# Goat is Scouring, NOW WHAT????



## 20kidsonhill

Call it scouring, runny poop, or the squirts anyway you wish, but what are you going to do about it?  What  are your next steps to caring for your sick goat. Or is he sick at all?

The three main causes of scours, bacterial, parasitic and dietary are not always unrelated to each other and one may lead to another cause. A very common example would be your goat getting into your chicken feed. At first you suspect dietary scours, which would be true, but after several hours your goat looks horrible, bloated, pouring scours, and has a high temp. The dietary scours has bloomed into a bacterial scours called Overeating disease. 

I am going to try to create a series of steps on evaluating your scouring goat.  I welcome other forum members to add on to this thread and discribe how they evaluate their scouring goat, or to just ask questions or make comments about my suggestions or others suggestions. My discussion is my opinions/experience and you should consult with your vet before treating your animal or using a drug off label.

*What do I do Next???*

Every day I check everyones bottoms,  you just never know when those nicely formed pelleted poops will start running. When I realize someone no longer has nicely formed pellets, I stand back and start evaluating the situation and ask myself a few questions. Some of the answers are quite obvious right away and some take a little more thought.

*How old is the goat?  *  I would expect a younger goat to be having problems more with coccidiosis or overetaing disease than an older goat. 

*Did I make any changes recently that would have caused stress?*  Was the animal recently weaned, or moved to a new pen, or any feed changes?  From experience I know that if I had run out of loose minerals and just added more, I may get a goat or two scouring for part of the day. *I never expect dietary scours to last longer than one day*. Stress can be a big factor in a parasite bloom.  

*How long has it been since the goat was last wormed or treated?* Most parasites can easily rebloom in 14 to 21 days. Just because you wormed 2 months ago, or the person you bought your new goat from wormed them two weeks ago, doesn't been they are not having a parasite problem.

*what time of year and what are the weather conditions?*  Spring time and growing green grass is the perfect time for a parasite explosion. Also after an extended drought and then a nice rain fall, don't be surprised if you start seeing problems about 10 days later.  The rain is a welcome sight, but the parasites are also enjoying it.  They have laid dormant during that drought. 

*How thrifty is the goat looking?* Is the goat still interested in eating?  Is it mobile and still alert?  Laying off by themselves?

*How anemic is the goat?* I check gums and eyes for anemia. If the goat is pale I need to consider Barberpole worms, bleedout, and treating for anemia.  We use *Red cell *orally, and an *injectable iron shot *along with *B-complex shots*. The B-complex can be given every few hours, but the iron shot shouldn't be given more than a couple times a week.  Red cell contains a lot of minerals and can lead to an overdose of copper or selenium. It also doesn't absorb as quickly as the injectable iron does. However, I find the vitamines and minerals in the red cell to be benificial and help the goat have a stronger immune system. I often add a capsul or two of *Vitamin E (400 IU)*to the red cell on a daily basis as well. We will talk about energy drenches later on. 

*Is the goat sick enough to be isolated?* I take careful consideraton into separating the goat from their group. Once the goat is separated from the group they have to be 100% recovered, or the other goats will be hard on them when they go to establish themselves back in the group. I always pull the goat out if they are already being picked on, Often times a doe that becomes sick that is higher up on the herd status will start to be picked on my the lower members as they try to move above her in status and take advantage of her weakened state. I always separate a goat that is anemic, because they will need extra protein and feed to help build red build cells over the next few weeks. 

*What is her temp?*  A low tempurature is a bad bad thing and a sign that the animal is in really bad shape.  Immediate treating and hydration is needed. We will get to treatments in a little bit. A high tempurature is an indication of a bacterial infection causing the scours. Bacterial infections can progress very very quickly and become life threatening in just a few hours after the first signs of scouring. Body temp is taken in the bottom with a rectal thermometer. Feed stores sell* livestock thermometers*. 

