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Re: New pygmy goat owner NEEDS HELP!!!
Posted by patty on May 13, 2001 at 18:42:54:
In Reply to: New pygmy goat owner NEEDS HELP!!! posted by Tom on May 13, 2001 at 14:53:28:
Oh boy Tom... nothing like jumping in with both feet! :) I'll try to address most of your concerns: YES... they need vaccinating and probably deworming and probably de-lousing as well. Take a fresh fecal sample in to a large animal vet(preferably cattle specialist, if no small ruminant specialist) for a peek under the microscope to check for worms, then find out which deworming product would be appropriate to use. There are several lice powders on the market to dust them with, if you suspect lice (lots of scratching, rubbing, biting, stamping are the symptoms usually). Don't know what "All stock" feed is, but for pygmies, overfeeding grain can lead to several problems, both with bucks (urinary calculi - i.e. stones), and pregnant does - and especially YOUNG pregnant does. I'd cut down on the grain for both of them, and get some good quality alfalfa/grass mix hay...give each of them a flake morning and night in some sort of feeder (not on the ground). The vaccinating should be done with "Clostridium Perfringens Type C & D with Tetanus Toxoid", a serum found in the refrigerated vaccine section of any farm supply store or catalog..any age goat gets 2cc either IM (in muscle) or SubQ (under the skin)...yes your vet can do it for you if you're sqeamish. A month later, give them another dose, then annually after that. They should definately be seperated as the doe gets closer to kidding time...and stay seperated after that. Pygmy does come in heat every 18-20 days year round, so unless you want her perpetually pregnant, keep them seperated. Don't know if your chicken wire will hold...time will tell I suppose. Goats love to rub and climb and stand on fencing, so it may not. Shelters should be draft-free but well ventilated, with clean dry bedding inside. Goats will seek shade in hot humid weather, and will consume lots of water, so keeping the water buckets clean and refreshed is important. There are several good loose mineral mixes available now for just goats, and contain all the necessary trace minerals for them to stay healthy. Their feet will need to be trimmed periodically as well. A goat hoof trimmer is inexpensive and available from many catalogs/stores. At the expense of making this post even longer, I'd like to suggest that I send you one of my Basic Care booklets that I typically hand out to my new goat customers. I sell them to non-customers for a nominal cost and send them priority mail. It has all of the specific topics that you've mentioned, including some of my published articles on other goat-related issues. Email me privately at littlegoats@wi.rr.com if you're interested. One more point: find a good vet or experienced goatkeeper close to you that you can call on if your doe needs some assistance during kidding... she may or may not, but better to be safe than sorry - especially with pygmies. I hope I've helped! :)patty
Prairie Oak Miniatures
http://www.minifarm.com/prairie_oak
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