Information on Goats at Grimm Acres, Diversified
Tennessee
Bucks
We have two breeding bucks, Luscious Luke and Ranger. Luke is a
beautiful, all black, long haired goat from Indian Creek Fainters in Indiana
Does
As of January 2015 we have three breeding does, June Bug, Gracie
and Mocha. The girls are sweeties, and we so enjoy their company.
The kids (people type) that visit love to see them “faint”.
We ensure our does are current with CD&T and revaccinate as needed to
ensure they will have had the vaccine within one month of the expected kidding
date. We worm all of goats according to The FAMACHA method. You can read about
the FAMACHA program in detail on the website @www.scsrpc.org.
In the winter or anytime the weather is at an extreme we move our expectant
does near the house so that I can keep an eye on them. We have ‘hoop houses’
with plenty of clean straw and heat lamps for cold weather.
During the summer,
if the pasture is good and it is not rainy or “crazy hot” I leave the does to
pick their own spot to kid. Fainting Goats rarely have problems kidding and are
excellent mothers.
Births
These goats often have twins and even triplets on occasion! The does give
birth with little or no difficulty. I have very rarely had to intervene in any
kid birth, as the moms just seem to have it under control.
When kids are born here at Grimm Acres I dip the navel in betadine solution,
or tincture of iodine, then clamp and trim the cord if it is more than 6 inches
long. I do that because I’m concerned that if left longer the umbilical cord
might be stepped on or pulled. Then I give the newborn ½ ml of Bova-Serum
subcutaneously (under the skin of the shoulder area). They also receive their
first dose of CD&T (Clostridium perfringens type C + D and tetanus).
Recently we have added pneumonia vaccine and coccidiosis prevention to our
new born care routine.
We don’t separate the kids from the mom unless there is a severe problem.
This winter we have brought several kids into the house overnight. Each was
born late in the evening when the temperature was expected to dip below 10 degrees
(F). In each case I made sure the little guy or girl had nursed successfully
from Mom first. I then took the cuddly baby into the house and enjoyed holding
her for several hours. At bedtime I put her to sleep in a warm basket, and
returned her to Mom at first light. Each time the new mother sniffed the kid,
gave me a reproachful look, and took it back without incident. A much better
plan for the future includes a secure heated area where mother and kid can
spend the first few nights when the weather is so severely threatening.
Gracie
I also put little coats made from sweater or sweatshirt sleeves on the babies in cold weather. You can see a tutorial for the ‘goat coat’ on the Blog page.
Scrapie
All goats are required to have scrapies tags when they leave our farm, and
if they are crossing state lines they must have health papers (at the buyers
expense). Our vet, Dr. Donald St Ledger will do the exam and put all of the
goats you buy on one paper keeping the expense down. I just need a few days to
a weeks notice before you plan to pick your goats up. I will also need your
name, farm name if applicable, physical address and contact number.
Feed
Since we only have a few goats, maintaining their body score at an optimal
level year round is easier for us than for keepers of large herds. We interact
twice daily with them and make on the spot adjustments as needed.
We feed all of the good quality hay they want and plenty of clean water. The
goats and cows get a daily feeding of a small amount of oats mixed with beet pulp.
The pigs get a mix of beet pulp, oats and corn. Soaked in water, the mix takes
on the consistency of oatmeal and makes a nice sticky mass that makes it easy
to add diatomaceous earth and the assorted herbs I like to feed the livestock.
There is a reference with a nutritional chart on the North Dakota State
University Agriculture Communication site: “Sugar Beet Byproducts Alternative
Feed for Sheep” by Reid Redden and Alison Crane. I also add yogurt and yeast to
the mix at times. I have decided I like the beet pulp. We add enough water to
the mix to wet it and let it sit for ‘awhile’. The beet pulp swells up and the
mix becomes the consistency of oatmeal and sticky. We keep salt blocks and
loose minerals or kelp in mineral feeders available to the goats “free choice”.
I am very interested in fermented feeds and sprouted grains but have only
used them sporadically due to time/labor constraints. I make my own wormer
“cookies” from rolled oats, molasses, Diatomaceous Earth, wormwood
(non-pregnant does) and a variety of herbs and minerals (see: 6 Alternative
worming strategies) . The goats get a “cookie” each week and any special need
ingredients can easily be added to the individual goats treat. Once a month I
add Selenium / Vitamin E gel to the “cookies”.
