Im just full of questions. Please help me im still learning

[Speedy94c]

I have several goats and am wanting to keep alot for a while. I have 22 acres that I need cleaned up. I am doing it a little at a time. I have about 8 acres fenced off right now cut off by a movable electric fence im going to keep moving.

If I bring in new goats I am going to put them in a quaritene(sp) pen. How long should I keep them away from my heard? I brought one home 2 months ago that must have just gotten over sore mouth but still had the virus and spread it to my whole heard, (well about 40 of them got it out of 60 in this pen)

I have another pen up in the front of my property that is 1 1/2 acres I keep as my birthing pen I take my goats that are fixin to kid
up there and let them have their kids and keep them there until I just think its time to move them.

I plan on having another one away from both that I will use for the new goats.

When yall are talking about giving shots to the goats yall say (SQ)
What does that mean?
Thanks Steve

 

[Roll farms]

SQ means subcutaneously...under the skin...vs. IM (into the muscle).

CL (infectious abscesses) can take up to 6 mos to show up in an exposed goat before you see it....but your average, every day goat cooties should show themselves w/in 10 days to a month, though.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I'd say the safest quarantine period is at least 30 days. And I would not recommend using your birthing pen to quarantine! Keep the new goats away from the herd, and away from the birthing pen.

 

[cmjust0]

You might also consider using a 'sentinal wether'...basically a low-value animal you can put directly into the quarantine pen.

If they have anything your current herd doesn't, he'll get it first.. If he comes down with something you don't want in the rest of your herd, send him back to the sale barn along with the imports.

 

[Speedy94c]

HOW FAR AWAY DO I NEED TO KEEP THEM? I CAN PUT A FENCE UP AND MAKE ANOTHER QUARTEEN PEN BUT IT WILL BE NEXT TO ONE OF MY OTHER PENS. WILL THIS BE OK OR DOES IT NEED TO BE AWAY A CERTAIN DISTANCE?

 

[cmjust0]

Definitely no nose-sniffing through a fenceline, and if it were me, I'd probably keep them a safe 'snorting distance' from one another.. Like...if one goes 'FFFFFFT' and blows a bunch of crap out of its nose, you wouldn't want the 'product' to land in the other pen.

That's just me, though..

 

[Roll farms]

Just seperating the pens won't do any good if you wear the same shoes / don't wash your hands as you travel back and forth between them. You'll pick up any 'funk' on your hands and feet and spread it just as easily as if they goats could reach eachother.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Or at least take care of your regular herd before you go to the quarantine goats, and then clean up before going back to your goats. I often keep 2-3 pairs of barn/pasture shoes to avoid tracking between pens when I have a concern