Thanks SO much Deborah! That is very helpful information!
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Your first challenge will be to find a vet that has experience with goats and is willing to see them. Large animal vets are becoming rare in the US. If you live close to a vet school, that is usually one of your best options, although they vary from very inexpensive to very expensive, so be sure to ask about their prices.
I'd suggest buying your first goats from someone who has been raising them for a few years and is willing to be a resource for you. The main thing vets wind up doing for livestock is checking fecals for internal parasites and drawing blood for tests. A lot of established herds test for CAE, CL, and Johnes. Testing a young kid for those things is a waste of time, because the tests won't give you an accurate picture unless the kids have been weaned for about six months. If the herd hasn't been tested, you could request that the dam be tested, since she could pass diseases to her kids in utero or via milk.
As for parasites, check out http://www.wormcontrol.org. They have the latest info on internal parasites. A lot of vets are still recommending routine deworming, but researchers figured out at least five or six years ago that that causes resistance in the parasites. There is also a lot in the forum archives about parasites.
Your first challenge will be to find a vet that has experience with goats and is willing to see them. Large animal vets are becoming rare in the US. If you live close to a vet school, that is usually one of your best options, although they vary from very inexpensive to very expensive, so be sure to ask about their prices.
I'd suggest buying your first goats from someone who has been raising them for a few years and is willing to be a resource for you. The main thing vets wind up doing for livestock is checking fecals for internal parasites and drawing blood for tests. A lot of established herds test for CAE, CL, and Johnes. Testing a young kid for those things is a waste of time, because the tests won't give you an accurate picture unless the kids have been weaned for about six months. If the herd hasn't been tested, you could request that the dam be tested, since she could pass diseases to her kids in utero or via milk.
As for parasites, check out http://www.wormcontrol.org. They have the latest info on internal parasites. A lot of vets are still recommending routine deworming, but researchers figured out at least five or six years ago that that causes resistance in the parasites. There is also a lot in the forum archives about parasites.
Replies
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
http://goat-link.com/content/view/164/185/
I'd suggest buying your first goats from someone who has been raising them for a few years and is willing to be a resource for you. The main thing vets wind up doing for livestock is checking fecals for internal parasites and drawing blood for tests. A lot of established herds test for CAE, CL, and Johnes. Testing a young kid for those things is a waste of time, because the tests won't give you an accurate picture unless the kids have been weaned for about six months. If the herd hasn't been tested, you could request that the dam be tested, since she could pass diseases to her kids in utero or via milk.
As for parasites, check out http://www.wormcontrol.org. They have the latest info on internal parasites. A lot of vets are still recommending routine deworming, but researchers figured out at least five or six years ago that that causes resistance in the parasites. There is also a lot in the forum archives about parasites.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next