*Do you want to do a fecal?*  I will admit we rarely do fecals.  First, it can get pricey. Secondly, I swear my goats wait until Friday at 5pm to start scouring. They certainly aren't going to wait until Monday afternoon for results. I also will say that I have brought in fecal samples more than one time and they came back clean and I still had more than one scouring goat. So with that said, I am not saying to not do fecals. A fecal can be a very very good tool.  It may not show anything, but then again if it does show a high coccidiosis load or a bunch of giardia in the fecal sample, then you know one of the things that you are for sure dealing with. I find a positive to be accurate, but a clean fecal to not always show the problem and not always be true.  Hope that made sense. 

*How much scours are on the ground?*  Look around you, is there piles of scours?  Sometimes you can actually track the progession of the poop piles from being dog log, to looser and then looser.  If there is a lot of really big, runny piles, I start thinking about how I am going toehydrate the goat?  How dehydrated is the goat? 

*How dehydrated is the goat looking?*  Hydration is the main reason your goat is going to die, while you work on figuring out what to treat them with and what is actually causing the scours.  When we become so sick, we drink more, we may even become weak enough that we go to the hospital and the first thing they do is give us an IV of fluids. Your goat doesn't have the thought process of,"Drink more because poop is pouring out or I will become dehydrated."  You will have to do that for them. Pen them so they are close to a very fresh, clean source of water. 
-*drenching/feeding syringe * come in 10 cc to 50cc.  One ounce is 30cc's, Often time you are trying to get several ounces into them at a time. If they are not on a bottle this can be tricky to do. 
-*electrolytes* such as Bounce Back, Sav A Caf Plus, RE-sorb ect....  we use Sav A caf plus and Re-sorb
-*Iv kit and IV fluids *that can be put under the skin can make a big difference.  When the stomach is already very upset, getting enough fluid in them orally is next to impoosible.  For example: an adult doe can receive 2 or 3 bags of IV fluid a day(a bag is 1,000 ml). You can not overdose on the stuff, you may get carried away and give them a little adema, but other than that it is a very very good way to hydrate your goat. 
*50% dextrose and amino Acid fluids*  These also can be injected under the skin and  help with energy and hydration. I follow the dosage recommendations on the bottle. They can be overdosed. 
*Making your own solution* I have seen several recipees on-line for making your own oral solution or pedialyte type mixture, Gatorade and pedialyte can also be used.
***caution should be used when using oral solutions high in potassium, Potassium can become off balanced in the system and cause problems****
The frist 24 to 48 hours I only worry about hydration and not feed intake. After 48 hours energy and fiber will also become a concern and you will need to be concerned if at this point the goat is refusing to eat hay or roughage. 

*Things I reach for right away to boost immune system:*
*Red cell *if the goat is anemic looking. Oral.
*Vitamin B complex *injectable Can't be overdosed, B 12 helps build red bloodcells, B vitamins are produced in the rumen, so if the rumen is compromised the goat may benifit from injectrable vitamines. B vitamines help appetite as well. 
*Bo-se*  This is a RX, and it is selenium and vitamin E injectable. Can be overdosed. If my goat hasn't had a shot in a couple months, I may give them a dosage to help them out with their overall immune health. 
*400 Uinit Vitamin E gel caps*  This is the kind for humans, I cut them open and add them to a drench or just squirt one or two in their mouth. 
*C&D antitoxin*  this product is to treat overeating disease, It is not the vaccine, and it will also help boost your animals immune system and fight off bacterial infection that may try to bloom when your animal is dealing with other stress factors. 
*Bovi-sera serum*  is a group of anitibodies that is designed to boost your animals immune system and can be used in any situation were your goat is not feeling well.  We have been very happy with this product and often use this and the C& D antitoxin during a course of a treatment of a sick goat. 

