“Natural Goat Care” by Pat Coleby Kelp Copper Sulfate (use very carefully and in micro amounts) Dolomite (use in conjunction with copper sulfate to prevent overdosing copper) Loose minerals formulated for goats Baking soda (keep in one of the mineral compartments – goats will eat as needed) Collars (unless you have horned goats) Disbudding iron (unless you plan to keep horned goats) Tattoo kit (unless you will keep unregistered goats) USDA ear tags (meat goats only) Mineral containers (keep enough so that even the lower ranking goats get what they need) Diatomaceous Earth –food grade. Rub well into fur to kill lice. It might take a few applications but it is
chemical free. Can also be added to worming mix to help combat internal parasites.
Apple cider vinegar for adding to fresh water Hoof trimmers Hay feeders. Make sure you have enough so each goat can eat comfortably. Feed containers (if feeding grain). Stainless steel is best. Water buckets including heated water buckets for use during freezing weather. Bottle of CD/T vaccine Bottle of rabies vaccine
First Aid Kit
Digital thermometer Bottle of rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl) or pack of alcohol swabs Vitamin C liquid for injection Vitamin C powder or chewable tablets Vitamin B gel (or liquid for injections) Vitamin E liquid for persistent coughs Bottle of epinephrine 3 mL, 6 mL and 12 mL syringes Luer lock 25g and 20g needles
o If you have access to insulin syringes, these are GREAT to use with kids!
Triodine or similar solution Blood Stop powder (can also use cornstarch in an emergency) Carry sling Aspirin (for minor fevers) Antibiotic (LA-200 or similar for emergencies) Penicillin Vet RX for goats Cocci treatment – get a confirmation of cocci first! Keep in mind cocci medicine is harsh. Vitamin B
should be given when treating for cocci to prevent the occurrence of polio.
Cod liver oil – so many uses! Minor eye infections (pink eye), contracted tendons, see Pat Coleby book.
Veterycin. Great for healing, especially cuts, scrapes, minor wounds. Herbal wormer:
For a while I used Hoegger’s herbal wormer which worked well, but in my opinion the recommended dosage is too conservative, it is expensive to feed on a weekly basis to a large herd of goats and I felt the worm counts could have been lower. So, I did some research on medicinal herbs and tweaked out my own recipe. I perform routine FECs on all of our goats throughout the year and usually the worm counts come back less than five; more often than not, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single worm egg on the slide. The herbs are mixed well together and stored in an airtight container. I honestly do not have a specific dosage. Each week I put some mix into the mineral holders and watch to see how quickly they delve into it. My boys generally take far less than my dairy girls who take far more than my meat girls (but that makes sense – lactating and pregnant does have significant body stresses while boys have a very simple lifestyle). If they inhale the herbal wormer, I give them more. Again, I have noticed the amount they eat is not consistent throughout the year. Some weeks they take more; some weeks they don’t want it at all. It also varies by goat. A few of my Kikos rarely take the wormer while my Nubian and Nigerians often push each other out of the way to get to it.
I use a simple 1-Lb each ratio of dried:
This recipe works for me; it may not work for you. Why? Differences in management techniques. Herbal worming is merely one tool used in the overall management. There are a myriad of factors that contribute to the health and parasitic load of livestock.
Are the goats barn kept, free-range, pasture only, overstocked, kept with other livestock, etc?
How often are the goats rotated to fresh grazing areas?
Is the herd closed or are animals routinely coming and going?
Are the animals stressed in some way (nutritionally, physically, environmentally, etc)?
Are the mineral and kelp requirements being met for each individual goat?
Do they have access to fresh forage that is high in concentrated tannins? Let the goats self-medicate, naturally! 1-Chenopodium: The goats don’t overdo it with this weed labeled as “toxic” 2-Cinquefoil: Grows everywhere near my area 3-Echinacea: Anyone can grow this 4-Cornflower: Ditto 5-Nettle: Ditto 6-Horseweed: My goats go nuts for this 7-Partridgeberry: In mild winters it is often available year-round to the goats, who love it! 8-Purple Loosestrife: Considered an invasive species, might as well let the goats have-at it. 9-Wild Strawberry: Grows naturally in a lot of places
Is the copper requirement being met for each individual goat? ***Copper is the key*** Do not expect any goat to remain healthy & parasite free if they are copper deficient! Think about this: 1-If a diet is high in fried and fatty food, taking daily aspirin won’t prevent a person from having a heart attack. Likewise, improperly managed goats will continue to be wormy regardless of the wormer used. 2- Goats that live in New England are exposed to vastly different weather conditions, forage, soil composition, hay quality and seasonal parasites than goats living in Texas, the West Coast, the Midwest, etc. Therefore, the herd must be managed according to the farmer’s specific set of regional circumstances. 3- Like humans, individual animals can have varying nutritional and physiological needs. Treat each individual goat as the unique animal it is – not the whole herd. If the herd is too large for intensive management there are two choices:
a-Reduce the size of the herd to a number that can be more easily attended and/or
b-Heavily cull all animals that are persistently wormy and/or not up to par.
Kidding Supplies
Heat lamp(s) Old sleeves from sweatshirts work great for newborn kid coats during frigid weather. Just cut holes for the
front feet and make sure the cuff isn’t too tight around the neck. Or use small dog sweaters.
Triodine for disinfecting umbilical cord Old towels There are a lot of kidding emergency items for sale in which you may want to invest if nothing else than for
piece of mind. Most are a waste of time and money.
o Goat colostrum and milk replacer if you do not have access to frozen milk/colostrum o Bottles and nipples o Feeding tube kit o A myriad of drenches and serums that you shouldn’t need if your goats are kept in good condition
Milking Supplies
Most of the milking supplies sold are designed for standard sized goats, not minis, so you may have to be a bit creative if you raise the smaller breeds. There are only two options for milking pail/buckets: glass and stainless steel. Plastic is not an option. Obviously, stainless steel is not only lighter than glass but won’t break. The stainless steel container MUST be seamless. Although I now have a milking machine, my choice for hand milking is Faberware stainless steel cookware. I do not use commercial cleaners since I am skeptical as to the environmental friendliness of the chemicals. Instead, I use 35% food-grade hydrogen peroxide mixed with water in a spray bottle. Once a month or so I will add a few drops of colloidal silver. This is the only method I have ever used and have never had any milk stone build up. Peroxide cleans and disinfects organically and extremely well. You may have noticed the name-brand cleaning companies have now started adding it to their ingredients list and nixing chlorine. Not in a million years would I keep chlorine/bleach on my property but that’s a rant for another day. Other items you will need are:
Strip cup. This does NOT need to be stainless steel. Any old, small plastic tub will work. Milk strainer and corresponding filters Glass jars for refrigerator storage. If using canning jars, you can buy plastic lids that fit perfectly for
regular or wide mouth containers. Some mayonnaise lids fit perfectly.
Designated dish towels for washing udders before and after milking. I like the fact that I can throw them in
the wash and use them practically forever. I have never used the disposable wipes nor would I ever mix my own solution using bleach. I use soapy water only – and have never had a case of mastitis!
Fight-Bac teat spray for after milking Paper towels. You will use a lot of these so if you buy unbleached paper towels you can recycle them in
Health Clinic Panui Kia Ora Tatou K o k i r i M a r a e H a u o r a a n d S o c i a l S e r v i c e s By now we should all be feeling refreshed and moving into the me- dium/fast paced lane of life. We are almost into the first quarter of this year already. Some of us have chosen to take a new path and pace in life than that which exists at Kokiri Hauora and Social Ser- Feb
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