butter
2 ounces lanolin
13 ounces frozen goat milk
6 ounces lye
2 ounces essential oil (optional)
Facial Soap for Oily Skin
I made this for my youngest daughter when she was a teenager and started to get pimples on her face and back. It includes Australian green clay, which reputedly draws out oil from skin, and I added these particular essential oils because they tend to be astringent, especially the lemongrass.
Makes approximately 11 5-ounce bars.
4 ounces cocoa butter
16 ounces olive oil
8 ounces sunflower oil
6 ounces coconut oil
6 ounces palm oil
2 ounces castor oil
2 ounces grapeseed oil
13 ounces frozen goat milk
6 ounces lye
2 tablespoons Australian green clay
1 ounce lemongrass essential oil
½ ounce lime essential oil
½ ounce grapefruit essential oil
Unscented Mocha Java
I first made this soap using non-deodorized cocoa butter in 2003, thinking that it would smell like coffee and chocolate. When it didn’t, I decided never to make it again. But one of my customers fell in love with it and requests about ten bars every fall, so I keep making it, and other customers have also fallen in love with it. It’s especially good for cleaning your hands after you have been dicing onions or handling a stinky buck. It is important to allow the coffee grounds to air-dry before using them to make this soap, or the bars will be spongy.
Makes approximately 11 5-ounce bars.
24 ounces olive oil
8 ounces coconut oil
8 ounces palm oil
4 ounces cocoa butter
6 ounces lye
13 ounces milk
2–3 tablespoons used coffee grounds, dried
Goat milk soap is never very white, but it will be even darker if you add used coffee grounds, and you will also be able to see and feel the coffee grounds.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Last Thing I Learned from Coco
When I completed the first draft of this book and sent it to my publisher, I knew it was incomplete without a few final thoughts, but at that time, I wasn’t sure what else I needed to say. While the manuscript was being edited, however, I realized what was missing.
After a two-hour drive in the middle of the night to the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Coco died following the birth of quintuplets, and for only the second time in 11 years, I questioned why we were producing our own food rather than simply buying everything at the grocery store. Of course, it would be easier, but at that moment, I felt it would be so much less painful as well. In fact, many people ask me if it’s hard when an animal dies, regardless of whether it was slaughtered for food or died of natural causes.
Death is probably the most difficult thing that anyone ever has to deal with when living this lifestyle, but it is inevitable. Someone once said that all livestock becomes dead stock someday. In modern society, we don’t see the circle of life on a regular basis, and it probably comes as no surprise that the first few deaths on a homestead can feel devastating. When it comes to goats and other livestock, the more you own, the more often you will have to deal with death. Our herd averages around 18 milkers as well as a few older, retired does. It is unlikely that we will ever have a year when a goat does not die. Just as some humans are closer to us than others, there will be some goats that have a special place in your heart. Coco was one of those goats for me. As I mentioned in an earlier story, she always thought she was my baby and would try to crawl into my lap whenever I sat down. Even as we sat in the back seat on the drive to the veterinary hospital when she was in labor, she was trying to edge her over-sized pregnant body into my lap.
In her nine years of life, Coco Chanel gave us 27 kids and hundreds of gallons of milk. I think of her every day when I see her daughters Vera Wang and Nina Ricci. And I’m sure I’ll think of her often as her newborn Bella Freud grows up and becomes a mother and a milk goat. I can point to aging blocks of cheddar and Gouda that include milk that Coco produced and that we’ll be eating in the years to come.
Losing Coco was incredibly difficult, but when I consider the alternatives to producing our own meat and dairy products, I know this is the right path for us. We quit consuming factory-farmed meat in 1989 and were vegetarians for 14 years before we moved out here and started producing our own meat. And as we have learned to make more and more of our own dairy products, we have been able to eliminate purchasing factory-farmed milk and cheese. I sleep better at night knowing that the animals producing my food have names rather than ID numbers, and are loved and respected.
Raising goats and producing your own meat, milk, and other products is not the easiest lifestyle, and depending on how you manage your goats, it may or may not be the cheapest path. However, having your own goats can provide you with the freshest, most delicious dairy products, as well as all-natural meat, fertilizer, soap, and even leather. You will also wind up with priceless memories. Even though it was painful to say good-bye, I wouldn’t trade my nine years with Coco for anything.
Notes
1. M.Z. Ali Al Ahmad, Y. Chebloune, G. Chatagnon, J. L. Pellerin, and F. Fieni, “Is Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) Transmitted Vertically to Early Embryo Development Stages (Morulae or Blastocyst) Via In Vitro Infected Frozen Semen?” Abstract, Theriogenology 77, no. 8 (May 2012), doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.12.012.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, 1993–2010,” last updated November 12, 2012, cdc.gov/brucellosis/resources/surveillance.html.
3. “Docility,” Igenity, accessed May 19, 2013. igenity.com/beef/profile/Docility.aspx.
4. farad.org/wdilookup
5. Bridget Doyle, “City Extends Bidding Deadline for O’Hare Goat Herd,” Chicago Tribune, September 26, 2012. articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-26/news/ct-met-ohare-goats-deadline-extended-20120927_1_goat-animals-airport-property.
