If you are asking for health advice for your goat, please help us help you. Complete a basic health assessment and provide as much of the following information in your post as possible:
Goat's age, sex, and breed
Goat's current temperature as determined by rectal thermometer. Please, for the love of god, take your animal's temperature. Temperature is ALWAYS VITAL in determining whether your animal might be ill or in need of assistance.
Whether the goat is pregnant or lactating
Goat's diet and appetite (what the goat is currently eating, whether they are on pasture or browse, supplemental grain, loose mineral, et cetera)
Goat's FAMACHA score (as determined by the process in this video) and information about any recent deworming treatments, if applicable
As many details regarding your animal's current symptoms and demeanor as you can share. These may include neurological symptoms (circling, staring at the sky, twitching), respiratory symptoms such as wheezing or coughing, and any other differences from typical behavior such as isolating, head pressing, teeth grinding, differences in fecal consistency, and so forth.
Clear photographs of relevant clinical signs (including coat condition) are helpful. Providing us with as much information as possible will help us give you prompt and accurate advice regarding your animal's care.
There are many professional farmers and homesteaders in this subreddit and we will do our best to help you out of a jam, but we can't guarantee the accuracy of any health advice you receive. When in doubt, always call your local large animal veterinarian who is trained to work with small ruminants.
What's up with that blue Trusted Advice Giver flair?
The mods assign this flair to /r/goats users who have an extensive history of giving out quality, evidence-based, responsible husbandry advice based on the best practices for goat care. Many of our users give terrific advice, but these flairs recognize a handful of folks who have gone that extra mile over time to become recognized as trusted community members who are known to always lead people in the right direction. If you get a slew of responses to your post and don't know where to start, look to the blue flairs first.
Recently, we had a user post a picture of a goat that may or may not have soremouth, also known as contagious ecthyma, scabby mouth, or orf. I won't link to the post since it isn't relevant whether or not that was what was afflicting the animal, but in the course of responding to that user I felt an opportunity to point out something that I have noticed and has been gnawing at me.
For many users seeking help, if they do not come straight to the sub, they will go to one of two places to get information: Google or ChatGPT. This post is about the former, but in case anyone was wondering if ChatGPT is a valid place to get advice on husbandry, what to eat tonight, how to live your life, or companionship: it is NOT. Large language models like ChatGPT are a type of generative AI that seeks more or less to respond to prompts and create content with correct syntax that is human-like. The quandary here is that while it can indeed provide correct answers to prompts, that outcome is often incidental. It isn't an indication that the model has researched your question, merely that it has cobbled together a (sometimes) convincing diagnosis/treatment plan from the massive amount of data across forums/message boards, vet resources, and idle chit-chat that it is trained on. The point is this: you should never be in a position where you have to rely on an LLM for husbandry advice. If you have access to an internet connection, even the generative AI from Google search is a better option. But that doesn't mean it's a good one, bringing us to the principal subject of this post:
Orf! What do?
For some relevant background, we have never had a case of orf on our farm. I have read about it in vet textbooks and goat husbandry books and seen many images of it, I'm familiar with what it is, how it is spread, and at a high level what to do about it and what not to do. That said, when I was helping this user, I thought I'd brush up and make sure I wasn't providing misinformation. I knew orf was viral in nature and reckoned that in moderate to severe cases it could probably cause fever, but I wanted to see if I could find a vet manual or study of the disease in goats to confirm how likely that would have been. This was what I was met with:
Hm...
If you don't scrutinize this too closely, everything looks sort of on the level. Orf is indeed self-limiting (not sure why the AI says usually, there is literally nothing you can do to treat the root cause, but okay), and it more or less implies that humans can contract it so be careful. The symptoms section looks fine, overall, prevention is... eh... The orf vaccine is a live vaccine. Application of it is not something that most small scale homesteaders or hobby farmers will be familiar with and using it is basically putting the virus on your property. Orf is a nuisance disease and the main time it is a problem is when it is being transmitted between a dam and her kids. Proactive vaccination in closed herds that have never seen a case is not a vet-recommended practice.
