The Best Little
Goat Ranch
in Texas!
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General
- First and foremost... Don't start too big. Learn your goats and add on slowly.
Also, make sure you have a market.
- A female goat is a doe; the male, a buck; the young, kids;
a castrated male is a wether.
- The most important thing to remember is worm your goats regularly. Parasites
kill more goats every year than predators.
- Be sure and find a veterinarian that knows about goats. Have a good working
relationship with your veterinarian. His/her guidance is invaluable.
- Please be sure and keep notes from all the questions and answers you collect. They can
really help you in a time of need. Especially when there is no one that you can speak with
at that time of question.
- Goats are my livestock of choice because of their personality. Each of mine
is totally different. However, traits seem to run in the family line.
- Raising goats is my passion as well as a hobby and a small business. Join your
Chamber of Commerce to aid your sales.
- Put a collar with a bell on your dominant does. This way they will lead your
herd back home by sound as well as sight.
- Train your goats, or condition them as my Psychology teacher would have said,
to come by ringing a bell every time you feed them. Soon they will come to the
gate at just the sound of your bell.
- A very dear, and very young friend writes: I have learned a lot of things
from raising goats. Some things I have learned are if you bottle feed or play with
the babies a lot they can become a major pest, I have also learned not all bucks
become mean after a few years, and the babies are a blast to watch jump around and
play together. ~Nicole age 14
- Here is a wonderful way to handle too friendly, or too aggressive, bucks. Get
a squirt bottle and fill it with vinegar. This can be sprayed directly in the face
and will burn just enough that the buck will back away. It will not damage the
animal in any way other than sting the eyes and they will learn to respect the
spray bottle. This will also work on your goats that meet you at the gate and won't
let you in. And boy, does it save your fences and your toes!
- Another good way to handle a big buck is to grab him by the beard. You can just
about lead him anywhere you need him by pulling him by that beard.
- Provide adequate shelter. The goat must be able to get out of the wind, rain
and hot sun. Shorn goats are vulnerable to cold wet weather when sheared, and
to excess heat.
- A shelter does not have to be a tall barn. If possible, you can build a shorter
building and help the goats keep their body heat more contained. That way they can
warm each other. But, remember that goats like to jump on everything. So, if you
plan on building a short shelter be sure that your shelter is very sturdy.
- Raising goats can be a hobby, a moneymaker and a passion. But it can also be
a burden. Be sure that you want the responsibility of these wonderful animals. You
are their keeper and they will depend on you for everything. Respect that.
- The dairy goat's popularity continues to increase rapidly as more people
discover the dairy goat's appeal, utility and productiveness.
- A goat is an ideal family animal, is easily handled and can be kept on small
pieces of land.
- TRAVELING is a must when buying or showing goats. A suggested preventive maintenance for
travel stress or shipping fever is a shot of B-12, to make them feel good, and a shot of LA200
at 4.5cc per 100 pounds. Also, give good hay and fresh water for a few days. You will be better
off feeding a new animal his regular feed and gradually change him over to your feed. Mix a little
more of your feed each day until the other feed is completely out of his system. A gradual change
in feed helps keep the animal from getting acidosis. The goat's rumen has a certain group of bacteria
that is used to process the feed that he is used to eating. A gradual change in feed helps him develop
the new bacteria that he needs.
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Health
Disclaimer: We are not vets. Your vet should approve all meds before you
administer them to your animals. These are things that have worked for us.
- The most important thing to remember is worm your goats regularly. Parasites
kill more goats every year than predators.
- Many serious diseases can be prevented by routine vaccinations and worming.
- Be sure and find a veterinarian that knows about goats. Have a good working
relationship with your veterinarian. His/her guidance is invaluable.
- Conditions that may require immediate veterinary aid include: bloat, severe
wounds, kidding problems, mastitis, milk fever & ketosis. Ask your vet to show
you what he is doing to help the animal and see if he will teach you how to do
some of these things yourself.
