GOAT HEALTH & MANAGEMENT

Tattooing and Tagging

When you have many goats kidding almost at the same time, it is important to put your numbered tag on the ear of each goat as soon after the dam has had time to Bond to the kid. Sometimes does do get mixed up as to which kids are theirs!!  

Left ear, looking to the front of the goat is your Herd Letters. Herd Letters can be registered with the CMGA at www.canadianmeatgoat.com

The right ear is the number you assign to the goat and the letter which represents the year. (see below)

We use Tattoo Pliers that allow sufficient space for letters to tattoo both ears. We prefer the a 3/8 Digits.

Tattoo ink is used to rub into the pierced ear tattoo.

Wear gloves and clean goats ear with alcohol or Meth Spirit before tattooing.

The goat must be held securely so it is unable to pull its head away causing the ear to rip because believe me, they will go crazy!

I find we need all 3 of us to easily complete this operation. One to ink and pass the tool, one to hold the goat and one to perform the tattooing.

You can order your tattoo supplies from The Kids & Ewe
The Kids and Ewe
Your One Source for All Your Goat & Sheep Supplies
142 Walkers Rd., RR#2, Fenolon Falls, ON  K0M 1N0
1-888-371-7604
Fax: 705-887-4881
E-mail: thekids_and_ewe@sympatico.ca

Determining an Identification System
We decided to use different colour tags for cross breed and purebred.
It makes for easy identification when looking for a certain goat on the farm. Also when people
come to shop for goats I can easily tell them about the goat instead of having to look at records.
Some of our crossbreds goats look very much like purebreds.
Blue - Purebred
Yellow - Crossbred

Record Keeping
It matters not if you have two goats or two thousand goats... you need to keep records of one type or another.
 The Scrapie rules require that you keep records of all purchases and sales.
I designed this form to make it as easy as possible. Everything is on one sheet for each goat we own.
You can keep records in the computer or print out blank sheets and write them by hand.
We find it works great to do both. We keep the forms in a binder and then it is easy to carry to the barn. I also update the forms
on the computer once a week.

Download Goat Information Form

Purchase Agreement
The Purchase Agreement is an important record that protects both you and your buyer.
The buyer gets a copy of this completed form with every goat that goes out the gate.
We file a copy on the computer and a hard copy in the "Sold " file.

Download Purchase Agreement

HAVE THIS FORM CUSTOMIZED WITH YOUR FARM LOGO & CONTACT INFO

Goat Handling
Goats are clever, and quickly learn where they are supposed to go in yards, if the breeder uses the same
pattern of movement, each time the goats are handled. Goats do not behave like sheep and should be handled quietly
and without force using only quiet ,well trained dogs. The goats will run through gates of their own accord, and after
a while just can't resist the open gate. So with a little patience you can get the whole herd
were you want them without really trying. A new breeder must remember also that a goat
 can climb, crawl and even jump. They can also turn in very narrow spaces.

Hoof Trimming
Goats are cloven hoofed and the horny tissue grows continuously and needs regular trimming.
We trim hoofs about every 3-4 Months. Goats running on concrete or hilly country with rocks would not normally need
as much attention as those in paddocks. A pair of well sharpened Foot Rot shears are required for this job.
The goat needs to be put in a goat handler, tied securely or held by another person. You must stand with your
back to the goat as if shoeing a horse. Lift the leg at the pastern with one hand leaving the other hand
free to cut the hoof. You must then cut off the outer horny growth, level with the rest of the hoof,
cutting away from you towards the toe of the hoof. It will then be necessary to cut the heel down
to the same level. Now make sure the goat is standing well balanced on all four feet.
Remember a lame goat is a poor grazer and will spend a lot of time lying down whenever it should be growing.

Goat Health - Scouring

Usually the first sign we notice when a goat has a problem is Scouring. This can be attributed to many causes and worms
are the first thing to spring to mind. I would not advise new breeders to immediately run for the drench gun.
Overuse of drench can build up resistance. The goat may have got stuck in to something tasty which did not agree with it.
Over feeding on lush pasture, sudden change in diet , increase in grain, molasses or other rich food can all cause scouring.
 To treat scours you should keep scourban or neo-sulcin tablets on hand, but do not forget to treat the cause
of the scours as well. For cases of bloat, some producers use vegetable oil but  bicarbonate of soda
is safer as the oil can easily find its way into the animal's lungs.

Goat Breeders  First Aid Kit
By Darrell Bishop, Osory Boer Goat Stud NSW Australia

At the top of my list is a vial of Vitamin B1. The effect of administering 5 ml intravenously to a goat showing symptoms of "stargazing" (or blindness or cobalt deficiency) is almost immediate. The goat is up and away fully recovered, within half and hour. Remember to regularly replenish your B1 stocks (every six months or so) as it has a limited shelf life.

