Numerous studies are identifying a pattern goat producers have known for some time: goat parasites are becoming increasingly resistant to virtually every conventional dewormer available on the market today. Understanding Parasite Resistance in Livestock Management Extensive research has looked at how parasites respond to the numerous deworming options currently available. See the bibliography below for Continue Reading
Posts by theholisticgoat
Essential Oil Synergy: Why Blending Cinnamon with Clove Reduces Skin Reactions
I’m working through Tisserand’s Essential Oil Safety again as I continue my studies on essential oils and their uses in goats. This is such an important point to underscore: When we isolate a single constituent, we get different results than when we use the whole. (Think pharmaceuticals too, where a constituent of a medicinal plant Continue Reading
When Can I Return a Doe with New Kids to the Herd?
Cattle who are given the freedom to do so will go out away from the herd, under a tree or in a similarly sheltered area, and then return to eat as soon as the calf is stable. I have always managed kidding in more closely confined areas, so I haven’t seen what my goats would Continue Reading
Stool Changes in Newborn Kids
The first stool a newborn kid passes will likely be a tarry, sticky, dark looking stool. This is completely normal. Within a couple of days, it usually turns to a mustard yellow and begins to transition to lightly formed, but still a solid clump. Over time, especially as the kid begins consuming other foods than Continue Reading
Retiring a Doe from Breeding
In this lesson: How do we know the right time to retire a doe from breeding? Standard advice is to breed until the doe is 10 years old and then retire. This is a good rule of thumb but your doe may need to be retired sooner or she may be able to continue beyond Continue Reading
Manually Dilating a Cervix
In this lesson: This is “stringing.” Amniotic fluid is hanging out and birth is imminent. I bemusedly observed this doe gobbling on food out at the feeder and again in the barn when I tossed a bale down. No indications of labor, no pawing, no obvious contractions, etc. Happily munching away without a seeming care Continue Reading
Kid Diet: Newborn to Weaning
There are no special dietary restrictions for goat kids due to age. Our kids have access to the same foods as the rest of the herd from day 1 and dam raised kids are often eating alongside their mothers within a couple of days. Bottle fed kids may need some encouragement to learn how to Continue Reading
Doe Bleeding and Discharge After Kidding
After kidding, the uterus must clean out all of the products required for successfully growing fetuses. This process can take as long as six weeks. Discharge will be bloody, sometimes clotty, heavier at times and lighter at others. All of these are normal. Sometimes it may stop for a day or a few and then Continue Reading
Do I Need to Separate Does During Kidding?
The general consensus when does are kidding is to separate them from the herd. Some breeders will separate them out of sight and contact completely from the herd. Others don’t separate at all, leaving does to kid where they will. When determining the best choice in my own herd, I tried to think of how Continue Reading
Caring for Chilled or Rejected Kids
If you raise goats, having a chilled and/or rejected kid is somewhat inevitable. We select carefully for good mothering ability, but still wind up with 1-2 bottle kids every year in our 30-50 kid crop. While the inclination seems to be to bring these kids inside and raise them up, it can create a host Continue Reading