Don't Forget! Register Today!

Integrated Parasite Management/FAMACHA Training for Small Ruminant – Saturday

April 6 from 10am-3pm, Paul Smiths College, Freer 120, $30.00 per farm. Learn how to manage

parasites on small ruminant operations, how to do fecal egg counts with a microscope and how to

FAMACHA check animals to determine treatment. Register with Betsy Hodge at 315-379-9192,

bmf9@cornell.edu or Rose Bartiss at rosesgoats@gmail.com. You can pay at the door.

Pregnancy Complications in Goats

 From Onion Creek Ranch (www.tennesseemeatgoats.com)

PREGNANCY COMPLICATION

COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY
There are many health problems that can impact a pregnant doe. Below are some of the most common ones. The Articles page at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com contains articles detailing diagnosis and treatment for most of these conditions.

Congenital and Developmental Defects: Many birth defects are never seen by the producer because the doe's body either reabsorbs the embryo in early gestation or aborts the fetus.Visible birth defects appearing at parturition (birthing) include cleft palate, atresi ani, and mummification.
Cleft palate is a lengthwise split in the roof of the mouth. Atresi ani is no rectal opening. Mummification is a kid whose limbs are *frozen* in place and unmoveable. A dead mummified kid may have to be taken apart in pieces to get its body out of the doe. A live mummified kid may be born but will be unable to move.
Cleft palate, atresi ani, and live mummification are conditions requiring immediate humane euthanasia. All three conditions may or may not recur if the same doe and buck are bred again.

Ringwomb: Incomplete dilation of the cervix. Manual manipulation of the cervical opening should be done by an experienced person -- preferably a vet. The tissue involved is very easy to damage. Ringwomb may be the result of inadequate levels of minerals or hormones.

Uterine Rupture: This condition can occur at any time during pregnancy and is usually the result of being hit. Impossible to diagnose without veterinarian assistance. Uterine rupture can also occur when assistance in kidding is needed and the pushing-pulling-rearranging of kids inside the uterus results in tearing it. Uterine rupture is often not repairable surgically and the dam will die within 24 to 72 hours.

Uterine Torsion: A twisted uterus is very difficult to fix but repositioning it is the only solution.If uterine torsion is suspected, vet help is necessary.

Periparturient Edema: Swelling of lower legs in long-bred does. Often but not always associated with worm load. Usually occurs when multiple fetuses are taking more nutrition than dam can replace, putting her in a nutritional deficit.

Pregnancy Toxemia and Ketosis: Nutritionally-related metabolic diseases occuring at the end of pregnancy and early during lactation. An improper level of nutrition is the cause. As the dam draws upon her own body's reserves and her tissues begin to starve, deadly ketones are produced. Oral administration of high-energy products such as propylene glycol, molasses, or Karo syrup given orally are necessary.

Abortions and Vaginal Discharges: Red, brown, or very foul-smelling discharges are not normal and may indicate early termination of pregnancy. Examples of conditions causing abortions include interruption of the fetal blood supply when injured, poor nutrition (insufficient energy), stress (moving, changing feed, illness), abortion diseases, toxicity (ingestion of poisonous plants or other substances), surgery, malformation of the fetus during development, and labor-inducing drugs (dexamethasone). The usual drug of choice is oxytetracycline 200 mg/ml (LA 200 or generic equivalent).

Hypocalcemia: Commonly but improperly called "milk fever," hypocalcemia is an imbalance of calcium occuring just prior to kidding. The first recognizable physical symptom is usually cold and dragging rear legs. This nutritionally based illness involves hormonal changes that occur in the mobilization of calcium when the doe begins to produce milk. Calcium-rich feeds/hays need to be cut back during the last 30 days of gestation to prevent excess calcium from being deposited in her bones. The dam's body needs to be releasing calcium already stored in her bones for use in milk production. Oral administration of CMPK or MFO solution are recommended.
Prolapses. Prolapses of the vagina or the rectum can occur in a doe heavy with kids. Purse-string stitches and prolapse retainers may help. Prolapses recurring in multiple pregnancies means that the doe should be culled.

Cloudburst Pregnancy: False pregnancy, pseudo-pregnancy, more specifically hydrometra.Everything about a cloudburst pregnancy is normal except that no kid was formed and a "cloudburst" of liquid comes out of the dam's body at delivery. Infectious diseases like toxoplasmosis and border disease may be the cause, as may certain plant materials that contain phytoestrogens. A more common cause is the chemical alteration of estrus through artificial induction into heat of does by producers who use gonadotrophin-releasing hormones.