*Is the goat looking bloated?* *Baking soda* can never hurt, although sometimes it can be tricky to get them to swallow it. Especially, if they are very very bloated and not very responsive. then tubing the goat is the safest. *Mineral oil* is also a good lubricant and coating for the stomach and a lot of it can be given, Several ounces at a time. This is especially helpful if the cause of the bloat is due to the animal getting into feed. Again, the trick is getting it down them with out choking them. A vet may need to be called to assist in tubing the animal. I like to add a few cc's of Procain G to the mixture to help with the bloom of bacteria from eating to much and give a shot of C&D Antitoxin which is also discussed below, to preven Overeating disease. Vaccinating your goat at this time is pointless, Vaccinations take time to build up titer levels. So instead the antitoxin is needed, not the CD & T toixoid. 

*Are probiotics needed?*  The answer to this is, yes. And Honestly should be way higher up on my list of items and things to do. I use the powdered form of Probios. Also Sav A Caf Plus electrolytes have probiotics added to it. Another great way to increase probiotics is good old fashioned *yogurt*,  drenching with yogurt can be a good source of calories/protein and some energy for your goat who may be off feed. Add a little water, or *amino acids oral solution* to thin. Don't get the low calorie yougurt, get the highest calorie one you can find. This isn't the time to think "light". 


Is there a reason I have avoided the actual treatment?  The meats and bones of the diagnoses of your goat?  Yes,  It is and can truely feel like a guessing game. Is it worms? Which kind of worms/parasites? Is it Bacterial? Is it dietary?  Will you all let me get away with just ending this at, "Get a fecal," and "Consult with our Vet?"  At this point I encourage you to consult with your vet and get a fecal. If it is Friday at 5pm or you live in the boonies and have no Vet that will see your goat, then here are some suggestions of what has worked for us. 

*MY Disclaimer:  I AM NOT A VET Of Any kind. *

*Age of the goat*  Age of the goat does somewhat matter.

*Young kid under 2 weeks of age.*  More than likely any parasite load has not had time to develope and bloom. Most parasites take 14 to 21 days to become established. A scouring kid under 2 weeks of age should be treated for bacterial scours and over eating disease should be considered. 
-*C&D antitoxin* (Not the toxoid) is the treatment for overeating disease. Can't be overdosed and is certainly a product that you should reach for when any young kid is scouring, bloated, acting sluggish, and/or running a fever. Can be given as an injection and orally or both.
-*Spectam Scour Halt/Gaurd for pigs*  Given orally for bacterial scours. I really like this product a lot and have had a lot of success with it. 
-*Neomycin*  this is also a good product to be given for bacterial scours, It is not one that I use often. Although, our farm in general rarely has a kid scouring under 3 or 4 weeks of age. 
-*Baking Soda*  Baking soda can be given a couple times a day, to help prevent bloat and upset stomach. It tastes horrible, so I often mix it wil a tiny bit of corn syrup, and drip it into the back of their mouth. 

*A kid older than 3 weeks of age*  is very very susceptible to coccidiosis and starting to become acceptable to all the parasites that your herd is carrying. 
*coccidiosis*  This is the number one killer of young kids over 3 weeks of age and under a year old. It can affect any age of goat, but most goats over a couple years of age have developed an immunity to coccidiosis. It is found in all ruminants systems and is species specific. "Coccidiosis Blooms," another words it will reach a level that will be too high for a young goat to handle and there for affects the goat negatively. Since we are talking about scours, we will stick with that topic. But coccidiosis does not always cause scours, it can cause reduced growth rate and slowly damage the goats stomach, however it can also cause severe scours and death very quickly. 
treatment is outlined very well here on BYH and treatment information can be found in the Diseases, Injuries and Cures section under gaots. Essentually, it is a treatment that lasts for 5 days and the coccidiosis can  rebloom every 21 days, so often times young goats are treated every 4 weeks as a preventative.  