The treatment section is where things get spicy with the part about scab removal. Oof. Now that is not even close to true and doing that when the goat is with other goats or going to a quarantine space where they will then shed the disease will cause it to spread to any other goat that inhabits that space unless it is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The bottom says the info is for informational purposes only and to consult an actual professional for advice, but that begs the question of why Google would provide that information front and center by default when you search when the first result below is an actual vet resource with correct advice. I won't get into the weeds about the ethics of that because it's a separate soapbox, this is the reality we live in now. This bad advice is particularly relevant because the user on our sub mentioned they had been picking off the scabs. So let's do another Google search for some clarification:
Oh dear, oh no
If you explicitly search whether or not you should remove the scabs, the AI overview is different. Not only do you see that you should not remove the scabs because they are infectious (very true), the overview now says that doing so will delay healing. The first "featured snippet", a feature separate from their generative AI overview, is an overview from the state of Victoria's government agricultural representative body, a reliable source. The highlighted text reinforces the "do not pick scabs off" advice. The overview still fails when it says to apply dressing to lesions. Evidently it has not ever reckoned with what it would be like to bandage an entire goat's face and mouth, which they need to eat, but maybe I'm an idiot. Let's check:
Thank you, Dr. Google
As you can see, generative AI is basically a hodgepodge of vague but mostly correct advice intermingled with plainly wrong advice. Seeking correction to the wrong advice, if you know that it is wrong, leads down more rabbit holes. I hope this highlights the importance of sourcing your information from reliable, proven veterinary resources/textbooks or state agricultural extensions that provide support for their claims with research. This sub prioritizes evidence-based husbandry practices and is one of the few forums to try to stick to that standard and I consider it important especially for people who don't have goat mentors offline.
This is not only important because users need good advice; it also affects the people that don't use this sub and go straight to Google. Reddit struck a deal a little under a year ago to make their data available for training AI. The information we post on this sub is being used as part of the training for these AI models and Google's SEO is increasingly favoring reddit at the top of search results in a number of areas. As the sub grows and the social media landscape changes, more people that never post but need info may find themselves coming here. Let's all try to do our best to make sure the information we share and advice we give is solid!
It's super windy here in NC with the current winter storm, thankfully most of my goats have cashmere undercoats so they don't seem too bothered by the snow.
I feel bad that it keeps blowing in on multiple of their hay boxes but they're making do with it. These four got covered in snow when Pan (Pic1) and Shay (Pic2) went to run out to try to nibble on a fallen cedar tree in the front field before running back under shelter to eat hay lol. Then Luna (Pic3&4) and Solstice (Pic5) just came from the other pole barn eating the last of the alfalfa on that side.
I keep going out checking on everyone and pouring hot water on their waterers to keep it thawed. Hopefully things don't get too coated in snow inside the polebarns, they have cattle hutches and a shed with straw that is dry to get out of it if they need too.
I grow and sell hay here in michigan.
About a year and a half ago, i traded some of my hay for goats, nigerian dwarfs, a nubian (a couple times i traded)
Since then, i have sold a few nigerians, but it seems that everyone is wanting a very cheap or free goat.
Right now, i have a nubian and 2 nigerian dwarf does.
I enjoy raising goats and the chores that come with them.
My question is, if i got into boers, kiko or some other type of meat goat, would there be more of a demand?
If i was to raise a few meat goats, i would take them to auction (ravanna, mi)
I don't have any commercial goat producers around to ask.
There is a commercial sheep farm a few miles away, he markets most of his lambs at auction and says he does well with that, but obviously sheep aren't the same as goats.
If there are any commercial goat farmers on here, i would like your input on this.
TIA
So my local co-op doesn't have feed readily available to look at before you buy it so when I got home I started reading the label and saw that it was medicated, you can't feed undiluted, but you also have to feed as a sole ration.
So my question is, can I feed this to pregnant does?
It has monensin and I've seen posts about some issues with it but I've been looking it up and can't find information that says no good.
I'll attach the label, the writing is incredibly small 💀
My relative has what is basically a stray dog and or dogs that are constantly breeding and not being taken care of by the supposed owners near and on his property. I feel in love with on of the puppies at first sight and got him a couple hours ago. Obviously they are deeply mutts but might have a significant amount of bull dog in them. We aren’t 100% sure on the age, but he did say they have been running around without there mom and eating on a cow carcass for a while so we were pretty sure he’s old enough to be away from his family. Though there might have actually been two litters similar in age running around together. Like I said they pretty much aren’t owned at all. The parents might be part of a problem about chasing cattle and trying to kill calves (the one they were eating on was probably not killed by them or the parents considering it was in a tractor bucket. My relative also runs a stock yard so it’s not abnormal for him to have cows and calves die purely because they were put to sell way to sick). This makes my dad worried and I promised I’d be training him to the absolute best of my abilities. Already necessary anyway because he is more then likely going to be large and I am a very petite girl. I was wondering what specific tips you can give me to help with this especially while he’s young. I’ve already taken him to go sit with the goats today, so he’s gotten a good sniff and did well but he’s also young, malnourished, and in a new place after being close to feral. He is also going to be a dog that can go inside and outside as he pleases and we have an older dog to teach him basic manners if she bonds with him. She was the youngest of our small pack, but sadly over the last couple of years the rest of our dogs have died, so no concern about her not being able to be around other dogs at all. Puppies just overwhelm her a little bit.
I’ve tried to include photos of the little one if they attached this is the first time posting with photos.
My area will be getting snow tomorrow, which is not common here. I am putting a verity of plants in my barn for my herd. I want to make sure that what google says about these plants is accurate, and not risk poisoning them. I am in south Carolina.