- The normal temperature for a goat is 101.5 - 104. Always compare temperatures
with a healthy goat as a high temperature could be due to over exertion or hot weather.
- Unless administered under the direction of a licensed veterinarian, very few
drugs, even over the counter drugs, are actually cleared for goats. Let your vet
recommend the various medications you may need to treat your animals.
- Signs of a Healthy Goat:
- Bright alert appearance, active and curious
- Clear bright eyes - no discharge
- Hair coat smooth, shiny and laying flat
- Fresh water is important; don't let the trough get dirty. Your goat won't grow
as well if the water is dirty. Male goats can develop urinary calculi (kidney
stones) and die if they don't get enough water.
- External parasites like lice and ticks can cause your animals to scratch out
their hair, loose weight, and to be a bit listless. Animals may be sprayed or
treated with pour-on insecticides.
- Old remedies such as kerosene or sulfur and bacon grease are a fix for many
things. Just ask your grandfather.
- Sniffles in a goat can be a form of pneumonia. A suggested antibiotic is
Lincomix 100. Ask your vet for the proper dosage.
- Pink eye or other eye infections and eye injuries can be eased and healed with
LA 200. You can actually put a drop in the injured eye (remove the needle please)
and see a quick improvement. It burns like the dickens, so expect an unhappy animal.
- An old timer once told me that a good way to treat pink eye is with 1 part
tincture of iodine and 3 parts distilled water in a spray bottle. Spray in eyes.
It is said to kill bacteria and help heal.
- Durasect is a great water based drench for lice. A 1-gallon container is ready
to go. Simply use a drench gun and make a thin line down the spine of the goat.
This will certainly keep your goats happier and healthier.
- A fellow goat breeder mentioned that mastitis ointment in the eyes can help heal
pink eye, also.
- Soremouth is a terrible thing to get right before a big show. Once it is in the
herd it remains there. The best thing, in my opinion, is to vaccinate all kids
against it after they are weaned. This keeps the nannies from getting it on their
udders.
- If a goat gets soremouth it is a one-time thing. Just like chickenpox in people.
A suggested way to speed up the healing process is to use a warm, moist rag to
soften the sores and remove and then dispose of them. Wear gloves! Then take
a rag and wet the mouth with kerosene. This really burns, but it cauterizes the
wounds, helping them heal quicker. This is another old-timer's remedy.
- Never be without Epinephrine. It is an over the counter product that is used
to counteract shock in animals. Always carry it with you when giving injections.
You will not have time to go get it. Dosage is 1cc SQ per 100lbs of body weight.
It saved a goat of ours that was out in the pasture and came back having small
spasms. We don't know what she got into, but she settled down after a dose of
Epinephrine.
- Please note that pinkeye in goats is not the same as pinkeye in cattle.
Do not treat them the same.
- MASTITIS is a really hard thing on both the goat and the owner. Although I have mentioned
several things to help already, I have just learned of another helpful tip. It seems that at
the very first sign of an infection you can begin to orally give the goat Echinaccea & Garlic tablet.
- MASTITIS - This is a nasty disease that takes a lot of work to cure. Most of the big ranchers
will tell you to take the doe to the sale barn and cut your losses. However, there are those of
us that become attached to our goats. Or we feel responsible for their situation and will do
anything in our power to help them through this difficult and painful time. So, here are a few
things you can do to try and save the udder of an infected goat. The feed and farm stores in
your area should carry a medicine called TODAY and TOMMORROW. Both are needed to possibly save
the udder and prevent further problems. You will need to milk out the infected side and follow
the directions on the tube. Do not let the kid nurse again.