Goats over 3 weeks are also acceptable to other parasites, such as Barberpole worms, bankrupt worm, tapeworms ect..... A fecal can help diagnose worm loads

If you do not have access to a vet or a fecal and your young goat is scouring. Our treatment is as follows.  If you do not wish to do everything at one time, try one thing and see if the goat clears up in a few hours, or continues to look poor and then try another treatment. I always expect my goat to start to show improvement in less than 24 hours. I will also do some of the above mentioned supportive care depending on how weak the goat is, anemic, ect....

If you start a treatment.....Finish it, stopping in a middle of a treatment can build up resistance to that treatment.

*EVerything is done on day oneAges 3 weeks to 2 years)*
*a wormer such as Valbazene, synanthic, cydectin for 1-3 days, duration depends on my choice of wormer
*coccidiosis treatment for 5 days. (twice a day)
*an injectable antibiotic. Again, duration depends on my choice of antibiotic. 
*Supportive care

*Over two years of age, *
*We will worm them, do not underdose our wormer. 
*give them injectable antibiotics and
*Supportive care. 

*when I talk about supportive care* , I am referring to everything involved with hydration, immune support, building red blood cells and offering increased energy when off feed. 


Some of my favorite *drenches for offering energy* when off feed for more than 24 -48 hours. I try to get the scours under control before doing some of these. but I have never had any of these drenches cause scours. 

*Majic Drench*
 1 part Mollasses
1 part corn oil
1 part corn syrup
couple teaspoons baking soda
4 to 5 ounces at a time to an adult standard breed, 


*probiotic drench*
yogurt(not light)
corn syrup(couple tablespoons)
amino acid oral solution to thin it down.
4 or 5 ounces to an adult standard breed.

*Protein drench*
amino acid oral solution
one or two eggs
Mollasses

*More fiber*
creamed corn added to any of the drenches or any of the individual above mentioned items. A little trickier to drench with since you have to beable to get it through a syringe. 


Pretty much you can mix these in any combination and add a teaspoon or two of baking soda to the drench a couple times a day. 

*Notice I didnt mention Pepto Bismo or Kolin Pectin for livestock. *  It really isn't fair that I haven't mentioned these items. We do on occasion use them, I don't consider them a real reliable fix for the problem, if you aren't careful they will cover up the problem, but there is some benifits to using them on a severaly scouring goat. We keep a gallon of Kaolin pectin on hand and give several ounces if we have not gotten the scours stopped with in a day or so. 



Okay this is a work in progress. I am sure I will read it over a few times and edit it and try to organize it.  Feel free to help me with this.


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## Roll farms

Well, since you asked...I don't have time to do an in-depth read but what pops right out at me....


Now what?  not -  know what.  As is "Now what's wrong, I don't know what to do."

Kids are susceptible to it, not acceptable.

And you might want to scale it down...when people are freaked out / looking for quick answers, the shorter / sweeter, the better.


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## 20kidsonhill

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Well, since you asked...I don't have time to do an in-depth read but what pops right out at me....
> 
> 
> Now what?  not -  know what.  As is "Now what's wrong, I don't know what to do."
> 
> Kids are susceptible to it, not acceptable.
> 
> And you might want to scale it down...when people are freaked out / looking for quick answers, the shorter / sweeter, the better.


thank you: I am not good at organizing. so I figure I once I have it written in front of me, I can then try to organize it some.  I always notice those typos days later, AFter I have read it a dozen times.


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## Straw Hat Kikos

I think it's good. I would fix a few spelling errors and copy it and paste it right into your page or make a new one.


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## DonnaBelle

Thanks so much for posting this informative information.

Really appreciate your efforts for the rest of us...

DonnaBelle


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## 20kidsonhill

Thankyou, I really am looking for feedback from you all. Positive or negative is fine. Or just an outline of what your approach is on your farm. Even if you don't feel like you have a lot of goat experience feel free to share. 

We are trying to build this thread so I can organize it and post it to help others.   All help welcome.


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## elevan

A suggestion for drenching this would be a turkey baster...rather than leaving folks wondering how the heck they are gonna get it through a drenching pipe.



