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BASIC CARE
NOTE: The following recommendations have worked well for ME.
I accept ZERO responsibility for the well being of any one
else's animals when
these recommendations have been followed.
**NOW**
is the time to locate a local veterinarian that is experienced
WITH GOATS!
**Your goats
will be
POISONED
and quite possibly die if allowed to
eat common
ornamental landscaping plants!
Azaleas,
Oleander, Elephant Ear, Dieffenbachia, Iris and
MOST
others can be
FATAL
to your goat!**
PLEASE READ
FEEDING:
For the first SIX months of life:
* Purina Meat
Goat Medicated Goat Pellets (made by
Purina)
* Country Acres
Goat Medicated Pellets (made by
Purina)
* Golden Blend
16% Medicated Goat Pellets (made by
Custom Milling)
All three of these feeds are "complete",
meaning they contain the proper amount of
digestible fiber, as well as the necessary
percentage of protein. All of these
also contain a coccidia preventative medicine.
A GOOD supplement to use during the first month after your kid
"moves in"
is Goat
Nutri-drench. Just a couple "squirts" in their
mouth twice a day will
REALLY help boost their immune system.
ALWAYS give FRESH food daily. Fresh, clean water must
be available at all times.
EMPTY
THE WATER BUCKET AND REFILL DAILY.
GOOD quality Hay
should be available at ALL times. Change the hay out at least
every other day.
Provide Free-Choice GOAT MINERALS. You MUST use one
specifically formulated
for GOATS!
* Purina Goat
Mineral (made by
Purina)
*
Sweetlix Goat Mineral (made by
Sweetlix)
* Southern States
Goat Mineral (made by
Southern States Cooperative)
* Golden Blend
Goat Mineral (made by
Custom Milling)
It is BEST to purchase a "mineral feeder" and keep one side
filled with
baking soda and
the other side with GOAT minerals. Mount the “Mineral feeder”
up above "rump height" and set a cinder block below the feeder
as a “step” to
keep the feeder CLEAN.
AFTER the first SIX months of life:
* Purina Meat
Goat Pellets (made by
Purina)
* Golden Blend
16% Goat Pellets (made by
Custom Milling)
* Purina Goat Chow
(made by
Purina)
Feeding twice a day (up to a cup per animal) is BEST, but once
a day is acceptable.
Keep an eye on your animals "condition"!! If your goat is too
thin increase the amount you are feeding, if your goat is too
fat decrease the amount.
A FAT goat is NOT a healthy goat!
If your goat is NOT eating the hay (and it IS good quality) it
means you are FEEDING
TOO
MUCH PELLETED FEED.
Fresh alfalfa can be given daily…AS A TREAT…just enough
to keep them “busy” for a few minutes will provide extra
protein and calcium to their diet. …and they LOVE it!
SHELTER:
Goats need a clean, shaded, draft-free and dry place to go
whenever they choose. When YOU
can sit down “in” their shelter and be "comfortable"….then the
shelter will make THEM happy. Check for wet bedding, strong
ammonia odor, and goat "berries"….remove the soiled bedding
(Use pine shavings, hay or straw) and replace it with fresh as
needed.
Agricultural powdered lime
works well to help neutralize the ammonia odor,
but you must cover it over with bedding before you allow your
animals
back in their shelter.
YOUR GOAT MUST
BE VACCINATED ANNUALLY WITH A CD/T VACCINE.
WHAT DOES
A SICK GOAT LOOK LIKE?
If your goat displays
ANY of these behaviors:
IT IS TIME TO CALL YOUR
VETERINARIAN!
If
your goat has diarrhea, it must be treated
AT ONCE!!
6cc of Pepto
given every hour UNTIL it STOPS will usually work.
Diarrhea is usually caused by eating something “different”,
eating too
much of something, worms or Coccidia. Avoid the problem by
NOT
allowing your goat to
OVER-DO it!!
Worm your goat every 6 months/or as needed and treat for
Coccidia
as needed.
DO NOT WORM A PREGNANT DOE!!
For worming I recommend:
Valbazen –Given
Orally – 1cc/10lbs
Synanthic –Given Orally – 4cc/25lbs
Cydectin -
Given Orally - 1cc/20-25 lbs
For Coccidia I recommend
SULMET – Given Orally - 1cc/5lbs for the
FIRST day and 1cc/10lbs for DAYS 2-5.
IMPORTANT for the well being and long life of PET WETHERS!!
You MUST
NOT deviate from the instructions on feeding above!! The
recommended feeds are the ONLY feeds I TRUST to provide the proper
nutritional balance that is VITAL to preventing URINARY CALCULI from
developing in your pet wether!!
Urinary Calculi often develop when the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio in
the animal’s feed is incorrect. It is a PAINFUL and DEADLY
condition!
The
BEST course of action is PREVENTION.
Following the feeding instructions above is the
BEST way I know of preventing this condition.
RECOMMENDED ITEMS:
PUBLICATIONS:
Goat Keeping 101
by Caprine Supply (Paperback, 256 pages) Can be purchased at
Caprine Supply.
SUPPLY CATALOGS:
Click name to visit sites
MEDICINE CHEST:
-
Pepto
-
Sulmet
Goat Nutri-drench
-
Penicillin (Pen-G)
One of the
types of wormers
below:
-
Valbazen (albendazole 11.36%) DOSAGE: Given orally - 1 cc
per 10 lbs
-
Cydectin (moxidectin) DOSAGE: Given orally - 1cc per 20-25
lbs
-
Synanthic (oxfendazole) DOSAGE: Given orally – 4cc per 25
lbs
BEST INFORMATION WEB SITES:
http://fiascofarm.com/
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/respiratory.htm
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