Vaccinations
The University
of Maryland Extension
I begin vaccinating with CD&T at birth. They receive additional doses at
4, 8 and 12 weeks, then again at 6 months or when the rest of the herd gets
their annual booster, which ever come first. CD&T can be administered by
your vet, or you can purchase the vaccine to administer to your goats yourself
from many locations that carry livestock supplies. We are also currently also
administering Pasteurella (Pneumonia) Vaccine, and beginning coccidious
prevention at birth with Albon 5%.
Hoofs
We trim the goat’s hoofs ‘as needed’ or at least every 4 months. A copper
based solution applied with a paint brush will help keep the hoofs from
developing any infections especially when the ground is wet. We purchase most
of our vet type supplies on-line from Hoegger Goat Supply
(http://www.hoeggergoatsupply.com), but you can also get tools and supplies
where you purchase your feed.
Your local 4-H office and the 4H web site (4-H.org) has great resources to
help you learn to care for goats, including nice step-by-step pictures of
trimming goats’ hoofs correctly.
Disbudding
We do not disbud or dehorn our goats. Fainting Goats are rarely aggressive
toward people, and we love the natural look. Some of our does are naturally
polled, so we occasionally have kids that are polled.
Weathering/Castrating
We only weather our goats as requested by our customers. Some people prefer
weathered goats for butchering although we have not found any disadvantage to
leaving the goat intact as long as we are butchering it at less than 8 months
of age. When we do castrate, we use a banding system and castrate them between
3 and 7 days old.
Scrapie
The USDA is the official source on information related to the disease
“scrapie”, and the legal requirements. The office can be found at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/scrapie/ Your local Veterinary Services Office is
also a great source of information. GoatWorld has a nicely written article
explaining scrapie and the regulations affecting goats being moved from the
farm.
At Grimm Acres, our goats are scrapie free and we maintain a “closed herd”
where goats are not introduced to our flock until they have been quarantined
and inspected by our Vet. Goats that leave Grimm Acres will have a scrapie tag,
usually in the left ear, with our flock ID number, and a number identifying the
individual goat.
Donald St Ledger, DVM
The Veterinarian we call on at Grimm Acres is ‘Doc’ St Ledger of Albion
Veterinary Clinic in Albion ,
Illinois
We are fortunate enough to have several excellent veterinarians close to us
at Grimm Acres.
Emily Smith, DVM (Countryside Veterinary Clinic also of Albion )
has treated goats (and other animals) for us and is very knowledgeable about
livestock, goats in particular.
Ronald Gill, DVM (Gill Veterinary Clinic) in West Salem , Illinois
All of these Vets have shown patience with us as we struggled with our
learning curve. Each of them has also been very kind when we suffered those
inevitable losses. When searching for a Vet, these are the things I recommend
you look for. Experience with large animals, particularly the individual type
you are raising. Willingness to talk with you, educate you, and listen to your
concerns. Gentleness and compassion toward the animals you entrust to their
care. Professional bearing and willingness to update their practices based on
current research.
Parasite control
The subject of parasite control in small ruminants can be completely
overwhelming with vast amounts of conflicting information readily available.
How do we as small farmers or very small breeders know who is right and who to
listen to? I frequently refer to the University
of Maryland
What I am sharing here with you is my best personal understanding of the
information I have researched, coupled with my personal research here at Grimm
Acres, Diversified in Southern Illinois.
My twenty-plus years as a Registered Nurse have shaped my understanding of
the growing problem of resistance to anthelmintics (substances used to treat
infections with parasitic worms). For years, the common worming practice was to
worm every goat in the herd on a regular schedule without concern for the
individual needs of each animal. The result is comparable to indiscriminate use
of antibiotics in humans, which has resulted in Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among other severe problems. The parasites
attacking our livestock are becoming resistant to the drugs used to kill them.
Our Integrated Parasite Management System.
As I have attempted to educate myself to the problems of parasites in goats
I have become extremely concerned with dewormer resistance. My research has
encouraged me to develop an “Integrated Parasite Management Program” for Grimm
Acres that consists of several components:
- 1 Identification of the
“Threat”
- 2 FAMACHA© System
- 3 Fecal Egg Counts (FEC)
- 4 Bioactive Plants in
Pastures
- 5 Grazing Patterns
- 6 Alternative Worming
Strategies
- 7 Anthelmintics (selective as
needed)
- 8 Culling Goats Prone to
Worms
1 Identification of the “Threat”
Per my personal research: In the summer Barberpole worm (Haemonchus
contortus) In cooler climates and times of the year, the Bankrupt worm
(Trichostrongylus colubriformis) and the Brown stomach worm (Teledorsagia
circumcincta) will be more important. Also the thread-necked intestinal worm (Nematodirus
species)
2 FAMACHA© System
The FAMACHA system is an important tool in your integrated parasite
management program, and is easy to use once you have been trained. Look it up
at http://www.sare.org We us the FAMACHA chart to check our goats at least once
each month. And more frequently during August, September and October.