> More fiber
> creamed corn added to any of the drenches or any of the individual above mentioned items. A little trickier to drench with since you have to beable to get it through a syringe.


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## 20kidsonhill

elevan said:
			
		

> A suggestion for drenching this would be a turkey baster...rather than leaving folks wondering how the heck they are gonna get it through a drenching pipe.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> More fiber
> creamed corn added to any of the drenches or any of the individual above mentioned items. A little trickier to drench with since you have to beable to get it through a syringe.
Click to expand...

LoL, i have never tried to drench creamed corn, but I always thought it was a great idea.  The other drenches I have used, several times.


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## SkyWarrior

Thanks for the drenches -- I learn a lot from you guys!  

I would add a comment that a friend who has raised goats for 35 years said.    She told me that older goats who scour may have a parasite load and she found that Ivermectin seems to treat the worms plus eliminate the scours.  I've used Ivermectin on my scouring doe with success, but this is just one case.  

Obviously if your worms are resistant to Ivermectin, it won't be helpful, or as helpful.


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## GLENMAR

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> Thanks so much for posting this informative information.
> 
> Really appreciate your efforts for the rest of us...
> 
> DonnaBelle


x2


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## poorboys

this post needs to be kept somewhere on here for fast finding.!! I'd like to see it stay at the top of the page so it doesnt' get lost in all the post, It has some very inportant info and to make it easy to find when we have problems.  Is this possible??? Like a sticky!!!


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## Roll farms

Another alternative / addition to the drench could be crushed alfalfa pellets and quick oats (if they don't have creamed corn on hand).  Our vet told me years ago that a goat w/ nothing in it's stomach for 24 hrs will soon be a dead goat, their rumens have to stay busy on something...and the more fiber, the better.

I mixed the crushed alf. pellets w/ oats, sweet feed that I'd soaked in water overnight to 'dissolve' it into a mush, gatoraide and pancake syrup for energy / electrolytes, and fiber.  I cut the tip off a 60cc syringe and gave it that way.  I also squirted 5cc of B vitamin and probios into the mix.  I'd give 5 - 60cc syringes every 6-8 hrs along w/ as much water as they'd take.

(One goat had tetanus, the other had listeriosis and neither could eat on their own for several days.)


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## 20kidsonhill

We are going to move it to the diseases, injuries and cures section for quick viewing. 

Just working on editing it. 

And making sure anyone who wants to add something knows they can.


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## elevan

poorboys said:
			
		

> this post needs to be kept somewhere on here for fast finding.!! I'd like to see it stay at the top of the page so it doesnt' get lost in all the post, It has some very inportant info and to make it easy to find when we have problems.  Is this possible??? Like a sticky!!!





			
				20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> We are going to move it to the diseases, injuries and cures section for quick viewing.


It is listed in the Diseases, Injuries & Cures Index  - Goats in the Emergencies  forum.  

It can also be accessed in the Diseases - Goats  forum under the sticky In case of emergency ~ Goat  which will direct you to the Diseases, Injuries & Cures Index


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## goatboy1973

I have raised goats for nearly 20 years & I have found every bit of this information very helpful & have used most of these remedies over the years. I will add, the molasses is a great dietary source of iron & is one of the greatest sources of iron. That's why it is used in some feeds with the added benefit of being a good binder holding feed ingredients together. Molasses is also a good energy source, but too much of a good thing is also bad as far as goats getting too much sugary feed stuffs.


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## goatboy1973

It is good for goat producers to have a couple of, "Goat kits" as I call them, on hand for such emergencies such as scours or birthing emergencies. I have 2 used medium sized tool boxes that I have converted for goat use. One is my kidding kit which includes clean dry cotton rags, iodine, KY jelly, exam gloves, an I'V set-up with either NS or LR (I am a nurse/ EMT-IV) to give warm fluids to a chilled kid. I also have a number of other meds & other items that I have learned is essential either by experience or by reading such informative websites such as this. I also have  a kit especially for scours which includes some of the previously mentioned items by other posters.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch

*This is awesome, thank you!!! 

