Someone pointed out that I haven’t posted a pic of the goats lately. That’s because all the girls (except for Maia) are in hiding at the moment.
Okay, they’re not really in hiding, but they’re stalled.
It’s hard to actually go into the stall and take a photo of them because as soon as I open the door to go in, they are on me, let me tell ya.
So pictures all look like that and this. Fuzzy out of focus goats coming at me.
They want out so badly! But, they’re being stalled for their own good at the moment. All five of them were showing signs of thrush, despite having their hooves trimmed regularly and really it hadn’t even been that wet until the last few weeks. But they were hobbling around. They’ve been in the exact same conditions as Maia and the others, so I don’t know why these five are more susceptible, but they seem to be. I’ve tried everything I could think of, and a few things I couldn’t think of–my hired man Robbie has goats and he’s tried some homestyle remedies on them along with several different products I’ve bought at the feedstore. Three of them are better now, and the other two are starting to make progress. However, I decided to keep them all stalled for a little while longer. I like having them here where I can feed them separately. I want to put some weight on them before winter and the older goats are really bossy with them, shoving them away during feeding time. I think they can benefit from some separation.
They’re really missing the field, though!
Sometimes it’s hard to resist that cute little face with the lopsided ear. (That’s Lizzie in the door.)
Meanwhile, back in the goat yard, Maia is getting more attention than she would like.
Mr. Darcy is quite often seen chasing her up and down the fenceline these days. I think……
….Maia’s gonna be a mommy in the spring!
denisestone says:
Thrush is in horses. It’s caused by a fungus. Hoof rot is sheep, goats and cows. There is a bacteria associated with it but it’s also a sign of low copper.
There’s hoof rot and then there is really nasty hoof rot which sometimes needs antibiotics to help clear it up. Good hoof care includes frequent trimming, using a topical, and getting the goats on some dry ground. Increasing the copper in the diet will also help.
On November 3, 2014 at 11:57 am
DancesInGarden says:
But….but….Maia is still a baby! Sigh. They grow up so fast.
On November 3, 2014 at 1:58 pm
holstein woman says:
Denise Jones-so how do you add copper to their diets?
Are your goats pets only Suzanne? They’re really beautiful.
On November 3, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Dghawk says:
Cool! I wonder if they make maternity tutus? :sheepjump:
On November 3, 2014 at 3:50 pm
denisestone says:
Even good quality minerals don’t suffice if the soil in your area is copper deficient. I have used either of the following copper resources over the past 5 years:
* copper boluses (1 g per 22#, or 4 grams per 100#-200#). Given no more than every 4-5 months. link:
https://www.scbt.com/datasheet-363567-ultracruz-goat-copper-bolus.html
* MultiMin 90 (available by vet prescription only; 1cc per 200#). Given no more than every 4 months. link:
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=4851cb54-8fd7-4a84-95c9-7814148970d7&ccd=IGO051&gclid=Cj0KEQiA7NyiBRCOhpuCm9Dq6b4BEiQA9D6qhciMNsTIItzVihl5SM2m-PAEGqLhSY2H5_BE4HWz44oaAodv8P8HAQ
My area of California is VERY deficient in both Copper and Selenium. Because of this, I have been leaning more toward the MultiMin than the boluses.
You can only pick ONE solution. If you use both simultaneously you can kill your goat with an overdose of copper. Also, these products CANNOT be used on sheep as sheep can easily suffer from copper toxicity.
Denise
On November 3, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Joell says:
:happyflower:
Will there be a baby shower, formal tutu dress requred.
I hope the girls recover quickly
On November 4, 2014 at 6:47 am
wormlady says:
I have news for you, Suzanne. It’s not the chasing that results in babies. It’s the standing activity. (Says one who has had a dreadful time catching does in season this Fall. There’s been a lot of running, not so much holding still while he does his thing.)
On November 5, 2014 at 10:51 am
rustinsmommy says:
We have sheep and used to have goats. Here in southern Oregon it is always wet so we get a lot of hoof rot. One thing that works really well with overnight results is to mix equal parts LA200 and DMSO and squirt it on the hoof and between the toes. It works almost immediately on hoof rot and scald. Also boer goats tend to have bad feet. We had some alpine toggenberg cross goats and one boer. The boer was constantly limping around while the others only had occasional problems.
On November 9, 2014 at 2:43 pm
goatgirl says:
If you haven’t already, give them an injection of BoSe. Selenium deficiency is a cause of hoof rot and pretty common. I BoSe twice a year because we live in an area that’s deficient.
On November 15, 2014 at 10:31 am