3 Fecal Egg Counts (FEC)
Not nearly as difficult as it might sound, doing a fecal egg count is pretty
straight forward, and gives you a real sense of getting the proverbial ‘handle
on the situation’ of gaining control of the parasites in your livestock. The
article I recommend you read is Fecal Egg Counting for Sheep and Goat Producers
by David Fernandez Extension Livestock Specialist at
www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-9608.pd
4 Bioactive Plants in Pastures
I have read several lab and field studies showing that condensed tannins in
plants have a direct impact on the parasite load in the livestock grazing as
well as retarding larval development in the pasture (Min and Hart 2003; Min,
Hart et al. 2005).
Here is a partial list of plants containing condensed tannins: sericea
lespedeza (SL, Lespedeza cuneata) chicory birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus
corniculatus) big trefoil (Lotus uliginosus) sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) sulla
(Hedysarum coronarium)
I am working hard to include these plants in our pastures. We are ‘tilling’
portions of the pastures with our Guinea Hogs and seeding behind them. We are
fortunate to have a seed company nearby, Baker Seed Company of West Salem , Illinois
5 Grazing Patterns
Some grazing pattern information seems to be conflicting but we have settled
on a small paddock – rapid rotation pattern. We graze our goats and cattle
together and follow with our hogs. Although we have had no problem with grazing
the Guinea Hogs along with the Dexter Cattle and the Fainting Goats, we have
found it easier to supplement the hogs with their beet pulp/oat/corn mix when
they are separated from the ruminants. Also, the Guinea Hogs do a great job of
breaking up and spreading the ‘cow pies’ while adding their own unique
fertilizer to the mix. It would be great to never allow fewer than 30 days rest
between grazing sessions, but that is not always possible on our little farm.
Considering it “takes about 14 to 21 days for many parasite eggs to hatch on a
pasture and the larvae to reach the necessary stage of maturity to be a
problem” we strive to, at least, avoid that period of time. This winter we are
doing our rotation with hay bales on each paddock allowing us to move the
animals across the pasture rather than holding them on one small pasture for
months at a time.
6 Alternative Worming Strategies
We believe that as we reduce the use of dewormers we will reduce the rate of
development of dewormer resistance in the parasites on our farm.
Some of our tools include: Copper oxide wire particles Copper oxide wire
particles (COWP) was originally marketed as a copper supplement to avoid copper
deficiency in cattle. I open cattle bolus capsules, put 0.5 to 2 grams into
jell capsules and use a pill gun to give the goats a dose once or twice in a
four month period based on the FAMACHA evaluation and Fecal Egg Count.
Herbal Intervention The research is not clear-cut when it comes to herbal
dewormers. I believe there is value in the use of herbs both to reduce the worm
load in our goats and as a source of nutrition. Whenever possible I feed the
goats fresh herbs from the garden, and when fresh herbs are not available, I
use dried herbs usually purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs at
mountainroseherbs.com. Herbs I use include garlic, ginger, sage, mustard seed,
thyme, rosemary, clove, wormwood, tansy, pumpkin seeds, black walnut hull
powder, fennel, coriander seed, Irish moss, rosehips, rhubarb root, and sea
kelp. Not all at once, of course! Many recipes are available online. I mix the
herbs I have selected with DE, oatmeal and molasses to make a ‘dough’. I add a
bit of whole grain flour as needed to balance the sticky-ness and roll portions
into egg sized “cookies”. The goats, cows, pigs and even dogs love them.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) The value of DE is controversial. I, personally,
believe that DE provides some trace minerals to the diet and creates an
inhospitable environment to parasites in animal feces. I add it to the feed mix
daily. I also use it to dust animals for external parasites, in the chicken’s
dust bath and in everyone’s bedding and environment for the same reason.
7 Anthelmintics
When maintaining strong healthy goats and following all of our management
techniques fails our goats we use anthelmintics as recommended by our vet.
8 Culling Goats Prone to Worms
In the past we had several goats that we seemed to always be treating for
one thing or another. We have culled those goats from the herd and are
currently working to rebuild our numbers.
Milk Goats
At Grimm Acres we have two Nubian does, Gretta and Schatzie that are great
milk goats and good mothers. Our milk goats are paired with Luke, so all
offspring from these girls are Fainting Goat crosses. We have had good luck
producing a small milk goat with the pairing and have sold several of the
little girls.
Gretta
No comments:
Post a Comment