BRYN HOLLOW FARM |
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;void(0)) The Absolute Basics of Goat Care (Picture is of Gretel when just a couple of days old, born in winter and borrowing the puppie's coat to stay warm.
1. It is absolutely essential that your goat is wormed every 3 months using a rotational worming system, changing the wormer used for each of at least 3 cycles. Wormers include among others: Ivomectin Drench or Ivomec Injectables, Safeguard for Goats, Valbuzen, and others. A goat that isn't wormed routinely is a goat whose life is at risk. 2. When wormed the goat's hooves need to be trimmed. There are many Hoof Trimmers on the market, the ones with the orange handles work well. Some people use manuel type sheep shears. There are goat care books or manuels with illustrations, Hawk's Mt. Ranch has a manual available and you can visit their site for more infomation. 3. For worming, giving injections, or hoof trimming you might want to get a lesson or two, 4-H leaders and many herders will be happy to help. Most injections are given Sub-Q, under the skin, but some antibiotics are injected into the muscles and here again the help of an experienced goat herder or vet is essential for novices. 4. Goats need to be innoculated against diseases, just as children do. CDT and Covexin 8 are the two basic choices available. Some breeders are adament that innoculations need to be given every 6 months and some vets claim they only innoculate once a year. I innoculate every 6 months, but the most important thing is to not let your goat go over a year without innoculations. Usually you give CDT, worm, and do hooves at the same time and if it isn't a CDT cycle just worm and trim hooves. Keep good herd records, what was given, dates, etc. It is also very wise to keep a bottle of Epinephrine on hand in case your goat has an allergic reaction to a medication. I've never had to use it but keep it close when innoculating or giving any type of injection. Heard of a horse dying from a reaction and the owners just didn't have the Epinephrine on hand. It is very cheap to buy and if you do need it, very worthwhile to own. Kids need to be innoculated at 6 weeks-2 months old and to have this repeated every 1-2 months until they receive 2-3 innoculations. Here again opinions vary. I usually use a drench for the first worming, but this too is opinion. 5. Goats and Grain, to give or not to give, how much, and who gets it can be confusing. Pregnant does need 1 lb. of grain for 3-6 weeks before kidding and while nursing. Bucks, especially in the winter and before and during breeding season tend to need grain. Wethers shouldn't have corn or very little. There is a grain put out by Purina specifically for wethers that has an additive that prevents a build up of phospherous in their urinary tract. If the track gets blocked the wether can die. Surgery is a costly treatment, and even with this treatment options you have to identify the problem in time or better yet, prevent it. Pygmy goats and also Pygoras are at high risk for this problem. I'll give my wethers oats at times or feed oat hay with alfalfa. Pregant does need grain and vitamin B12 a couple of weeks before kidding, a doe that is too fat is at risk for getting Toxemia. I had one doe who I felt was at risk and drenched her with Red Cell (for horses) which has all the vitamins, mineral, nutrients, etc. She did get alfalfa for feed and the Red Cell alternative worked well, she was in perfect weight by the time she kidded. I use Red Cell as a drench even for those does on grain just to make sure they are in optimal condition for kidding. It also is excellent as a treatment if a goat has anemia or is sick. You can also give your wethers/goats a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar in their water or slices of apples, this helps keep the urinary tract clear and helps with controlling the sex of offspring. Supposedly vinegar will lead to more does being born than bucklings. 6. Your goat also needs mineral salts. In Oregon where we don't have selenium in the soil you can buy salt and mineral salt mixes with selenium. Other areas may not have a problem with this or even have a lot of Selenium in the soil. There are mineral mix salts and soft blocks specifically for goats or goats/sheep. Hard salt blocks will break their teeth. When it is hot they eat lots of salt and minerals so the supply needs to be checked daily. 7. Goats need clean water and pails cleaned on a daily basis. 8. Goats are also fussy about what they eat, it is not true that they eat anything or everything. They will not eat grain if it falls on the ground and can be fussy about which hay or feed they like. While my ducks optimize the sloppiness of the goats eating habits, I still haven't found the perfect feeder. I prefer feeding bags for hay, but home made wooden feeders work well, and the metal feeders can be problematic. Kids can jump in them and get injured and they do put their heads inbetween the bars and can get it stuck. Goats might chew on plastic or plants that are poisonous and so it is important to make sure your pasture is free of poisonous plants or flowers. Your Agricultural Extension Office can help with advise. If a goat does eat a poisonous plant and a vet is called, there is a charcoal solution drenched into their stomach that could save their lives. 