General Information Regarding the Care of Your Goats

* The following information is strictly the opinion of the writer, based on personal experience. Always check with your vet if unsure. Pygmy goats are a miniature breed of dairy goat. A healthy Pygmy doe can produce a surprising amount of sweet milk for her size. However, many owners do not raise their goats for milk but for the companionship and fun that these little animals can bring to their lives. Their calm and gentle nature, as well as their small size, make them great pets for children (and adults!) of all ages. Pygmy goats can come in many colours, which is another reason why they are so popular. They can be pinto-patterned, tri-coloured, Dalmatian-spotted, buckskin, or beautiful solid shades of black, gold, white, and chocolate. Dwarf goats, like all other animals, need some basic care for good health and long life. The most common myth that we hear is that goats can eat anything, including tin cans, and naturally that is far from the truth. Goats are very curious by nature and love to investigate anything new or interesting, including tin cans. But that certainly does not mean that they eat them. They are also a herd animal by nature and thrive on the companionship of at least one other goat. Even though you may plan to spend a lot of time with your goat, the best thing you can do for him/her (other than proper care and nutrition) is to provide another goat for a companion. HOUSING REQUIREMENTS for your goats are simple. They should be kept in clean pens or areas free of damp and drafts. Pygmy goats should not be housed in airtight buildings for they need to have ventilation for optimum health. (Never tie your goats out, for it leaves them helpless against dogs and other predators!) We use straw for bedding on top of a foot of gravel for drainage. An inexpensive hay rack keeps their feed clean and uncontaminated from faeces, thus cutting down on parasites. An attached outside enclosure with at least 4 ft. high fencing will provide the fresh air and exercise that they need. They love to play and climb on anything and most toys can be put together for little or no cost. Tree stumps, rocks or cable spools are great for king of the mountain games. A GOOD BASIC DIET for your goats would be mostly roughage in the form of good quality (not dusty or mouldy) grass mix hay. A good mix of grass, clover and/or alfalfa, in my opinion, gives them a more balanced diet. When searching for hay, inspect it closely and make sure that it has a nice green colour, and smells sweet. We feed our pygmys a goat/sheep mix twice a day, about two to three ounces at a time, in a low bucket for some and a trough for others. (It is important not to overfeed as this leads to obesity and can cause scouring). You should feed hay ad

lib and give clean drinking water each day. They will also enjoy chopped up fruit and vegetables as a treat. Contrary to popular belief, they do not make good lawn mowers, being browsers rather than grazers. In some bucks and most wethers (neutered males), grain should be limited because it can cause a condition called urinary calculi. This is a build up of tiny, crystal-like stones in the bladder. Once formed, these crystals usually are unable to be passed through the urinary track and if not caught early, the male can die from a long and torturous death resulting in a ruptured bladder. *A good way to remember the importance of hay/forage is to think of it this way: feed mix is considered a goat's CANDY, and candy needs to be limited. Hay/forage is considered a goat's main diet, which makes sense to feed them mostly hay and/or allow them to browse for forage. PLEASE DO NOT OVERFEED WITH FEED! We provide the pygmys with a salt lick and we put them up by their water, but make sure it is suitable for goats. They instinctively know when to use it. Always provide your pygmys with fresh water at least once a day and ours really appreciate warm water during the cold months. Beware of poisonous plants, the main ones being yew, rhododendron, laburnum and fir trees. For a more comprehensive list please refer to the Pygmy Goat Club publication called Notes. A GOOD WORMING SCHEDULE is a must for parasite control. We worm our goats approximately every 5 to 6 months. Wormers [anthelmintics] should be changed annually. Prolonged use of one wormer increases the production of resistant worms to that particular wormer. Too frequent changing of wormers can result in multiple resistances developing. FAMILY Benzamidazoles and probenzamidazoles [white wormers] Levamisole and related drugs [yellow wormers] Avermectins EXAMPLES Panacur, Valbazan Nilverm Oramec

Although there are many different anthelmintics available, there are only three different families of anthelmintic available. When changing anthelmintics it is important to change from one family of wormers to another. It is not sufficient to just change between members of the same family. It is also important to correctly estimate the weight of the goat. Consult your vet over the correct dosing rates for goats, which are higher than those for sheep and cattle. LICE All goats should be checked for lice. They can cause tremendous irritation to your goats and damage to the skin and hair and cause anaemia. Suspect lice if your goat is abnormally fidgety and has a dull scruffy coat. The lice can be seen with the naked eye. We used Pour-on products have with success but again check with your vet for the best product for your goats.

