A three sided shelter of adequate size is required to house the number of goats owned. This is needed for protection for wind, sun and rain. In winter I like to put a thick layer of barley or oaten hay in the shelter for warmth and change every week.
Minerals Goats have high mineral requirements and will need access to minerals via either lick block form or powder form that is mixed together ( from your local produce centre). We use a variety of lick blocks suitable for goats and a salt lick all year around. We find lick blocks work better for our herd as they can use them as their body tell them they need a little extra of something if they are lacking. Also we find less wastage than powders that fall to the bottom of feed dishes unless feed is moistened down which can also create bacterial issues in the heat of the day with un eaten food.
Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies that protect against a specific disease. The vaccine itself does not protect. After vaccination the immune system takes about 4 weeks to produce antibodies. These naturally produced antibodies will give an animal long term protection for the diseases they have been vaccinated against. Kids are born with nearly no immune system. Their first antibodies are taken from colostrum (the thick yellow milk produced in the first few days from the mother). At about 10 to 12 weeks those colostrum antibodies start to wear off and the kid will developing his/her own immune system. This is the recommended time to start vaccinating kid goats. It has been shown in testing that vaccinating much before this age does not produce any measurable serum antibodies.
What to use - Depending on your area, there are many 3 in 1 and 5 in 1 vaccinations available for sale from your local produce store.
A good indication we have found is if the diarrhea is thick and green it is generally feed related, if it is grey and watery it is not feed related.
Adults: Pasty, watery or long soft feaces are abnormal and may indicate: parasites, overeating grain, enterotoxemia, or a diet that contains too much concentrate and not enough roughage. There are many other reasons an Adult goat may get diarrhea and If blood or white membranes are found in the stool you must take your goat to a vet as soon as possible as it can be a sign of something serious.
Kids: Too much milk if bottle fed, bacterial gut infections, parasites, coccidiosis, over eating are all a common cause.
Members of the Coccidia group of parasites are not worms but one-celled organisms which can live in the small intestine of nearly every species of bird and mammal. Goat Coccidia are quite specific to goats; there is possibility of cross-infection from sheep, but not from other species.
Coccidiosis mainly affects young kids and adults that are in poor condition. Coccidiosis could possibly be a problem if you see any of the following symptoms: Scours - when a kid or kids develop diarrhea , Anemic Weak Coughing
The organism is shed in the feces, and with optimum conditions of moderate temperatures, some humidity, and shade, a Coccidia egg (oocyst) can survive for up to eight months on the ground. You must make sure the area is dried out with natural sun so the infected area is given heat that will help kill off the organisms.
Prevention
Do not over crowd pens Raised water dishes and feed dishes so animals are not eating off the ground. Good Nutrition Pasture or pen rotation so the sun will kill the bug.
Most goats will carry a worm burden of some kind and it is very rare to find a goat that has a negative fecal exam for worms as worms can hibernate for long periods of time.
After a goat ingests infected goat poo, the larva migrates through the intestine into the stomach and attaches itself, sometimes lying dormant within the tissues waiting for the ideal time to emerge. This can be when the goat has a nutritional deficiency, after kidding, any stressful situation or transport.
After the lava emerge it travels towards the gastro intestinal lumen, it will mature and attach to the lining of the stomach or intestine. It then will suck blood from the gut wall, interfere with digestion and damage surfaces in these areas. If an animal has alot of worms at the same time the worms will affect the condition of the animal making it unwell, anemic from loss of blood and loose body condition. A worm load can increase if the goat becomes sick or gives birth or is moved to an infected area.
Prevention
Rotate Pasture every 2 weeks Keep feed dishes off the ground and feed hay from a hay feeder Keep bedding clean by changing it regularly Keep water free from goat fecal matter
If you are not able to go to a vet then the following is a guideline to drenching.
Worm kids around 6 weeks before weaning from the dam or from the bottle.
Worm all stock at the change of seasons and if there is a period of rain with warm temperatures and perhaps once more during warm, wet weather. Pregnant does may benefit from being drenched 3 weeks before kidding. All treatments should be repeated in two or three weeks to kill the mature larvae.
We recommend that before you get your goat home that you check your backyard for any weeds that may be poisonous to goats. You can find many lists online.
SYMPTOMS OF POISONING, may vary from mild to extremely severe and include:
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