We’d had Nigerians for three years when I purchased Muse, my first LaMancha, a yearling in milk. At six months fresh, she dried up, which was disappointing, but I was eagerly looking forward to her kidding the next spring. We never saw her come into heat until December, even though we had two wethers with our does to help detect heat cycles. Because I didn’t own a … [Read more...]
Abscesses and CL in Goats
Caseous Lymphadenitis, usually called CL, is the most common cause of skin abscesses. CL is highly contagious because it can infect goats through unbroken skin. CL is unique in that it most commonly affects lymph nodes in the neck. The only way to know if a goat has CL is to have a vet aspirate the contents of the swollen area and culture it to see if it is positive for CL. It … [Read more...]
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) in Goats
Fall is the perfect time to test your goats for CAE so that if any test positive, you will be able to remove the kids at birth in the spring. Not sure why you need to test? Check out this excerpt from the second edition of Raising Goats Naturally.Usually referred to as CAE, caprine arthritis encephalitis is caused by a retrovirus, and there is no cure. It is transmitted … [Read more...]
How To Compare Feed Labels
Recently, I received the following question from a reader ... You refer to labels often when evaluating a feed or mineral product. I am trying to learn to read labels also.... For example, while I know the letters "ppm" stands for "parts per million," I don't really know how much that equates to on a feed label! Some labels will indicate "Zinc, Min. 1.20%" and another label … [Read more...]
Johne’s Disease in Goats
The possibility of bringing Johne’s onto your farm is one reason you should not buy goats from the sale barn. Although Johne’s is rare in goats, it also infects cattle and sheep, which means that a goat that was healthy when it arrived at the sale barn could pick up the disease while there. Although Johne’s is just one of many diseases that an animal could pick up at a sale … [Read more...]
Milk and meat withdrawal in goats following drug use
Nothing ever dies on the Internet, and nowhere is this more true and more dangerous than when it comes to drug use in goats and other livestock. Because most livestock are food producing animals, this is far more important than getting drug use right in dogs and cats. One reason I raise my own food is because I don't want to consume drug residue in meat and milk. It would be … [Read more...]
Diarrhea in Goats
It's not unusual to see someone asking for advice on social media, simply saying that their goat has diarrhea. Unfortunately, that's not an easy question to answer because there are a couple dozen possible causes. In the fourth edition of Diseases of the Goat, author John Matthews has a 28-page chapter entitled "Diarrhea," which should give you an idea that this is not exactly … [Read more...]
What Floppy Kid Syndrome Is — and What It Is Not
Because of the simple name of this syndrome, a lot of people assume they have a case of floppy kid whenever they have a kid that's, well, floppy. However, it is a well defined condition that only occurs between three days and two weeks of age. The textbooks say it has been seen up to a month of age in rare cases, but most vets will draw the line around ten days to two … [Read more...]
Do Goats Need Baking Soda?
When I got started with goats in 2002 it was common practice for goat owners to have baking soda available free choice. The logic is that baking soda is a rumen buffer. If a goat's rumen pH gets a little off, they can self medicate by licking up a little baking soda. It would be like you taking an antacid if you got indigestion.Recently, however, the practice of free choice … [Read more...]
Zinc Deficiency in Goats
In the middle of an especially cold January eight years ago with temperatures falling below zero most nights, my bucks began losing large chunks of hair. There were bare patches of skin as large as two or three inches across in some spots. It looked like they had dandruff. I also started seeing foam collecting at the corners of their mouths. Then one morning I walked into the … [Read more...]