VACCINATIONS should be done on a regular basis by subcutaneous injection (under the skin), whatever the size of your herd, to help prevent diseases caused by:

Clostridial bacteria, in particular enterotoxaemia (Pulpy Kidney Disease) Tetanus

There was only one vaccine against clostridial bacteria and tetanus licensed for use in goats in the UK, a 4 in 1 vaccine, "Lambivac" marketed by Hoechst, but I believe the licence changed therefore, again consult with your vet. You can administer the vaccination yourself. Kids need one 2cc dose at around 4-6 weeks of age and then a booster 3 weeks later. Then a 2cc booster is needed yearly after that. Kids that leave Brucklay Pygmy Goats have received both doses. HOOF TRIMMING should be done approximately every 4-6 weeks. Some hooves can grow rapidly and become bent, cracked or infected unless trimmed properly. I will gladly demonstrate how to trim hooves. Keep the goat's feet dry for most of the time and keep the goat's feet moving on firm, but not abrasive, surfaces. It is essential to keep the goat's feet trimmed on a regular basis to remove excess growth. Foot care is a task that one can easily learn, it just takes a bit of practice and confidence. The technique may differ, but the end result must be the same and cause minimum discomfort to you and your goat. For foot trimming you will need:

A pair of small hoof trimming shears An antibiotic purple spray, obtained from your vet, to spray the hoof should you cause accidental bleeding of the foot.

Now:

Clean off any excess dirt and other material from the base of the hoof with the pointed end of the trimming shears Remove any horn, which may be growing over the foot with the trimming shears. Cut the horn level with the sole all the way round. Level the heels with the sharp knife, lowering them if necessary, but removing a little at a time. Carefully pare the sole using the sharp knife to match the new heel level. Remove a little at a time and stop if the sole begins to become pink. Work from the heel towards the toe.

In badly overgrown hooves the sole may have degenerated and become crumbly. Scrape off such tissue and spray the foot with the antibiotic spray.

Left is a picture of a kid's hooves that have not been trimmed yet. Note the soft pad at the back and how the outside nail is growing down. Right is an older goat whose hooves need routine trimming.

Scrape out any mud etc. so you can see and then cut off the nail.

Continue cutting off the nail all round. Cut off the pads at the back to make the sole of the hoof parallel with the growth lines. If the operation seems awkward leaning over the goat is a good option.

Finally take a cut from the front of the hoof. Should you draw blood with a clumsy cut (rare), spray on some iodine immediately Remember trim hooves every 4 - 6 weeks and do not let them get into this state! (right)

Sometimes if your goats' feet are wet in the winter months, the odd goat may show signs of mild footrot - shown left as slight undermining of the heel. Another mild condition is Hoof Scald which is redness between the two halves of the hoof. Check for this when the hooves are trimmed and use either flowers of sulphur powder or foot rot spray as a routine. Hoof trimming pictures and adjacent information kindly supplied by Chris of Renn Pygmy Goats TEETH - When browsing, the goat rips rather than bites. The goat has incisors on the bottom jaw. The top jaw has a pad. The food is then passed to the molars to be crushed. Assisted by the tongue the food is then passed into the oesophagus and on to the stomach. By the age of one the goat would have grown a full set of teeth. There are six molars on each side in the lower and upper jaw, and eight incisors on the lower jaw making a total of thirty-two teeth in all. At one year the milk incisors are gradually replaced by permanent teeth and by the time the goat is four and a half years old it is known as full mouthed. HORNS - We do not disbud or dehorn our goats. Horns on a goat act as a "cooling mechanism" that connect to the sinus cavities. Our experience is that horns are mostly used to scratch with and are not used aggressively. Goats DO use them to spar with each other during play fights but this does not lead to any injury. Horns are not used against people. OBSERVATION of your herd is essential to help you to learn what is "normal", and since some illnesses have a gradual onset being able to spot the slightest change in an individual goat will enable you to act promptly and prevent any risk there may be to herd health as a whole. Observe and ask yourself daily:

Is the goat alert and inquisitive, with bright eyes and a clean nose? Is the appetite normal? Is the goat drinking water? Are the droppings, firm and pelleted and is the urine a normal colour? Is the coat silky and shiny and the skin smooth? Examine your goats, using your hands, regularly in good light, are there any signs of swelling or injury? Does the goat stand comfortably on all four feet and walk with equal weight on each foot?