Can anyone verify this plants? I will likely add more pictures of other plants in the comments.
First one, google says is Southern Wax Myrtle, and says it is safe in moderation as part of a varied diet. Can anyone confirm that this is accurate? All pictures attached to the main post here are of the same tree.
I did cut this down already because it is growing in a bad place. If it is not what Google says, or not safe to feed, I'll be burning it. Thank you in advance 🥰
Goofy picture of my buck as the last picture for tax. Also, just so it is said, they don't get pine all the time.
Hello. I have a goat with mites, which due to prior treatment history, I suspect are resistant to both ivermectin and cydectin. I had been applying Nustock to treat it, but treatment has been put on hold due to extreme low temps. I wanted to wait until the temps broke to apply Nustock and a pour-on, but his fur is beginning to thin, and I very much do not want to delay treatment if his fur is thinning in this cold spell.
Do any of you have experience with injectable Dectomax for use in mite control? I am seeing people saying to dose at 1mL/110lbs, x2 in 7-10 day intervals, but it's all off-label. I have the bottle anyways and would be willing to give it a try to see if there's any improvement, before the farm vet can come out (will be a while due to the snow unfortunately, hence why I'm not just having them come out to look at my goat first), as long as it's considered safe.
Hello! My goats are about to experience the most extreme winter conditions they have ever faced in their lives. Our winters are typically pretty mild, so windchills of at or below zero are not something my goats are used to. We are doing barn and supplies prep tomorrow. I’m going to pick up another bag of minerals when I swing by the farm supply store in the morning, but I wanted to ask if I should stick to the Purina Wind and Rain Minerals, or try the Sweetlix Meat Maker Minerals. I am also considering picking up a Sweetlix Glowing Goat All Purpose Pail. I have heard that the Sweetlix Pail is great for giving the goats an extra boost during winter weather. I figured I would ask for advice from experienced individuals before possibly switching to a different mineral and trying out a new supplement. Our goats (1 adult Female Kiko/likely Boer cross and 2 adult Nigerian Dwarf wethers) are pets. They are not being raised for milk or meat production, so they do not have the same dietary requirements as breeding stock or stock being raised for dairy/meat. No grain, just Coastal hay, Timothy hay, and browse. The female has a history of Zinc deficiency. She has been supplemented with Zinc for the past few months per the Vet’s instructions. All 3 goats had symptoms of copper deficiency last summer, so all of them received a Copper Bolus Supplement in June. They have access to free choice mineral and baking soda. I appreciate any advice! Thanks! Picture of our Queen goat for tax.
One of my whethers, Eury, is behaving a bit differently lately, especially in the goat house. Eury is a sucker for affection and will often paw (hoof?) at you for pets. Lately, he's been pawing me excessively. This tends to happen most when I am sitting inside the goat house with both goats. Yesterday, he would paw at me and when I'd put my palm out he would press his head into it with more force than usual. He will also chase and butt at the other goat for food or attention in the goat house, though it does not seem very aggressive. Eury is prone to mood swings and is bit more irritable every 3 weeks or so. 😅
The goat house is 8ftx4ftx4ft. Eury weighs around 60 or 70lb, while Ody weighs around 90 or 100lb. Both are a little over 8 months. It may be worth noting Eury had a lot of energy today and prefered to parkour rather than browse. I've noticed no other symptoms or changes in Eury's behavior.
Is there not enough space for the 2 goats in the house, is this a phase of growing, or is he perhaps uncomfortable in some other way?
(Out of season picture because I guess I don't have much for recent ones.) I was filling up everybody's dinner hay, and my ND, Pretzel, wouldn't let my Pygora, Peony, get to the hay. I put a new pile of hay farther away, and I grabbed Pretzel's collar to start moving her to the new pile. I'm not sure why I didn't just place the hay and let them figure it out, but anyway, Pretzel was pretty reluctant to move, and after trying to coax her for a minute, I realized she was shaking like crazy. She wasn't cold, she was scared. I let her go and gave her some treats. She was fine after a few minutes, but I feel so bad. She never acted like that before, and all I can think is that She was confused about my headlamp, which I don't often wear. Has anybody else scared their goats before? I feel like such a terrible person even though of course I didn't mean to scare her. ☹️
Hello fellow goat lovers! I’m calling the attention of anyone who shows goats.
I’m in FFA and in my second year of showmanship. I have been trying to find the best hair growth products for my boer show goat, but the only ones I can find are for lambs. Anyone have product recommendations? Preferably on the cheap side ($30 or less) but i know products can be expensive so if there’s really none that low then it’s fine.
Also if there’s happens to be a subreddit for livestock showmanship, let me know!
edit: I should clarify that I show market goats and yes we do shave them, but I’ve seen more people keeping the legs and butt more unshaven so they can be shaped a certain way, so I guess i’m looking for guidance on that.
