A look at goat care including food, weather concerns, pen construction, hooves and more.
Goats
Horn flaking
The horns on goats will likely flake now and then. It's no big deal. They naturally rub them on fences, gates, posts, trees, etc. to remove the flaking.
Goats: keeping them cool
Brushing: In the spring your goat will likely start to shed his big wooly coat. Every week you should take five minutes and brush your goat to help him/her get rid of their winter coat.
We start by using a dog comb with wide bristles and then finish with a horse brush with extra soft bristles. With Festus Mark holds him by the horns while I brush him from head to toe, being extra gentle on his tummy. Goats unfamiliar with people handling them will probably need two people; one to hold the goat and the other to groom the goat.
Shade: Your goats should have access to shade year round. If you do not have a shade tree then you should build them a shade area making sure that it is secure from wind and storms.
Water: Always have a large container of fresh water for your goats. We keep two containers full in case one gets knocked over
Misters: If your temperatures range into the 90's and up you may want to put some misters around your goat corral, this is easy to do with drip system tubing and lawn misters, just follow the instructions for ground installation but instead attach the tubing to the fence above your goats reach. Then on extra hot days turn on the water to reduce the temperature in your goat pen. If your goat has a barn then misters can also be attached to an industrial fan (see photo below)
Heatstroke: When a goat gets heat stroke his breath becomes rapid and he pants loudly with an open mouth in an attempt to loose body heat. *
High temperatures affect body function in many ways. The hypothalamus, lying at the base of the brain, is in charge of balancing the body's heat loss and gain by regulating respiration, skin temperature, sweating and muscle tone. Goats get eight times more relief from the heat by panting than by sweating, so rapid breathing is their primary form of cooling themselves. Panting and collapse are the most obvious signs of heat stress, and the rectal temperature will exceed 104o F.
What to do: A veterinarian should be consulted as soon as you see signs of heat stress. The animal may experience pain and swelling, and your vet may prescribe drugs to treat these symptoms. There may be a variety of moderate to severe blood abnormalities, impaired kidney function and metabolic acidosis. Electrolyte imbalances are common in heat stress, and IV liquids may need to be administered to combat acidosis. Tissue destruction begins prior to death, so prompt medical attention is imperative.
Act promptly when you find a goat you expect is suffering from heat stroke. If the goat can walk, isolate it in the shade and take its temperature. If the temperature is over 105o F, set a fan for direct ventilation, spray the coat with water, and wet the head, legs and stomach with water. (Cold water may be too great a temperature shock to the vascular system - any water will do. If the symptoms diminish in 15-20 minutes, the goat may continue recovery on its own. Make sure the temperature is reduced to 102.5o F, and watch the goat closely for a few hours to see that it acts normally. Continue to monitor its behavior, temperature, pulse and respiration after the animal has been stabilized.
If the goat is prostrate and unable to walk, do not move it. Take its temperature. Erect shade if the animal is in direct sunlight and begin cooling with water. You will need the vet. When cooling therapy reduces the goat's rectal temperature to 102.5o F, cooling measures can be discontinued. **
Resources
*All about goats Third Edition by Lois Hetherington
**http://kinne.net/heatstrs.htm
Goats: hoof care
How often to trim: Every six weeks. We do full-body health checks every six weeks on all of our animals, and we trim the goat hooves at each health check. It helps them (and you) get accustomed to it to do it this often.
Tip - less is more: You're better off just trimming a little bit than a lot because you don't want to make them bleed. If you do it every six weeks, then a little each time is all you should need to do. However, with goats who have long, curled hooves, then you may need to trim a lot.
Tip - be prepared with wrap, supplies: You want to have first-aid supplies handy if you do make the foot bleed. Wonder-dust will stop the bleeding. Chlorohexadine solution (or hydrogen peroxide) can disinfect the wound. And veterinary wrap with a little gauze will wrap the wound to keep it from getting dirty until it can heal.
Tools: You will need a good pair of hoof shears. A hoof pick and a toothbrush to remove dirt and dust. You will also need a hand held carpenter's plane or a hoof rasp, the kind that looks a little like a cheese grater.
Basic How to for hoof trimming;
1. Have another person hold the goat or tie him securely to a post.
2. Pick up one foot. Bending gently back at the knee and then then ankle
3. Clean dirt out of the hoof with a hoof pick. Use a toothbrush to clean i small crevices.
4. Use shears and slowly remove pieces of overgrown hoof. Use a sharp knife to trim the bottom of the hoof. Cut one thin slice at a time. Stop when the hoof bottom looks pink.
5. Use a hoof rasp to make a smooth finish on the hoof.
(Note; We had our vet show us how to do the trimming so that we were certain we were doing it correctly.)
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