Hillside Acres Farm ~ Pet goat care
FEED
**** (If you are purchasing wethers, you can not give them any grains, (corn, barley, oats etc) They will easily develop Urinary Calculi and will result in death!! Can not stress this enough! http://hoeggerfarmyard.com/urinary-calculi-in-goats/
Wethers should be given special attention with their feed intake to help prevent urinary calculi which will kill them. Adding apple cider vinegar 1 oz per gallon to their water helps in keeping the acid levels in control also.)
Also adding Aluminum chloride to their loose minerals will help with stones as well.
Go to www.valleyvet.com – they have some, I also can get this from our local Vet.
Grass hay always available – alfalfa or high protein hay is NOT recommended for wethers. Can not stress this enough!
Plenty of fresh (very important they are kind of water snobs) Water.
Look online at the list of plants that are poisonous to them (NO THEY CAN NOT EAT EVERYTHING) some are: Rhododendrons/Azaleas, Choke Cherry/Wild Cherry, Mountain Laurel, Water or Poison Hemlock. Check for vomiting, weakness, staggering, paralysis.
MINERALS
Always have some type of goat mineral available. You can use dry granular minerals (also referred to as loose minerals) or a soft block. We use loose goat mineral from Treasured Sunrise Acres in Parma Idaho.
HEALTH CARE
Hooves need to be trimmed every 2 months (amazing how fast they grow) always remember the faster their hooves grow the HEALTHIER they are!
Use lice, flee and tick control - spring and summer are the horrible times for these pesky little things! Consider clipping their hair short before the summer months to keep them cooler as they get very hot in the summer and will also eliminate the lice and tick problems that occur. Cylence (my preference) or UltraBoss pour on 2cc over the back of the spine, spray on Permethrin or Ivermectin Pour on for mites.
Deworm every 6 months (this means check for them), best way to know if they have worms and to know what medication to treat for is to take a fecal sample to your local vet. We use several kinds of dewormer for this case: Noromectin (Ivermectin) oral or inject for severe cases and Safeguard (Fenbendazole) Oral, and Valbezan
Loss of weight or poor coat condition can be a sign of any of these infections.
Goats need shelter from the rain (they hate the rain!) and shade in the summer.
Clean AND Dry bedding in their shelter - straw or shavings
If you are taking home a young kid, a heat lamp is going to be very important if weather conditions are under 50 degrees. You do not want them to get cold and develop pneumonia - again a quick killer. Please think of safety when purchasing your heat lamp, we use Halogen bulbs for safety from Jeffers.com or Premier One heat lamps Premier1Supplies.com has a Prima Heat Lamp we really like also.(rated safest on the market) Keep the electric cords high and away from chewing goats of ALL ages.
VERY IMPORTANT: Annually your goat will need a CD/T Vaccination. First Shot needs to be given at 8wks old 2cc IM and then a booster 3 weeks later another 2cc. You can do this yourself, you do not need a vet for this. They also need a copper bolus capsule 1 or 2 times a year, this has several benefits such as healthy coat, healthy skin, helps in prevention of worms and lice. Write down when you give the medications so that you can keep up to date on them. I use Google Docs for this as you can look it up on your phone or computer anytime, I do this when I am in the field if I see someone looks off and can reference immediately what they may be due for.
WATCH FOR
LOOK FOR BEHAVIOR THAT IS ABDORMAL FOR THEIR PERSONALITY!!!! If they seem “OFF” at all, there is something wrong. If they seem off for more than 24 hours, you need to find out what is wrong right away, goats can get sick and die very quickly!!! Can not stress this enough.
Touch them daily to check for weight loss.
Watch for Diarrhea, coughing, or nasal discharge.
COCCIDIOSIS : Kids (young goats) are extremely susceptible to cocci. This is an acute infestation of protozoan parasites that can be fatal to them. Diarrhea is the most obvious symptom. Fecal tests are best way to check for Cocci.
Great resource of information:
http://www.cornerstonefarm.net/gtcareof.html
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/articlesMain.html
Contact us anytime: Andrea 971-237-0164
Since you are getting the boys so young, you will be responsible for giving the boys their very important medications they will need until they are 12 weeks old.
Wethers, need to be banded at about 8-12 weeks of age. They are too young to do any of that yet. Ask me for questions you may have.
Wormer by mouth: 3, 6 & 9 weeks- you will need to get Safeguard and/or Noromectin from the store - contact me with any questions on this.
Spring months of April into the summer:
Coccidiosis preventative treatment: ask a vet for the right meds for Cocci for goats
3 weeks old
6 weeks old
9 weeks old
I will give you the dose for 3 and 6 weeks of age.
CDT vaccination – can bring them back for this if you need to. You can purchase this vaccine at any feed store.
8 weeks - 2cc injection IM
12 weeks - 2cc injection IM
they will need this injection 1xyear 2cc IM
Copper bolus - needed 1x year - give first bolus at 6months old 2g capsule
Bottle Baby:
1-2 wks old bottle 4xday
3-4 wks old bottle 3xday
5-8weeks 2xday - can feed them 2xday as long as you would like. The preferred age is 12 weeks, at 10 weeks I am sure a bottle just at night would be enough.
At 2-3 weeks old make sure they have some soft or leafy hay to start nibbling on. Fresh water can be set in their pen at 4 weeks, but probably won’t drink much for several more weeks. Always keep the water clean and fresh even if they are not drinking it.