6. Dan Hoffman, “Mowing With Goats,” Google Official Blog, May 01, 2009. googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/mowing-with-goats.html.
7. Beth Burrit, “Mineral Nutrition: Are Animals Nutritionally Wise?” Natural Resources, Utah State University, April, 2012. https://extension.usu.edu/behave/ou-files/Mineral-Nutr.pdf
8. N. A. Tufani et al., “Rumen Acidosis in Small Ruminants and Its Therapeutic Management,” Iranian Jornal of Applied Animal Science, March 2013. academia.edu/2937914/Ruminal_Acidosis_in_Small_Ruminants_and_Its_Therapeutic_management
9. M. D. Mahbubur Rahman, et al., “Prevalence of Ruminal Lactic Acidosis and Clinical Assessments of Four Therapeutics in Goats of Bangladesh,” Journal of Veterinary Clinics, January, 2014. researchgate.net/publication/265795186_Rumenal_acidosis
10. Burrit, “Mineral Nutrition.”
11. P. Schmidely, et al., “Influence of Extruded Soybeans With or Without Bicarbonate on Milk Performance and Fatty Acid Composition of Goat Milk,” Journal of Dairy Science, February 2005. journalofdairyscience.or
g/article/S0022-0302(05)72739-9/pdf
12. D. S. Kommuru, et al., “Use of Pelleted Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza Cuneata) for Natural Control of Coccidia and Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Weaned Goats,” Veterinary Parasitology, April 2014: 204.
13. Sue Stehman and Mary Smith, “Goat Parasites: Management and Control” (revised September 2004), (presentation at ECA Symposium on Goat Health, June 3, 1995) accessed May 19, 2013. ansci.cornell.edu/goats/Resources/GoatArticles/GoatHealth/GoatParasites/Parasites-SM.pdf.
14. Steve Hart, “Dewormers and Dewormer Resistance,” American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control. sheepandgoat.com/ACSRPC/Resources/dewormersHart.html.
15. Linda Coffey, et al., “Tools for Managing Internal Parasites in Small Ruminants: Copper Oxide Wire Particles,” NCAT/ATTRA and Southern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control, 2007. sheepandgoat.com/ACSRPC/Resources/PDF/COWP.pdf.
16. J. M. Burke, et al., “Examination of Commercially Available Copper Oxide Wire Particles in Combination with Albendazole for Control of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Lambs,” Veterinary Parasitology, 215, 2016: 1–4.
17. J. M. Burke, et al., “Administration of Copper Oxide Wire Particles in a Capsule or Feed for Gastrointestinal Nematode Control in Goats,” Veterinary Parasitology, 168, 3/4, 2010: 346–350.
18. J. M. Burke and J. E. Miller, “Dietary Copper Sulfate for Control of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Goats,” Veterinary Parasitology, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 154, 3/4, 2008: 289–293.
19. J. M. Burke, A. Wells, P. Casey, and R. M. Kaplan, “Herbal Dewormer Fails to Control Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Goats,” Veterinary Parasitology, 160: doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.10.080, 2009: 168–70.
20. Stehman and Smith, “Goat Parasites” (see n. 13).
21. John Matthews, Diseases of the Goat, 4th edition, (Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2016), 252.
22. Sandra G. Solaiman, Goat Science and Production, (Ames, Iowa: Blackwell, 2010), 168.
23. N. A. Tufani, et al., “Rumen Acidosis in Small Ruminants and Its Therapeutic Management,” Iranian Journal of Applied Animal Science, 2013: 19–24; and S. M. S. Islam, et al., “Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate on Induced Lactic Acidosis in Black Bengal Goats,” Wayamba Journal of Animal Science, 2014: 1044–1057.
24. M. Z. Ali Al Ahmad et al., “Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus” (see n. 1).
25. Mary C. Smith and David M. Sherman, Goat Medicine, (West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), 319.
26. Matthews, Diseases of the Goat, 204–231.
27. M. Delgado-Pertiñez, et al., “Influence of Kid Rearing Systems on Milk Yield, Kid Growth and Cost of Florida Dairy Goats,” Small Ruminant Research, Volume 81, Issues 2–3, February 2009: 105–111.
28. M. Delgado-Pertiñez, et al., “Effect of Artificial vs. Natural Rearing on Milk Yield, Kid Growth and Cost in Payoya Autochthonous Dairy Goats,” Small Ruminant Research, Volume 84, Issues 1–3, June 2009: 108–115.
29. M. Soller and H. Angel, “Polledness and Abnormal Sex Ratios in Saanen Goats,” Journal of Heredity, 1964: 139–42.
30. Smith and Sherman, Goat Medicine, 609.
31. M. Hogberg, “Milk Yield and Composition in Swedish Landrace Goats Kept Together with Their Kids in Two Different Systems.” Master’s thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2011: 8.
32. K. Olsson and M. Hogberg, “Plasma Vasopressin and Oxytocin Concentrations Increase Simultaneously During Suckling in Goats,” Journal of Dairy Research, 76, 1, February 2009: 15–19.
