important health maintenance

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 CDT MUST be administered to each goat annually to protect animals against the deadly Clostridia bacteria. Each CDT vaccine protects goats against  clostridium perfringins type C and D (overeating disease) and clostridium tetani (tetanus). We administer 2 cc of CDT subcutaneously to each adult goat annually.  Pregnant does get a CDT vaccine one month before their kidding due date. Kids Get their first CDT at 5 weeks of age and a booster  3 weeks later. Each CDT dose for any age or size goat is 2 cc per animal per dose. 

 Regular hoof maintenance is only humane. Goats do not climb on rocks enough to keep their hooves worn to the degree needed for proper health. Check your goats’ hooves monthly and trim when needed. Goat hooves should be trimmed flat for the best walking surface. If the hoof wall is overgrown, trim it a little at a time to expose the hoof bed. Trim until the goat has a flat surface on which to walk. Check YouTube or Raising Goats for Dummies to learn more about proper hoof trimming.

Beginners should keep a bottle of Blood Stop handy. Iodine is good for minor cuts on the goats’ feet that bleed. The more you trim your goats’ hooves, the less you will need either of these products. 

 Monthly checks of skin and fleece are very important. Comb out any matts and treat skin problems immediately. If fleece is more than 3” long and is beginning to mat, you may go ahead and harvest the fleece from the barrel. Once it starts, matting can spread to the entire fleece very rapidly.

A good bath for a goat with skin problems or dirty fleece is with warm water and Dawn dish soap. We allow our water to warm up in a long hose in summer then use a leaf blower to speed the drying process. In fall or winter, we choose a warm day and use a blow dryer to keep the goat comfortable and warm as the fleece dries. You will be surprised how some mats will look worse while the goat is wet but will practically fall out as the goat dries. Follow the bath and drying process with proper skin care appropriate for your goat's skin condition, such as a dusting of preventive flea, tick and lice powders, an application of Ivermectin pour-on. 

We make our own fungicidal goat shampoo that contains apple cider vinegar, Dawn detergent, glycerin, aloe vera gel, and water. See our For Sale Page for more info.