Critterhaven Farm's Goat Care and Maintenance
Updated 7-5-10
First off, let me start by saying that no two farms are the same in their routine or medical care. If there is anything I've learned in the 8 years we have owned goats, it is that you can't follow exactly what another farm does, and you can't keep to the same routine, but rather you have to follow what your goats tell you. Their environment constantly changes, and so should their care. I have been a vet tech for 20 years now, so I do alot of my own vet work with my vet's guidance. But there is no substitute for a good goat vet. Make sure you have an emergency number for a knowledgeable goat vet at all times.
As of 2010, this is what we do.
Feeding:
During the summer when it is nice and wet and the grass is high, well they eat it. Then the does get alfalfa hay daily or if it is not available they get alfalfa pellets from our local Feed Store daily. The bucks get good timothy/orchard hay and the does may get it if we can't find alfalfa, but I prefer alfalfa for the does and kids. I also feed once daily a small amount of the grain mixture below.
During the winter months or when there is little or no browse, they get good quality timothy/orchard grass hay daily and a blend of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, Rolled Oats, Beet Pulp, Alfalfa pellets, and a 12-16% goat feed from our local feed store..currently it's Noble Goat by Purina so the bucks are reducing their risk of developing urinary calculi. On occasion when needed we also have added Cottonseed Meal and Soybean meal. The amount of protein needed depends on if the girls are in milk or not. The more milk production they need the more alfalfa they get, along with the good quality timothy/orchard hay. I will occasionally substitute the sweet feed with a medicated pellet feed from the co-op. In other words, we play it by ear.
Now the doelings that are being weaned, bottle fed, or on their own up to about 6 months of age, I give a mixture of calf manna, beet pulp, BOSS, and rolled oats. They also get a block of alfalfa hay daily. I've found this feed is gentle enough on their rumens so that it is an easy transition from one farm to another, and keeps their systems healthy all season long. If needed we have added Noble Goat dairy feed by Purina which is medicated for coccidia treatment. This along with the Baycox (see below) has curbed the coccidia here at the farm.
We also have added last year a wonderful product called Chaffhaye. This is basically alfalfa in a bag and our goats LOVE it! I first heard of this product from Teresa Robbins of Little Wishes Farm, and then when we purchased Ruby from Dawn Eaves of Sun's Wakin' Up Farm she used it also, so after that we found a local dealer down in Cornersville and have been hooked on it. Rather the goats have! I can either put it out free choice (although it doesn't last long that way) or I'll mix it in with the feed in the bucket, about 6 handfuls at a time.
We are being VERY careful to find hay with little to no fescue in it.
Minerals:
All of our goats have access to fresh loose mineral at all times. We use Sweetlix Caprine Milk Maker, and after having used the meat maker in the past, we find higher production and better conditioning all around using the Milk Maker instead.
Baking Soda:
We try to leave this out fresh as much as possible, refilling it in the bins daily. We have holders to put the minerals and the baking soda in the barn so it is covered and out of the open. We have found that if we put it just out of their reach, but then place a concrete block or something for them to step on to get to it, it keeps them from soiling it with poop pellets. I hope to find some kelp to add to their mineral bins also.
Vaccinations:
We have been following this vaccination schedule since we have been raising goats, having acquired it from a friend of ours, and it works great for us.
All of our does are given a CDT shot annually a month before they kid. We also give our does a 1cc BO-SE shot then also, beginning this year and we really saw a difference. Our bucks are given a shot then also annually and then they get a BO-SE shot before breeding. The doe kids get their first CDT at one month of age, the bucklings usually at 2 weeks and then all get a booster three weeks later. 2cc per goat no matter the size. We use the goat CDT from TSC. We may give the first CDT shot earlier depending on when the kid is disbudded (boys usually are done first), but we still follow up with a booster 2 weeks later.
This next kidding season
(Spring 2010) we
will also be vaccinating against pneumonia. We have been recommended to
use Colorado Serum's pasteurella vaccine. Mannheimia Haemolytica-Pasteurella
Multocida Bacterin. We will continue it's usage if it works for us at the
following schedule: Inject 2 ml SQ. Administer a 2nd dose at 2 to 4 weeks.
Animals vaccinated at less than 3 months of age should be revaccinated at
weaning or at 4 to 6 months of age.