FEED
**** (If you are purchasing wethers, you can not give them any grains, (corn, barley, oats etc) They will easily develop Urinary Calculi and will result in death!! Can not stress this enough! http://hoeggerfarmyard.com/urinary-calculi-in-goats/
Wethers should be given special attention with their feed intake to help prevent urinary calculi which will kill them. Adding apple cider vinegar 1 oz per gallon to their water helps in keeping the acid levels in control also.)
Also adding Aluminum chloride to their loose minerals will help with stones as well.
Go to www.valleyvet.com – they have some, I also can get this from our local Vet.
Grass hay always available – alfalfa or high protein hay is NOT recommended for wethers. Can not stress this enough!
Plenty of fresh (very important they are kind of water snobs) Water.
Look online at the list of plants that are poisonous to them (NO THEY CAN NOT EAT EVERYTHING) some are: Rhododendrons/Azaleas, Choke Cherry/Wild Cherry, Mountain Laurel, Water or Poison Hemlock. Check for vomiting, weakness, staggering, paralysis.
MINERALS
Always have some type of goat mineral available. You can use dry granular minerals (also referred to as loose minerals) or a soft block. We use loose goat mineral from Treasured Sunrise Acres in Parma Idaho.
HEALTH CARE
Hooves need to be trimmed every 2 months (amazing how fast they grow) always remember the faster their hooves grow the HEALTHIER they are!
Use lice, flee and tick control - spring and summer are the horrible times for these pesky little things! Consider clipping their hair short before the summer months to keep them cooler as they get very hot in the summer and will also eliminate the lice and tick problems that occur. Cylence (my preference) or UltraBoss pour on 2cc over the back of the spine, spray on Permethrin or Ivermectin Pour on for mites.
Deworm every 6 months (this means check for them), best way to know if they have worms and to know what medication to treat for is to take a fecal sample to your local vet. We use several kinds of dewormer for this case: Noromectin (Ivermectin) oral or inject for severe cases and Safeguard (Fenbendazole) Oral, and Valbezan
Loss of weight or poor coat condition can be a sign of any of these infections.
Goats need shelter from the rain (they hate the rain!) and shade in the summer.
Clean AND Dry bedding in their shelter - straw or shavings
If you are taking home a young kid, a heat lamp is going to be very important if weather conditions are under 50 degrees. You do not want them to get cold and develop pneumonia - again a quick killer. Please think of safety when purchasing your heat lamp, we use Halogen bulbs for safety from Jeffers.com or Premier One heat lamps Premier1Supplies.com has a Prima Heat Lamp we really like also.(rated safest on the market) Keep the electric cords high and away from chewing goats of ALL ages.
VERY IMPORTANT: Annually your goat will need a CD/T Vaccination. First Shot needs to be given at 8wks old 2cc IM and then a booster 3 weeks later another 2cc. You can do this yourself, you do not need a vet for this. They also need a copper bolus capsule 1 or 2 times a year, this has several benefits such as healthy coat, healthy skin, helps in prevention of worms and lice. Write down when you give the medications so that you can keep up to date on them. I use Google Docs for this as you can look it up on your phone or computer anytime, I do this when I am in the field if I see someone looks off and can reference immediately what they may be due for.
WATCH FOR
LOOK FOR BEHAVIOR THAT IS ABDORMAL FOR THEIR PERSONALITY!!!! If they seem “OFF” at all, there is something wrong. If they seem off for more than 24 hours, you need to find out what is wrong right away, goats can get sick and die very quickly!!! Can not stress this enough.
Touch them daily to check for weight loss.
Watch for Diarrhea, coughing, or nasal discharge.
COCCIDIOSIS : Kids (young goats) are extremely susceptible to cocci. This is an acute infestation of protozoan parasites that can be fatal to them. Diarrhea is the most obvious symptom. Fecal tests are best way to check for Cocci.
Great resource of information:
http://www.cornerstonefarm.net/gtcareof.html
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/articlesMain.html
Contact us anytime: Andrea 971-237-0164
Since you are getting the boys so young, you will be responsible for giving the boys their very important medications they will need until they are 12 weeks old.
Wethers, need to be banded at about 8-12 weeks of age. They are too young to do any of that yet. Ask me for questions you may have.
Wormer by mouth: 3, 6 & 9 weeks- you will need to get Safeguard and/or Noromectin from the store - contact me with any questions on this.
Spring months of April into the summer:
Coccidiosis preventative treatment: ask a vet for the right meds for Cocci for goats
3 weeks old
6 weeks old
9 weeks old
I will give you the dose for 3 and 6 weeks of age.
CDT vaccination – can bring them back for this if you need to. You can purchase this vaccine at any feed store.
8 weeks - 2cc injection IM
12 weeks - 2cc injection IM
they will need this injection 1xyear 2cc IM
Copper bolus - needed 1x year - give first bolus at 6months old 2g capsule
Bottle Baby:
1-2 wks old bottle 4xday
3-4 wks old bottle 3xday
5-8weeks 2xday - can feed them 2xday as long as you would like. The preferred age is 12 weeks, at 10 weeks I am sure a bottle just at night would be enough.
At 2-3 weeks old make sure they have some soft or leafy hay to start nibbling on. Fresh water can be set in their pen at 4 weeks, but probably won’t drink much for several more weeks. Always keep the water clean and fresh even if they are not drinking it.