I vote for sticky!*


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## Sandy christen

Ok I have a kid that is younger then a week and has watery poop what do I do


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## frustratedearthmother

In a kid under a week old I would not expect it to be parasitic in origin.  I'll paste a few articles here for you to read.

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/#!scours/c1omi
E. Coli
E. coli scours is an opportunistic disease associated with sloppy environmental conditions and poor sanitation.  It is seen in lambs and kids less than 10 days of age, but is most common at 1 to 4 days of age. It usually presents itself as an outbreak in lambs and kids between 12 and 48 hours of age. It is also called "watery mouth," because affected lambs salivate and have a cold mouth. Fluid therapy is the mainstay of therapy.
Antibiotics are used for both treatment and prevention of E. coli scours in lambs. Spectinomycin oral pig scours medicine is commonly used, though it is not approved for sheep and goats. Ewes and does can be vaccinated with bovine E. coli vaccine before they give birth to increase passive immunity. The use of neomycin in lambs that appear normal may stop the progression of the outbreak. Adequate ingestion of colostrum by newborns decreases the incidence of the disease.

Rotavirus
Lambs and kids are infected with a group of B rotaviruses, whereas most other animals and humans are infected with group A rotoviruses. Rotavirus generally causes diarrhea in lambs and kids at 2 to 14 days of age. Young animals become very depressed and dehydrated.

Rotavirus is treated with supportive care. Vaccinating ewes and does with bovine rotavirus vaccines before they give birth will increase passive immunity. Viruses tend to be less a cause of diarrhea in lambs and kids than calves

http://goat-link.com/content/view/50/92/#.VzDKvaMo7cs

*E Coli*
The most common reason for scours in kids. Other symptoms include; sever depression, weakness, and dehydration. Confirmation of disease can be verified by culture of the bacteria. This is another problem of unclean surroundings. Overcrowding and unkempt pens are commonly the culprit. Treatment is aggressive. Replace fluids and electrolyte loss, kill the organism with antibiotics specifically for this organism, clean enviroment. Replace milk with electrolyte formula for 24 hours. Neomycin, tetracycline and sulfa drugs are common medications for treatment.


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## Sandy christen

Well he has a snorting nose and is breathing out his mouth what can I feed him


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## frustratedearthmother

Sounds like he's got more going on than "just" scours.  If he's panting he might be in respiratory distress also.  Have you taken his temperature?  Is this a bottle baby?  You can try giving him some electrolytes instead of milk.

In order to help you we need as much information as possible.

But, if he is scouring watery diarrhea and in respiratory distress he probably needs to be seen by a veterinarian. 

Good luck with him!


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## denimangle

SkyWarrior said:


> Thanks for the drenches -- I learn a lot from you guys!
> 
> I would add a comment that a friend who has raised goats for 35 years said.    She told me that older goats who scour may have a parasite load and she found that Ivermectin seems to treat the worms plus eliminate the scours.  I've used Ivermectin on my scouring doe with success, but this is just one case.
> 
> Obviously if your worms are resistant to Ivermectin, it won't be helpful, or as helpful.


I know this post is a few years old but would like to know how much  Ivermectin was used & can it be used on kids ? thanks


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## Southern by choice

Ivermectin can be used on kids but if you have a kid scouring it is more likely cocci and no dewormer will work for cocci. 
Fecal will show if you are dealing with cocci, parasites... if goat has neither it is a bacterial infection


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## Anntonette

I am completely new to raising goats. I have one that I have been having a lot of trouble with so I decided to research. I took notes and I am putting it all into a notebook that I organize by illness/situation. This was so helpful to me.


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## Latestarter

Greetings and welcome to BYH Glad you were able to find help here. There are a lot of really good goat folks here so in your browsing, if you don't find what you need, by all means post your question/situation. Normally someone will be by to help pretty quickly. Make yourself at home!


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