Worming:
Let's face it, we are in the south and it is wormy here! This year has been particularly wet. Good for the gardens and grass growing. Bad for goats due to parasites. We like rotating wormers, using a clear wormer and a white wormer alternately. Our wormer of choice was ivomec plus, and we do this at a dose of 1cc per 55# given orally. We worm does after they kid and then repeat it in about 10 days and then again 10 days later. We deworm the kids at about 4 weeks of age, and then repeat it for at least 3 more times about 2 weeks apart. If any show signs of worms we do a fecal sample and treat accordingly. We treat for coccidia now using a new drug by Bayer called Baycox. It is only available overseas and not labeled for goat use. We use it at 3 weeks of age and then every 3 weeks until 15 weeks of age. It was recommended to us to use it at 1cc per goat, no matter the size. Of course most of the goats you are going to give it to are kids, but no matter the size - 1cc.
UPDATE: After attending the Southeastern Dairy Goat Conference last year we were advised to not repeat the worming after 2 weeks, but rather to check a fecal and then if needed reworm. Also they recommended NOT rotating wormers, but rather sticking with the one wormer that works for you. We will continue to use our method of worming as it seems to be working for us. I have on occasion had goats that no matter if you use the same wormer it doesn't seem to take effect. Do what is working with your individual goat. Swap if one isn't working, because it is important!
We also have used panacur/safeguard at 4x the dose on the label as well as Valbazen at 1cc per 10#. Just make sure you are not using Valbazen in pregnant does.
Starting fall 2009 we have begun using the FAMACHA method to determine who needs worming. In other words we do not deworm every goat on the property. By using the FAMACHA card we received at the above seminar we find this is very helpful in determining who needs deworming and who doesn't. Pale to light pink means deworm. We do so with ivomec and/or safeguard depending on what we have used on that particular goat and what has worked in the past for us. We are constantly updating this procedure.
We just started (July 2010) using Cydectin Sheep oral Drench as the others do not seem to be working at all, even when the ivomec is overdosed. It has been so wet here and even after rotating pastures we still had some barberpole worms in a couple of goats after doing fecals. So we called a vet goat breeder friend of ours in KY and told her Cydectin was the only one we had not used, so she said dose everyone with it. We did and will repeat in 10 days, then in another 10 days repeat, then check fecals. We are dosing at 1cc per 10lbs. So far it appears to be working as the 2 goats involved are great according to FAMACHA.
We are looking toward the future and looking at moving to an herbal deworming program as we have several goat breeder friends who do this and it works great for them. We currently have both #1 and #2 formulas of Molly's Herbal Wormer and have started giving it.
PLAIN OLD VANILLA YOGURT...THIS IS A MUST AND WORKS BETTER THAN PROBIOS IN MY OPINION..THEY LICK IT RIGHT OFF THE SPOON! I constantly give this esp. when worming a goat or treating for coccidia. Works great for other animals AND works within just a couple of days.
Hoof Trimming:
It is so hard for me to do by myself. But this year I have been able to get them on the milk stand and do it on a quarterly basis. A great illustration on how to hoof trim can be found here. I check hooves daily and slowly but surely everyone has gotten trimmed and now it is just a process of keeping them trimmed. We are adding gravel this fall to the front barn lot and this will help with keeping the hooves nice and trimmed.
Our medicine cabinet:
Here is what we try to keep on hand, in no particular order. We are constantly adding to this list.
Injectables:
Penicillin (both long acting and short), LA200, Gentocin, Baytril, Dexamethasone, B12, Fortified B Complex, BO-SE, Lutalyse, Banamine, Thiamine, Oxytocin, ADE, Epinephrine, Excenel, Naxcel, CDT, Tetanus Antitoxin, Vitamin K, Dextrose
Orals:
Nutridrench, Red Cell, DYNE- High Caloric Supplement, Molly's Herbals - Immune Support Tincture, Liquid Vitamin C, Karo Syrup
Coccidiastats:
Baycox, Corid, Sulmet, Albon
Dewormers:
Ivomec Plus, Ivomec, Panacur/Safeguard, Valbazen, Cydectin, Strongid
Creams and Ointments:
Triple Antibiotic Opthalmic Oint (PNB - with and without Hydrocortizone), Gentocin, Terramycin, Udder Balm, KY Jelly
Oral pastes, drenches, and medications:
Probios PLUS with Vit. E (they like this much better than regular Probios), Kid Paste, Nutridrench, Calcium Drench, Butepaste
Sprays:
Iodine, Granulex, Silver wound dressing (good for disbudding)
Powders:
Baking Soda, Terramycin, Colostrum, Revitalyte
Miscellaneous:
Sterile gloves, non sterile gloves, syringes of all sizes, needles of all sizes, guaze, tape, vet wrap, dental floss for tying off umbilical cords
About Us Senior Does Junior Does Bucks
Kidding Schedule Sold For Sale
Contact Us Petsitting Pot Bellied Pigs