- SHAGGY coat and black hair with a red tint on the end has been known to be due to a copper
deficiency and can be treated with a goat mineral that is high in copper. Our land around here
is known for copper deficiency. This will also cause ABORTIONS in otherwise healthy looking
goats. Unfortunately I learned this the hard way. I had three does abort before I asked the
right person the right questions. Hopefully I have since remedied the problem. My animals now
have loose minerals, made specifically for goats, free choice at all times. I put out a cup of
fresh every day as they don't like it after it sits.
- RINGWORM is almost inevetible in any goat herd. From what I understand, it is an airborn
virus as well as contagious through contact with other infected goats. (Always check the
surrounding pens at a show. Preventive maintenance is the best medicine). However, if your
goat gets RINGWORM, here are a few suggested treatments. Put some anti-fungal on the infected
area or you can use 7% Iodine. Captein is an anti-fungal used on rose bushes and is safe for
goats. Once again, check with your vet.
- We have found that a pink spray called "Foot Rot & Ringworm Spray" by AgriLabs
is absolutely great for RINGWORM. We purchase it from Jeffer's Supply. After a few treatments the
problem is gone. Also, a fellow breeder suggested we use Horseman's Dream to treat RINGWORM.
- Dry hot weather can cause RINGWORM and what some call BARN ITCH. BARN ITCH is also referred
to as hot spots, they itch and the goats scratch them with their teeth. If not treated they
can become a staff infection and that can really get bad.
- A COUGH is something that can happen at anytime. It is not always a bad problem. First
check the goats temperature and make sure that it is normal. If not, call your vet. If
normal, just keep an eye on the animal. If a goat is being fed hay, it sticks it's head
in and chews and breaths and will sometimes get dust in his lungs. Thus causing a cough.
Most of the time it is nothing to worry about. Goats just seem to cough sometimes.
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Kidding
- Newborn kids are very wonderful additions to the herd. Along with warmth and
safety, the kids need Colostrum, or mother's first milk, to get them up and on
their way to a long and healthy life. But sometimes the doe does not have enough
milk, or it doesn't come down, or she just flat does not want the kid, and even
worse, she might die before she even gets a chance to know her kids. Now, just
what do you do about the much-needed Colostrum? I have found it helpful to milk
a little bit of that rich first milk and freeze it in ice trays. After it's frozen,
it can be cracked and kept in freezer bags. When needed, you can take one ice cube
at a time and warm it up for the needy kids. This way there is no waste and it is
a small enough portion to monitor what each kid consumes.
- When assisting a doe with birth, be sure and only pull when the doe is
pushing. You must also be sure and pull down, as the birthing canal is aiming
down.
- If a problem is diagnosed during kidding, it is sometimes necessary to pull
without the aid of the doe. Once again, be sure that you work with the doe's
natural labor.
- Newborn kids are delicate, especially in cold weather, and can chill easily
in temperatures below 40 degrees if they do not nurse quickly after birth.
- Those of us in the milder climates, and breeders that show early in the year,
try to kid in the early winter months (January through March.) There are some
who prefer to avoid kidding in the harsh winter months and aim for a later
spring kidding.
- I have heard it said that "if you don't learn something new everyday... then you might as well
be dead". When I learn good things, I consider them a blessing. However, it is the bad things
that you wonder about. This early kidding season has been tough. Four does aborted, one stepped
on her doe kid and injured the back legs and one tried to have twins at the same time. Now I
shall tell you what I learned.
The aborted kids are on their way to Texas A & M for research. I will let you know when I know
something.
The doe kid that was stepped on was dragging her legs behind her. She was still aggressive and
determined to get her dinner. After calling the vet I went and got a bottle of Dexamethasone.
This is a steroid and counteracts the inflamation. The dose is 1cc per 40 pounds. After one
dose and twelve hours she was standing to get her dinner.
