Basic Goat Health Questions

fainting goats11

fainting goats11

Exploring the pasture
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Hi. I'm getting two baby fainting goats in around two months. These are my first goats and when I get them they'll be around three months old. I'm really just wondering what type of vaccinations they will need yearly and how often I should deworm and trim hooves. Also what type of dewormer should I use and will they need salt and mineral blocks of some sort? Thanks in advance! ! :)
 
Recommended reading for goats: http://www.backyardherds.com/resources/recommended-reading-for-goats.13/


You want to give CD&T vaccinations yearly. Check with your breeder to see if they've already given the first dose and booster. If so then you'll give a booster in a year and then annually.

Do NOT deworm unless a fecal test shows that you need it. Deworming on a schedule is BAD...I repeat...deworming on a schedule is BAD. It leads to parasite resistance which is bad for all goat owners.

They don't need salt. They do need loose goat minerals that are balanced with a 2:1 ratio of Calcium: Phosphorus. They need long stemmed foodstuff...hay / browse. They need clean, fresh water.

Trimming hooves should be done every 2-6 months (sometimes sooner) depending on your terrain and how quickly the hooves grow on your goat. We have a great video showing you how to trim hooves.

I've written a lot of articles in our resource / article center that you may want to read. If you want to go a little further, I've written an interactive eBook for new goat owners (link is in my signature below).

Best wishes for you and your new goats. Welcome to BYH!
 
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elevan said:
Recommended reading for goats: http://www.backyardherds.com/resources/recommended-reading-for-goats.13/


You want to give CD&T vaccinations yearly. Check with your breeder to see if they've already given the first dose and booster. If so then you'll give a booster in a year and then annually.

Do NOT deworm unless a fecal test shows that you need it. Deworming on a schedule is BAD...I repeat...deworming on a schedule is BAD. It leads to parasite resistance which is bad for all goat owners.

They don't need salt. They do need loose goat minerals that are balanced with a 2:1 ratio of Calcium: Phosphorus. They need long stemmed foodstuff...hay / browse. They need clean, fresh water.

Trimming hooves should be done every 2-6 months (sometimes sooner) depending on your terrain and how quickly the hooves grow on your goat. We have a great video showing you how to trim hooves.

I've written a lot of articles in our resource / article center that you may want to read. If you want to go a little further, I've written an interactive eBook for new goat owners (link is in my signature below).

Best wishes for you and your new goats. Welcome to BYH!
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Okay thanks so much! Sorry for the slow reply but I checked those articles out and theres a LOT of great info! I would love to post pics of them but I'm on my cell phone and I couldn't figure out how to do it. :idunno
Anyway about the deworming thing thats the first time Ive ever heard of that. So then would i need to do a fecal test often or only when theyre showing symptons? Thanks again! :D
 
:thumbsup:thumbsupI agree with Elevan! CDT once a year, I trim hoofs every 1-2 months depending on the season and how much they are running around. Like eleven said, A lot of parasites and worms are becoming resistant to our modern wormers because they are used often. Just take a fecal test and only worm when necessary! They only need minerals which will be labeled specifically for goats. Also they will obviously need water. They need a good quality hay and be able to browse which is best and saves you hay money! They don't eat grass that much if you didn't know. They are not grazers like horses and cow, but are called browsers. They like to eat tree leaves, brush, weeds, and even though they aren't supposed to, our LOVE ornamental plants which some can be fatal if eaten! google 'fiasco farms' for a complete list of basic poisonous or edible plants for all goat breeds. Also you can feed a grain to them if you want. Hope some of this helps and congratulations on the goats!!! I'm sure you will love them!!!!!!! :clap:clap:celebrate:celebrate
 
fainting goats11 said:
So then would i need to do a fecal test often or only when theyre showing symptons? Thanks again! :D
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Some farms will run fecals on a regular basis...those are usually farms that do the fecals themselves as it can be cost prohibitive to have a vet do them constantly.
I would say to get fecals done when you have a concern...when they are off feed, losing weight, scouring (diarrhea), looking unthrifty, etc.
 
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