33. H. Hernandez, et al., “Maternal Olfaction Differentially Modulates Oxytocin and Prolactin Release During Suckling in Goats,” Hormones and Behavior, Volume 42, Issue 2, September 2002: 232–244.
Glossary
browse: Small trees, bushes, and leaves eaten by goats. A browser is an animal that prefers to eat those foods.
buck: A male goat.
buckling: A male kid.
cover: To breed, as in “The buck covered the doe.”
cud: Food that is regurgitated from the goat’s first stomach to be chewed again before going to the second stomach.
curd: The solid mass that is formed when making cheese; coagulated milk.
dehorn: To remove horns that have already started to grow.
disbud: To burn the horn buds so that horns don’t grow.
dam: A mother goat.
doe: A female goat.
doeling: A female kid.
dry doe: An adult female goat that is not in milk.
dry-off: To stop milking a goat; the end of lactation.
flocculation: The point at which milk begins to turn into curds.
freshen: To start making milk; used synonymously with “give birth.”
horn buds: Bumps on the top of a kid’s head that will grow into horns; not to be confused with polled bumps.
inflations: The part of a milking machine that goes over the doe’s teats.
in-milk: A doe that is making milk.
kid: A baby goat.
poll: The top of a goat’s head.
polled: A goat that does not have the genetic ability to grow horns but will grow small bumps on top of its head.
rumen: A goat’s first stomach.
ruminant: An animal with four stomachs that chews its cud.
saponification: When a mixture of oils, lye, and milk turns into soap.
scurs: Small bits of horn that may grow after disbudding.
settle: To get pregnant.
sire: A father goat; “to sire” is to father kids, as in “The buck sired four doelings.”
wether: A castrated male goat.
Suggested Reading
Books
Caldwell, Gianaclis. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking: The Ultimate Guide for Home-Scale and Market Producers. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012.
Leverentz, James R. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cheese Making. Alpha Books, 2010.
Matthews, John. Diseases of the Goat, 4th ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2016.
Smith, Mary C. and David M. Sherman, Goat Medicine, 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
Solaiman, Sandra G. Goat Science and Production. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
Websites
American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control: wormx.info
American Dairy Goat Association: adga.org
American Goat Society: americangoatsociety.com
American Institute for Goat Research, Langston University: luresext.edu
Cornell Goat Program: blogs.cornell.edu/goats/resources
Langston University, Medications Commonly Used in Goats: www2.luresext.edu/goats/training/Goatmeds.pdf
Maryland Small Ruminant Page: sheepandgoat.com
Recipe Index
Antiquity Oaks Heritage Cheddar 288
Butter Bar (soap) 312
Camembert 285
Caramel Coffee Creamer 264
Caramel Sauce 265
Chèvre 277
Facial Soap for Oily Skin (soap) 313
Feta 283
Gjetost 269
Goat Goulash 301
Indian Goat and Sweet Potatoes 300
Mozzarella 272
Paneer 271
Pumpkin Chèvre Cheesecake 278
Queso Blanco 267
Ricotta 270
Traditional Cheddar 290
Unscented Mocha Java (soap) 314
Index
abortion, 130–132, 136
abscesses, 132–133
acidosis, 133
acid-ripened cheeses, 258, 267–274
aged cheeses, 7, 253–254, 256–257, 259, 285
AGID (agar gel immunodiffusion) test, 137
albendazole, 106, 107, 116, 131
alcohol, cleaning with, 74
alfalfa hay, in diet, 82, 89, 151, 157, 158
alfalfa pellets, 82, 83, 84, 246
Alpines, 12, 13, 18, 19, 28, 30, 228
alternative dewormers, 115–120
American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), 13, 31, 34, 3
5
American Goat Society (AGS), 31, 34, 35
ammonium chloride, 169, 184
amniotic sac, 201–202
Amprolium, 104
anaphylactic shock, 170
anemia, 39, 95, 96, 98, 115, 116, 151
Angora goats, 26–28, 158
Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA), 108
anthelmintic herbs, 117–118, 125
antibiotics, 5, 7, 76, 77, 131, 143–144, 148, 163
Antiquity Oaks Heritage Cheddar, 288–289
appraisals. See classifications.
Artemisia, 117–118
artificial insemination (AI), 31, 143, 182
baby bottles, 219
baby monitors, for kidding, 192
Bailey, Lacia Lynne, 174
baking soda, in treatments, 89–91, 135, 140
banding, of bucks, 230
bankrupt worm, 97
barbed wire, 47–48
barber pole worms, 39, 95–97
barn hygiene, 234–235
barn records, 33
Beck, Sue, 24
bedding, 43–44, 105, 123, 141, 191, 234–355
behavior, of goats, 63–68, 180–181.
See also herd behavior.
belly, and kidding, 196–197
benzimidazole dewormers, 106
bicarbonate, production, 89–90, 135
birthing, 176, 177, 189–212
birth interventions, 189, 199, 201, 202–204, 207
black scour worm, 97
bloat, 133–136
blow dryers, for kidding, 192–193
body condition, 71, 88
body temperature, 71, 75, 142, 163, 165. See also hypothermia.
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