Record daily any observed variations from normal. By law you must keep a record of all injections and medications given to your goats, these can be recorded on different pages in the same book or on a BGS Medicine Record Sheet. GUIDE TO THE "NORMAL" GOAT Body temperature (rectal): Heart rate: Respiration rate: Rumen movement: 39 - 39.50 C (102.5 - 103 F) 70 - 95 beats per minute 10 - 30 per minute 1 -1.5 per minute

Comparison with other goats in the herd is sound practice (since a hot day, for example, may alter the respiration rate of a number of goats in the herd). A Clinical thermometer and a watch with a second's hand are required.

Temperature is taken by gentle insertion of the clinical thermometer in the goat's anus for a minute, with the goat well secured. Heart rate is taken by placing each hand either side of the goat's chest low down behind, and close to, its elbows. Respiration rate is taken by observation of movement of the goat's chest and flanks. Rumen movement is checked by gently pressing a fist into the goat's left hand side midway between the ribs and the goat's thigh.

Practice the technique of doing all the above. Reporting these four key observations can help your vet help your goats. THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS for keeping any livestock are constantly changing and you should contact your local DEFRA Office to get the up to date information before buying your goats. The following legal requirements are permanent and should be adhered to:

Before you can bring any livestock on to your land, even if they are only pets, you must have a holding number for your property. This is easily obtained by contacting your local DEFRA Office, there is no charge. Any goat purchased must be properly identified with an ear tag showing the herd number and an individual number. Kids born after 4/1/08 must have an ear tag in each ear. This is the responsibility of the breeder but as the buyer you must make sure it has been done. It is illegal to move a goat that is not earmarked. A Movement Licence is required before you can transport a goat, this is very simple. A book of blank Movement Licences is obtained from your local Trading Standards Office and whenever you move a goat or goats you

complete a form and send the top copy to the Trading Standards Office once your journey is completed. When purchasing a goat it is the responsibility of the breeder to complete the licence and give it to you to take with you. CAEV - Caprine arthritis encephalitis is a viral disease of goats that can be detected by a blood test that demonstrates antibodies present. The eventual clinical effects of the disease are devastating on both animal welfare and economical grounds. Infection can also however be relatively mild and easily missed, particularly in the early stages. Make an appointment with your Vet to take blood samples for CAEV, your vet will send away the blood samples for testing to a laboratory. Although it is not compulsory to have your herd tested you could well find it is a requirement if you want to show your goats. THIS IS ONLY A QUICK SUMMARY of some things that you need to know. We suggest reading as much material as you can to learn about your goats and their needs. We are also happy to answer any questions that you may have regarding your animals. But its always advisable to contact a vet concerning any health issue & they can guide you as far as treatment or advice. CHECK LIST Besides providing your goats with a healthy diet and lots of love, you should try to have these supplies on hand. 1. A thermometer - Anything over 103 degrees can be considered a 'suspicious' temperature. If you are uncertain as to whether an ill-acting goat's temperature is elevated, try taking the temperature of another goat in the herd that appears to be acting normally. If they differ, it's usually a sign that something is wrong. 2. Hoof trimmers Small ones are better for pygmy goats. 3. Wormers - There are several wormers but the ones most commonly used are Ivermectin products, Safeguard or Panacur and also Valbazen (never give Valbazen to a pregnant animal as it can cause abortions!). Any of these can be purchased from your vet or through a livestock supply. 4. Probios - this is beneficial bacteria that all ruminants need for their rumen to function properly. Use in cases of stress, parasite overload, and illness. If there is an animal being treated with an antibiotic, it's a good idea to give them a dose before and/or after treatment is completed. 5. Lice - they seem to appear out of nowhere. I used a powder first but found a pour on far more effective. 6. Syringes/Needles/Bottle Mount Vaccinator personal preference 7. Antibiotic Spray for cuts, scrapes or nicks 8. Medications and vaccinations