Other vitamins are equally as useful. Keep a multivitamin such as Vitamin A-D-E or just B12 on hand as they seem to be good for 'what-ever ails them'. If you take a goat to your vet for just about anything, you will notice that a multivitamin injection is part of his or her standard procedure. As much as anything, vitamins help with stress, which can be a significant contributor to whether or not and animal makes a speedy recovery. This is especially the case in a hard season, when stock may already be in a lowered condition when an emergency happens.

After vitamins, the next most important item that should be in every goat farmer's first aid kit is a packet of Epsom Salts. Not only are Epsom Salts indicated for cases of magnesium deficiency, but it is also needed for retained afterbirths. In this case, administer two tablespoons dissolved in water and the doe will pass the afterbirth within two hours. It is invaluable as a blood purifier and will prevent septicaemia (without the use of antibiotics).

As for antibiotics, I keep two types on hand: 1 penicillin based, for general infections, and another tetracycline based if the animal has pneumonia, and for some obstetric cases. Take care administering the latter, it is a very thick fluid so you need a thicker-than-normal gauge needle on hand to draw it out, but then change to a finer gauge to administer it as it can be quite painful for the goat otherwise. If in doubt contact your vet, but just remember, that in all cases where you have introduced a possible source of infection-for example if you have assisted a birth-you should administer a course of antibiotics.

To treat scours you should keep scourban or neo-sulcin tablets on hand, but do not forget to treat the cause of the scours as well. For cases of bloat, some producers use vegetable oil but I prefer to use bicarbonate of soda as I have found that in inexperienced hands the oil can easily find its way into the animal's lungs.

Other essentials in this category include electrolytes (such as vytrate or lectade) which should be administered to any goat that has been down for any time, and especially to animals suffering from dehydration due to scouring or other causes: and glucose. There are several proprietary brands available from chemists or supermarkets: glucodin is the most readily available in Australia. For very weakened animals, administer electrolytes and glucose every few hours as a drench (according to the directions on the pack).

All breeders should keep at least one pack of propylene glycol on hand just in case pregnancy toxaemia should strike. In most instances, if you should have to make a trip to town at the time the emergency presents itself, it is too late to save the doe.

I also keep stitching material on hand. Some people use dental floss and an ordinary needle but I prefer the type with the needle already attached to the thread. Last week I did a very neat job on a Boer doe's ear after the doe had managed to catch her ear tag and rip the length of her ear into two flaps.

I have treated simple bone fractures myself successfully for some time and in fact over the years I have shown many goats, which had a broken leg at one time. The key here is to start a collection of cardboard cylinders of different sizes from the inner tube of your toilet rolls to the larger and sturdier tube on the inside of a roll of fabric. These are my casts. For new kids the toilet roll size is perfect. Slip it over their legs (right down to the base of the hoof so they have something to walk on), pack it well with cotton wool, then wrap firmly, but not too tightly, with a clean bandage. I use the same system with older goats, just varying the size and length of the cylinder to suit. If the cylinder is too narrow to fit over the hoof, cut it lengthwise into two halves, again pack with cotton wool or gauze, and wrap. For severe breaks, you might use pre-plastered bandages that you dip in water as you wrap. The beauty of the cardboard cylinders is that they are light enough so not to cause any muscular or hip damage as the animal moves around, yet strong enough to last until the leg is mended. They also allow air circulation, thereby saving infection later.

To finish your first aid kit, remember the usual hardware:
 A scalpel blade,
 Good sharp scissors, clean soft gauze and/or cotton wool, and antiseptic solution (e.g. dettol),
 A variety of disposable single-use syringes including 1 ml, 5ml, 10 ml and 20 ml;
 A variety of different gauge needles from 18 gauge to 22 gauge;
 and (for your safety as well as your animals,) a pack of disposable gloves

How to Tell the Age of a Goat The age of a goat can be estimated by checking its mouth and teeth. As with all ruminant animals goats only have teeth on the lower jaw and the have two sets of teeth during their lifetime. The first or Milk teeth are replaced 2 at a time, with the two middle teeth first to change. Two Tooth Goat   Milk Tooth  - Up to 13/15 months of age. Two Tooth - Has 2 permanent teeth showing from about 13/15 months (plus 6 Milk teeth). Four Tooth - Has 4 permanent teeth showing at 18/21 months of age. Six Tooth   - Has 6 permanent teeth showing at 22/24 months of age. Full Mouth  - Has 8 permanent teeth showing at 27/32 months of age. Gummy      - Has all teeth broken or worn down to the gums or may even have fallen out.