Now, the twins were coming at the same time. WOW was I shocked. I was watching the delivery from
a distance, so as not to disturb the doe, when I saw three little hooves coming out at once. Not
only is this hard on the doe, it is deadly for the babies. Luckily, one hoof was pointed up, which
means a breech birth, and the other two were pointed down, meaning head first. This made it easier
to figure out which hooves belonged to which kid and which one to push back in. So after pushing
the breech kid back in, I was able to help the doe by pulling the other kid. Then I immediately
began to assist in the birth of the breech kid. BREECH births are worrisome due to the fact
that the cord can break and suffocate the kid before the doe can get the birth sack off of their
face. Since I was there I was able to save the doe and both kids. I learned a lot that day.
- RETAINED PLACENTA - This is one of the few really bad things that we experience during kidding
season. Sometimes, after a doe has presented you with her beautiful kids, she does not pass the
afterbirth. This is deadly for the doe. If after a few hours she still hasn't passed the afterbirth,
call your vet. It is time for human help. There is a great drug that helps with this problem. It
is Oxyticin and a very small amount does the trick. This drug is also used to help a doe during
delivery if she is having problems. Your vet will tell you when it is needed. During a surprise
delivery, we were unable to get the Oxyticin to do the job. After calling the vet we were told to
come get a dose of Lutalyse. This did the trick.
- I have found that the Pritchard nipple, which you can find at most feed and farm stores, is the
best for getting a BOTTLE BABY started. This is usually a screw on nipple that is red and yellow
in color. You clip off the tip and it will flow freely due to the ball bearing inside it. It is
best that you switch to a regular nipple after the kid has figured out that the bottle holds it's
dinner. The regular nipple causes the kid to have to suck and this will strengthen his jaws which
helps with eating as it grows older.
- Recently, I had a customer call me with an emergency regarding a newborn kid. He wouldn't
nurse. He became weak and it seemed that he wasn't going to make it. Here are a few suggestions
to keep that cute, weak and wanted kid going. This is when that colostrum that you froze in the
icetray comes in VERY handy. If the colustrum doesn't seem to help, give the kid a few drops of
honey or Karo syrup. Another jumpstarter for weak kids is a few drops of coffee. All of the
above are simply a means of getting the newborn stronger through the first few hours of life.
Whether you bottle feed or it nurses its mom, you are giving it another chance at life. Please
remember, that not all kids make it. It is heartbreaking, but it happens.
- BREACH BIRTH is something to be aware of. This is a good example of why I like to be present
for every birth. When a kid is breach, the back feet break the sack while the face is still
covered. Once the umbilical cord breaks the kid can suffocate. If I am there I take time to
uncover the face, because the doe sometimes begins her cleanup at the end that comes out first
not realizing that the kid is backwards. Breach births are not always a problem, but I like
to be safe, not sorry.
- At a delivery of triplets I had a doe who was having all kinds of troubles... as well as
myself. Knowing she was in trouble I tried to help. But, I couldn't find any legs, or head,
nothing but backbone. I tried to re-position the kid and it was not going to be. The doe
pushed and pushed and the kid was finally born. It was one of the hardest things I have ever
watched. The kid was bent in half and very much dead. The balance of the triplets were fine.
However, I was more than stressed to witness such an unnatural birth. After emailing several
goat friends of mine, one of which replied as follows. "Difficult births and malpresented kids
are forms of what is called DYSTOCIA. From time to time you will have kids that are presented
in various strange ways or in various positions. I have seen kids born as you described and it
is not pleasant. Don't let something like this discourage you as the longer you are in business
the more strange things you will see. Don't give up, it will bet better."
- Use the following table to determine gestation periods (based on the average
gestation period of 150 days)
Gestation Table for Goats |
| Bred | Birth * | Market
(3 months of age) |
|---|
| July | December (-3) | March |
| August | January (-3) | April |
| September | February (-3) | May |
| October | March (-1) | June |
| November | April (-1) | July |
| December | May (-1) | August |
| January | June (-1) | September |
| February | July (0) | October |
| March | August (-3) | November |
| April | September (-3) | December |
| May | October (-3) | January |
| June | November (-3) | February |
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Showing
- Touch, work, run and set your show goats up every day if possible.
