Sheep or Goats

[cross_7]

how big a problem is cl caseous lymphadenitis
if/can you vaccinate for it and it still be a problem

 

[msscamp]

how big a problem is cl caseous lymphadenitis
if/can you vaccinate for it and it still be a problem

Not that big of a problem if you are diligent. So far there is no vaccine for goats, but there is one for sheep that can be used on goats, and it is somewhere around 75% effective if I remember correctly. It is hard on the goats because it was developed for sheep, though. CL is not that difficult to contain if you monitor your animals and don't let an abcess burst on its own. The problem with CL is when the bacteria gets into the soil, on the fences, feeders, waterers, etc. When that happens, you're looking at years of infection with the rest of your animals and a hard time controlling it.

 

[Keren]

I vaccinate my kids with the sheep vaccine and don't have any problems, even in animals that come from infected herds. I think for the most part U.S. goat breeders panic and make too much of a big deal over it. One thing to note though, if you plan to show, a lot of shows require negative testing for CL (among other things) and vaccinated animals will show up as positive

 

[cross_7]

goat 101
good fence plus electric wire
shelter of some sort
predator control
vaccinate for cd/t and cl(casebac)
worm accordingly
band/castrate
sell at 80#'s
wean at 4 months ???
do i buy bred doe's or open or does it matter as long as they will kid when i'm ready ?
do doe kids sell cheaper than wethers ?(like steers and heifers)
what do i have wrong and what else do i need to know ?

 

[Keren]

That's a pretty good list there. You can wean anywhere from 2 months on. Buy what you can, bred does are easier to get started in to let you get used to them before needing the hassle of a buck. What you can buy will depend on your area and market, as will the price for doe vs wether kids. There is no discount in my area for does

 

[cross_7]

ticks of the trade ?
anything else i need to know ?
do vaccinate doe's yearly ?
if so what for and when ?

 

[circlew]

I only worm the ones that need it. If you worm everyone whether they need it or not the worms will get immune to your wormer. Also if you buy from the stock yards take what the folks say about their goats with a grain of salt. I bought four a few months ago in a sell out deal that were suppose to be bred turns out they weren't but I bought them not because they were bred but they were good quality. Being bred would have just been an extra benefit. :cowboy:

 

[Keren]

I worm three times a year but other people do routine faecal egg counts and worm as indicated by that. Tricks of the trade ... Resign yourself to the fact that the goat will always outsmart you ... Garden secateurs (sp?) are good inexpensive foot trimmers, chuck them when blunt ... Goats can bite especially angoras

 

[msscamp]

I worm three times a year...

Might want to think about applying the FAMANCHA guidelines - that way you are not contributing to goats becoming immune to available de-worming medications.

 

[msscamp]

wean at 4 months ???
do i buy bred doe's or open or does it matter as long as they will kid when i'm ready ?
do doe kids sell cheaper than wethers ?(like steers and heifers)
what do i have wrong and what else do i need to know ?

I wean my bucks at 3 months of age, and my doelings at 4 months of age. Unless you band/castrate, you're likely to have does bred that you don't want bred if you wait to wean bucks at 4 months of age.

In my area doelings do tend to bring less than bucks/wethers - depending on the time of year. Not a lot less, but still less.

As far as buying bred or open - goats are just like cattle. Not all people know how to breed, and you are looking at the same problems as with cattle - just with 2 -5 babies instead of one. Trust me on this - you haven't lived until you've tried to sort out 2-5 babies in the dark!

On another note, instead of worrying about CL I would take whatever measure is necessary to make sure my does were not infected with CAE. I no longer allow ANY animal in my herd until I've tested for CAE. Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis will considerably shorten a does productive years, is passed on to her offspring through the milk, can kill young kids(the encephalitis part), and can be passed to other members of the herd through bodily fluids. There is no cure for it, and it can also cause reduced milk production, hard udders, interfere with their immune system, and cause other problems, as well. Something else I would test for is Q Fever. Q Fever is a zoonotic(sp?) disease that can be passed on to humans, and it causes abortions in the goats. Make sure you test BEFORE you bring the animal to your place because most states will slap you with a quarantine for an animal that tests positive - it's on the list for biological warfare agents.

 

[Keren]

I've tried the FAMACHA system and it flat out did not work in my system. What does work for my particular situation is strategic worming three times a year according to seasonal peaks in worm burden. Along with good pasture management and cell grazing. And proper dosing and rotation of chemicals the resistance issue can be managed (ie avoided) easily enough. Just stating what works for me, not saying everyone should do it.