Many new or aspiring goat owners ask what goats eat and expect a short, simple answers. Some just expect you to say, "Everything!" because they even eat tin cans, right? Um, no, they don't eat tin cans. And they don't eat everything. Compared to cows, goats actually have a fairly sensitive digestive system, so it's fairly easy to create a problem. The answer to the question … [Read more...]
Deworming Goats
Although it appears there are about a dozen chemical dewormers on the market, all fall into one of three categories. Drugs in the same category have a similar mode of action and work to kill similar worms. Deworming goats correctly is an important step in preventing dewormer resistance. When I was writing the first edition of this book five years ago, a new dewormer that was … [Read more...]
Goat Bloat
Many people think a goat is bloated when it simply has a large belly. I have seen many people post online, “My goat has been bloated for several days,” which is impossible. A goat with bloat will die within hours if not treated. If a goat’s belly has looked unusually large for several days, it is probably a hay belly, which is most likely caused by parasites. A goat with a … [Read more...]
Copper Deficiency Case Study
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...]