JMJ Farms":2ew5knvz said:
Very nice goats and horses BootJack. I "inherited" some goats. Seems like there's constantly something wrong with a few of them. I'm pretty dang good as a "cow vet". But these friggin goats are a different story. I try to do everything right but once they get puny I have a hard time getting them well. And it seems to happen very quickly. I ain't quite got them figured out. But it looks like you do! Very healthy looking.
JMJ, a few things we have learned about goats that have a major impact on overall well-being-
1. They need copper. Lots. We make sure ours always have free choice high quality loose mineral, and give them each a copper bolus 2 times a year.
2. They need thiamine. If your goats don't have access to browse for stemmy/ woody forage, they may not get enough. Any time we administer any vaccinations, de-wormers, or illness treatment, they get a dose of vitamin B complex. When kids are born, they get selenium (we are deficient) and B complex before they are dry.
3. They need parasite control, especially if dry-lotted.
Ours are almost exclusively on dry lot or in small paddocks. We make up for not having browsing by doing the above, and making sure they have stemmy hay.