- When feeding your wethers, make sure they eat all their food within five
minutes. There should be none left after five minutes.
- Show goats as a 4-H or FFA project are a great way to teach responsibility.
- A 4-H or FFA project can help you win scholarships, prizes and cash.
Contact your local 4-H or FFA group for more details.
- After several seasons of showing market wethers, we have learned that exercise
is a very important thing you can do with these show goats.
- An added way to exercise is to put the feed up high on the fence so the
wethers must stand on their back legs to eat. It makes a big difference in how
those "hams" form.
- Oh yes, it is a good idea to keep something for your show goats to play on at
all times. A wooden spool or an old set of steps is ideal. As the weather grows
cooler, the goats become more playful.
- A fresh handling, well-groomed and alert animal will catch a judge's eye more
than a stale, soft, dull and depressed-looking animal. A judge can tell if you
and your animal aren't happy.
- It is a good idea for your animal to be accustomed to loud and strange noises
once it is at the show. I suggest that you leave a radio playing in their pen
when you are not out there with them.
- When planning your show supplies, be sure and include a couple of gallons
of your water from home. It is what your goat is used to and will help keep him
from being as stressed.
- Provide adequate shelter. The goat must be able to get out of the wind, rain
and hot sun. Shorn goats are vulnerable to cold wet weather when sheared, and to
excess heat.
- Whenever treating your show goat for lice, which is a good idea if it was at
a prospect show, always check the withdrawal time when a goat is going to a
terminal show.
- TRAVELING is a must when buying or showing goats. A suggested preventive maintenance for
travel stress or shipping fever is a shot of B-12, to make them feel good, and a shot of LA200
at 4.5cc per 100 pounds. Also, give good hay and fresh water for a few days. You will be better
off feeding a new animal his regular feed and gradually change him over to your feed. Mix a little
more of your feed each day until the other feed is completely out of his system. A gradual change
in feed helps keep the animal from getting acidosis. The goat's rumen has a certain group of bacteria
that is used to process the feed that he is used to eating. A gradual change in feed helps him develop
the new bacteria that he needs.
- Whether you show breeding stock or market animals, grooming can be as important as genetics in my
book. Every show we try to learn something new. At a recent County show we were told that a cool wet
towel can really make a show goat look and feel his best. After traveling and checking in and sleeping
in a strange barn... now we expect this poor animal to prance and look wonderful in a show ring. Well,
he probably doesn't feel like it. This is where the cool, wet towel comes in. Take the towel and rub
him all over. The coolness stimulates his body and actually makes him feel good. I believe it relieves
some of the stress of being handled. Oh yes, don't forget to rub the belly.
- At a 4-H meeting we had a speaker come and give us some tips on preparing for a show. Of course
you have been working with your animals for many months preparing their attitude for the shows.
Now come the sheering, for Market Goats anyway. A point for hoof trimming that we had never heard
before was to square the toes. The saying is "In front and out back" and it means to only square
off the inside toes on the front feet and the outside toes on the back feet. For some reason this
causes the animal to "prance" or walk in a different way. This will cause the judge to pay a bit
more attention to the animal and could possibly keep it in the ring for the final judging. I don't
understand why... but they say it makes a difference.
- At a major show this past year we had the privilage to speak with the veterenarian on duty.
The rules at this show included no DRENCHING on the grounds and we wanted to know why. We have
always considered drenching a way to give our show goats a bit of extra vitamins. After an
informative conversation with this vet, we better understood the rule. People who do not know
how to drench can actually cause pneumonia through aspiration and even death. It seems that
some show goats are really mistreated when it comes to drinking water. There are some, according
to this vet, that only get water through drenching. They have no idea how to drink water out of
a bucket. This causes water deprivation and is a cruel way to treat animals that are supposed to
be your child's pet, friend and 4-H or FFA project. Once again we have learned something by
asking questions.
