At Pygmy Heaven, we strive to maintain the best possible health of our herd so that our goats flourish rather than merely get by. While providing a well-balanced feed is crucial, raising goats also has additional requirements. Being mindful can help you maintain control over your goat's health as a responsible goat keeper. Simple signs of something wrong or that your goat's health may be at risk include a rough or discolored coat, pale eyelids or gums, or scours.
We only worm goats when necessary and do not believe in routinely deworming goats. To increase resistance within our herd, that is why. When our does have kidded and their immune systems are under stress, we do worm them, but only as necessary after that. Fecal tests are advised if you have concerns since they may assist you determine the sort of worms your goat has and which specific wormer will be needed to treat them. Not all worms or worming procedures are created equal.
Checking your goat's inner eyelids by pushing them down will allow you to determine whether they may be carrying worms. Inner lids that are pink are thought to be normal, whereas those that are light pink or white might point to a potentially serious worm load and/or anemia.
Twice a year, we give our goats a five-in-one vaccine. One month before giving birth, does receive a vaccine that transfers the antibodies to their unborn young, protecting them during the first 4-6 weeks of life. 4-6 weeks after birth, children receive their first immunization, followed one month later by a booster dose. After that, people receive a 5 in 1 vaccination every 6 months (kids receive a 3 in 1 vaccine for their first and booster doses). Tetanus, Pulpy Kidney (Enterotoxemia), and Cheesy Gland (CL) are all covered by the 3-in-1 vaccination. We get our vaccination from stock feed suppliers, and we personally inject it under the skin. As an alternative, veterinarians can perform this for you or provide you a pre-filled syringe to do it yourself.
A fundamental and essential skill in goat farming is hoof clipping. It's crucial to maintain proper foot trimming whether you have a small herd of goats or a large one in order to prevent soreness, hoof rot, and aberrant limb growth. Goats would naturally climb through rocky outcrops in the wild, wearing down their hooves in the process. To help the goats' hooves wear down, we have a sizable rock pile in our paddock for them to play on. However, this is insufficient, so we clip our goats' hooves every 6 to 8 weeks. Similar to how human fingernails grow, certain goats' hooves develop more quickly than others, and you quickly learn which ones require more frequent maintenance.
Despite being a simple chore, new owners who have never done it before could find it intimidating. When picking up goats, we demonstrate how to accomplish this to all of our customers, giving them a chance to try it out firsthand under supervision.equipment needed for trimming;a reliable post, fence, or milk stand
a good set of secateurs for the garden
An aggressive brush
Blood stop powder (just in case; I personally haven't required it)
You can see the overgrowth that is folding over on the side and front of the hooves in the first two pictures. The part that has to be removed is this one. You can see that the leg is not directly aligned with the hoof in the third image. You want to steer clear of this since doing so over time might put strain on your knees and legs and perhaps result in damage. Refer to the "after" shot to see how frequent pruning may fix this.
Firstly, have your goat secured to the post/ fencing/ milking stand, then gently but firmly grab and flex back the foreleg. Depending on the goat, it will probably throw a tanty for having to stand on three legs, so just continue to hold the foot and wait out the storm until they settle down. Sometimes having a food bucket in front of them can distract them enough to cooperate.
Once they’re settled, simply clean all the dirt and grime from the hoof with the firm-bristled brush to clearly see the sole. Trim the curled part of the hooves so that they are level to the thickened skin in the centre. If the heel is not flush with the rest of the hoof, it too should be trimmed back to be level.
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