9. Having a good vet who knows about goats is a must, ask other goat breeders or owners which vet they use and prefer in your area. 10. The most dangerous disease and killer is Cocacideosis, it kills and it kills quickly. Kids and young goats, but really goats of any age, are suseptible. This is one reason why worming on time is so critical, too many worms can lead to Cocacideosis which is also a parasitical worm. Change of season, especially the Fall when winter is approaching, places stress on goats and can lead to Cocacidiosis. There is a preventative mix called the Brownsville Mix which should be given regularly in late summer and Fall or even regularly. There are liquid drenches as well available from a vet, both as a treatment and prevention and for large herds or for multiple animals, especially if one goat falls sick, it can be added to the water for all the goats. Chronic watery diarhea, lethary, loss of appetite, and sometimes caughing are symptoms to be ware of and you don't have much time to figure out there is a problem before it is too late. Prevention is best. 11. Any situation that places stress on a goat can lead to the goat getting ill, catching a cold, caughing, getting scours, etc. 12. Goats get colds just as people do and caugh and get runny noses. Keep an eye on a caughing goat because a cold can turn into pneumonia quickly. I usually give penicillin if the caugh gets worse or hasn't cleared in a few days. I've had two goats get pneumonia, Kaitlan contracted pneumonia as a kid after being injured. She couldn't stand up for 3 days (dormancy of this type often leads to pneumonia) and a young goat who fell ill right after a goat show. Your vet has medication and injectable medicines that work well, like Naxsel which is given with other medications such as Banomine. Both of my goats recovered, but it took a lot of intensive care for a week or more. If a doe rejects a kid after nursing it without problems, that kid could have an illness that is life threatening. The does know when their kids are very ill. With the treated kid who was injured and then sick, the doe took her back as soon as she was recovering as I gradually reintegrated her back into the herd with her mother, at first for a couple of hours so she could nurse, but by the next day or two she was back with her mom full time. She is now over a year old and has had no subsequent problmes, but she is still a bit of a dare devil as she recently leaped over a 4' gate as if it wasn't even a challenge. 13. Goats get scours (diarea) and most of the time it is from a change of diet, eating too much grain, the new wet grass of spring, or eating something they shouldn't have. Usually you can give them Immodium or another such over the counter remedy to clear it up. There is Probios as well and a sheep paste that has worked well. Just watch the situation closely, if the diarea is very watery suspect Cocacideosis. Prevention isn't that difficult and early treatment absolutely necessary and it is better to be safe than sorry. There are electrolyte powders that can be added to water which can help with all types of illness' but is especially good when scours is a problem. 15. Goats, if they get into the grain, eat too much grain after not having any for a long time, or just eat too much can get bloated and die from nitrogen poisoning. I keep Therabloat on hand, but there are other remedies. 14. Pregnant does need a bit of extra care, even besides getting grain good hay that has a high level of nitrogen, such as orchard grass or alfalfa, or a mix, and they really like the oat hay which may not be enough on its own. Sometimes pregnant does have trouble competing, they are trying to be careful and make sure they aren't injured to protect the kids in their uterus. I seperate my does to feed them, but some goats are just not competitive ever. Older goats or weak goats or injured goats fall in this category and I have a TLC barn and small pasture for the elders and some of the non-competers. These elders, over 12 in some cases, get a lot of extras as well. Still, no matter what I do they are getting very old and that's a scary thought. These are just the basics. One more thing, make sure your fencing is good and safe. If the goats have horns use fencing that they can't get their heads into and even with this, always know where your wire clippers are located. If there is a way to get in trouble a goat will discover it. While a vet is the best person to consult or a very experienced herder (and in some areas the feed store), feel free to email me at Phereae@Aol.Com with questions if you have any. There are also many excellent books available on goat care, goat health problems, etc. | Contact Us | Articles on Pycazz | Newsletter | Goat Care, Bottle Kids, Fiber Types & Harvesting F | Links | Family & Other Favorite Pictures | | Return Home | About Our Farm and FAQ | Fiber & Fiber Products | Whethers and Friends | Kids and Does for Sale, etc. | Cattle, Sheep, Horse and others | Pycazz Goat Breeders Association and Registry | |
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