- During a visit by a puppy purchaser while we were making gifts for the nephews to help them
with their goats since they were going to be showing this year for the first time. They
informed us that their children were showing goats for the first time also . Well, the gifts
we were making were show chains. All of the supplies were bought at Tractor Supply and are quite
easy to assemble. They consist of 16 to 18 inches of small, but strong chain, a clasp and 6
inches of plastic tubing that the chain will fit through. Our visitors asked why we prefer the
show chains and our daughter answered. She said that they don't hurt her hands as bad, especially
when she is standing in line to go into the ring. Sometimes they call the next class of goats long
before the previous class is finished and the plastic tubing is a life savor on a childs hands.
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Marketing
- Mohair is a great way to make a bit of extra money. Although the kids are
one source of income, the Angora goat is a second means of income. A pound of
uncleaned mohair can sell for as much as $3.00; if you wash it and card it for
spinners, you could get $40.00 for that same pound. If you can spin the carded
wool into yarn, you can sell that pound for $80.00 to $150.00. However, when
the previously mentioned pound of yarn is woven into a sweater or shawl you can
bump that pound up to $300.00 to $500.00.
- There are many different marketing aspects for goats and the products they
provide. The Three most popular varieties of marketable animals are Meat, Dairy
and Fiber. A meat goat can be any breed of goat, however the best carcass yield
would most likely be the Boer, Kiko and percentages. The dairy goats would consist
of Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, Saanan, Toggenburg and many more. From their milk
you can market milk, cheese and even soap. A good fiber goat is the Angora and
it produces wonderful mohair that can be cleaned, carded, spun and woven into
wonderful blankets, scarves and much more. For hundreds of years only the white
was acknowledged, but now even natural colored Angoras are available, giving you
mohair that needs no dye.
- Market goats can weigh between 30 and 120 pounds live weight.
- There is a marketing calendar at www.sheepgoatmarketing.org.
It tells you about the ethnic holidays when goat meat is consumed.
- See the table under Kidding to determine market ready dates.
- INSTRUCTIONS FOR MACHINE WASHING RAW MOHAIR
First get a reading of how hot your water is coming out of the faucet. Mohair is tough and can
withstand temperatures between 130 and 180 degrees. Use a candy thermometer for this. This is
why mohair is called the diamond fiber, that toughness and the sheen that it imparts. You will
need at least 130 degrees to cut the grease in goat hair, sheep lanolin needs 130 degrees or less.
Separate your fleece into smaller portions and put into net laundry bags, you can get them at
Wal-Mart. I have found them at Dollar Tree also.
Fill the tub of your washer with the hottest water that you have coming out, if it is not hot
enough mix in some boiling water ( water boils at 220 degrees) off of your stove and check the
temperature. Add your detergent (Fabuloso works very well) and let the machine agitate a minute
or so with out the bags of fleece, just enough to mix the water and detergent together. Stop the
agitation and then add your bags of fleece. Let the fleece soak in the soap water for about 30
minutes with the lid down to retain the water temperature, do not agitate the fleece at any time.
I use a piece of dowel rod to sink the bags and get them immersed. Set your washer to spin and
let the fleeces spin out in the machine. Remove the fleece, and set aside, fill the washer again
for your rinse adding no soap at this time. Do not add the fleece for rinsing until the washer is
full. If you have to adjust your temperature with extra boiling water, agitate the water before
adding fleece. Do not let your water run onto the fleece while the machine is filling. Add your
fleece to the water in the machine and let it soak for about 15- 30 minutes, set the machine to
spin and spin out the water. Repeat the rinse again. You should do two rinses per wash cycle.
Depending on how dirty your fleece is this may be repeated two to three times.
Lay your fleece out flat to dry, I use window screens in the sun as much as possible. You should be
able to now pick and card your fiber, if needed you may repeat the wash process after carding, and
then card again, depending on how dirty your fleece is.
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