Questions before the goats arrive!

[nbelval]

I have been doing as much research as I can before the big day comes to bring our goats home (date has not been given yet, but will be mid-April I believe), but I have some questions that I hope can get answered. There is a LOT of conflicting information and I need some clarification!

Goats are all going to be wethered prior to coming home at about 8 weeks of age. These will be pets and hoping to keep them happy, healthy and long lived!
I've done a LOT of reading about UC in castrated goats and "think" I know what I need to do to help prevent it. I have ordered the "Diet for Wethers" booklet from Hoegger and hope to find more good info in there.

If I vaccinate my goats for C/D & T as a combo vax, do I also need to have the antitoxins for both on hand?

Can goats get EEE?

If I am feeding a small amount of a grain with added AC to our goats and giving a loose high quality mineral free choice with added AC do I also need to provide injectable or other vitamins?

Where can I find the RDA for goats?

Has anyone ever used Revolution as a tick, mite, internal parasite prevention/treatment? At the small animal clinic where I work one of our drug reps said that people had used it on goats and I was curious to actually speak to someone that has used it not, just go by what she said.

Do I need to clip my goats in the summer? Is the clipping just for showing?

We have Milkweed, Rhododenderon and Azaleas. Not where the goats will be housed or where they will be put for brush management, but near our garden is a patch of milkweed and out front of our home is a BUNCH of Rhododendron and Azalea bushes. Goats shouldn't ever be near them in theory, but I know that if there were to get loose unknown to us they could get into it. Would I then treat with Activated Charcoal or should I just tear them all out now (the bushes) and be done with it? Keep in mind if I have to tear them all out my hubby will never let me hear the end of it...

I think that is it...for now!

! I realize some of this should be in the Diseases forum and others in the Feeding, so if I should make new threads there I will, but wanted to try and keep everything in one place so I could access it better.
Thank you to anyone that can help me out, I really appreciate it
Nicole

 

[SheepGirl]

Not a goat person, but I am sure I can help you...

Goats are all going to be wethered prior to coming home at about 8 weeks of age. These will be pets and hoping to keep them happy, healthy and long lived!
I've done a LOT of reading about UC in castrated goats and "think" I know what I need to do to help prevent it. I have ordered the "Diet for Wethers" booklet from Hoegger and hope to find more good info in there.

#1 thing is proper diet. You need at least 2x as much calcium as phosphorus. That means in the ENTIRE diet throughout the day. Luckily most grasses have the right calciumhosphorus ratio (2:1). Since they are still growing, you can feed really good hay (alfalfa) only or you can feed grass hay + grain. Most complete feeds are properly balanced, but you need to check on this. Always provide loose minerals labeled for goats.

If I vaccinate my goats for C/D & T as a combo vax, do I also need to have the antitoxins for both on hand?

It's good to have antitoxins on hand, but I don't. You don't need to vaccinated for CD/T because the breeder should've done their 4 wk and 8 wk booster. You won't need to vaccinated them again until they're a year old.

Can goats get EEE?

Don't know what this is?

If I am feeding a small amount of a grain with added AC to our goats and giving a loose high quality mineral free choice with added AC do I also need to provide injectable or other vitamins?

TBH, I don't know what AC is supposed to do to 'prevent' UC. Maybe it breaks a part stones with the protein (163%)? It contains NO calcium and NO phosphorus. IMO it is a waste of money when you can just feed the right food to begin with.

Where can I find the RDA for goats?

If you are talking about nutrient requirements, you can go here: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/tmgn29.htm

Has anyone ever used Revolution as a tick, mite, internal parasite prevention/treatment? At the small animal clinic where I work one of our drug reps said that people had used it on goats and I was curious to actually speak to someone that has used it not, just go by what she said. smile

I haven't used it, then again I don't have goats and the sheep I do have have never had any external parasites except for the occasional tick, which I would just take off when I found one. (Usually I only find 2-3 a year on all my sheep combined.) You're better off using a product labeled for goats.

Do I need to clip my goats in the summer? Is the clipping just for showing?

Don't have goats, so I don't know the specifics, but if I did have goats I wouldn't clip them. IMO they would be fine in the shade. With my sheep I shear them in the spring so they are cool in the summer but have enough wool growth to keep them warm in winter. And I can also sell the wool (not that I even break even off it lol)

We have Milkweed, Rhododenderon and Azaleas. Not where the goats will be housed or where they will be put for brush management, but near our garden is a patch of milkweed and out front of our home is a BUNCH of Rhododendron and Azalea bushes. Goats shouldn't ever be near them in theory, but I know that if there were to get loose unknown to us they could get into it. Would I then treat with Activated Charcoal or should I just tear them all out now (the bushes) and be done with it? Keep in mind if I have to tear them all out my hubby will never let me hear the end of it...idunno

We have PLENTY of poisonous plants in our front yard/garden. I'm not worried about it because I know my sheep are behind strong, sturdy fencing and won't escape. Then again sheep aren't known for being escape artists lol It's up to you.

 

[nbelval]

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE)
Alpacas and other camelids were thought to be immune from it, but three alpacas in NH that died had it and it was the cause of death. So I'm just curious if anyone has seen or heard of it in goats. I live in NH and we have a rather swampy pond on our property that mosquitos LOVE. Thankfully we also have a lot of tadpoles and they seem to do a good job each year eating the larvae.

Thanks for all the other information especially the nutrient requirements! The AC is so cheap I don't mind adding it if it will help even a little bit.

Nicole