Mastitis: The infected udder becomes swollen, hard, and hot from bacteria entering through the teats. The milk, if any, is stringy, bloody, and unuseable. Cleanliness of pens and feeding areas is critical. Because the udder is an interwoven mass of fibrous tissue that is walled off from the rest of the doe's body, injectable antibiotics cannot get to the source of the infection. Because mastitis organisms can become systemic and infect the doe's entire body, a broad-spectrum antibiotic like prescription Nuflor is recommended. Cai-Pan Peppermint Oil Cream applied externally to the udder can provide relief from discomfort to the doe. In some breeds mastitis may occur in certain genetic lines. Mastitis is usually chronic and therefore a *cull* factor in a meat-goat herd.

Congested Udder: Unlike mastitis, congested udder is readily treatable by applying hot compresses to the udder until the over-filled tight udder softens enough to get useable milk out.

Retained Placenta: Placental tissue (afterbirth) should be expelled by the doe's body within 12 to 24 hours after parturition. Retained placenta can be caused by abortion diseases such as toxoplasmosis or chlamydiosis or can be the result of selenium deficiency in the doe's diet. Tall fescue grass or hay can be the culprit. A prescription oxytocin injection may be needed if the placenta has not passed within the normal timeframe. Do not pull the placental tissue out, even if it is dragging behind the doe; doing this can kill her. After a difficult birth, the uterus should be flushed with a solution of Nolvasan or Chlorhexidine antibacterials to prevent infection (metritis).

Metritis: Infection of the uterus that can occur with retained placenta or dead kids inside the dam.

No Milk. If the doe has been a good milk producer previously, then the problem is either mastitis or nutritional. Feeding tall fescue grass or hay can cause poor milk production. A non-mastitic freshened doe who is not producing enough milk should be fed a diet high in legume hay (alfalfa or peanut hay) and extra grain rations. Occasionally an injection of dexamethasone can bring a doe into milk. In some breeds, certain genetic lines are poor milk producers.

After any abnormal or difficult kidding, the producer should glove up and manually go inside the doe to check for undelivered live or dead kids. Be careful not to disturb the tissues attached to the inside of the doe's uterus. Pregnancy in goats is accompanied by great risks, occurring outside under a wide variety of dangerous conditions and usually occurs unassisted. It is remarkable that more pregnancy-related deaths do not occur. There are many things that producers can do themselves to assist their goats but there are times when vet help is essential.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto
ONION CREEK RANCH
5/09

Eastern NY Goat Club Meeting

The next meeting of the ENYGC is at noon on March 10th at the Saratoga County Extension Service building which is located at 50 West High Street in Ballston Spa.

 

We are hosting the NYSDGBA (New York State Dairy Goat Breeders Association) http://nysdgba.com/ meeting this month. You can renew your membership or join the NYSDGBA at this meeting if you'd like.

 

Please bring a covered dish to share, items for the White Elephant Auction (which benefits the NYSDGBA), and some money to bid with. Please bring items that are in good condition and be prepared to bring them back home with you if they don't sell. Coffee and tea will be provided.

 

I will also be accepting items for the May Buck & Doe show raffle tables from now until the shows if you'd like to contribute something to either of them. If you bring an item to the March meeting please give it to me instead of placing it on the White Elephant Auction table. 

 

2013 ENYGC membership dues are due at the March meeting to keep your membership current - Please see Jean Thorkildsen to make payment.

 

Check out the ENYGC at http://enygc.webs.com/

Common causes of goat ailments

 Here is a quick and dirty list of some of the common causes of goat ailments. This list is not meant to be definitive and there are times where the cause I have listed will NOT be the cause of the problem in your particular goat. I am not a veterinarian nor a veterinarian's representative so please use this list with caution in diagnosis a problem in your goats:

Pink milk or blood in the milk = Calcium deficiency

Horizontal folded ears (Boer or Nubian breeds) = Mineral deficiency

Pot-bellied = Coccidiosis or worms

Bent ankles or weak legs at birth = Selenium deficiency

Dry cough = Lungworms

Itchy tail = Pinworms

Faded fur color= Copper deficiency

Pale eyelid membrane = Internal parasites

Low body temperature = Mineral deficiency

High body temperature = Infection

Sweet smelling urine during late stage pregnancy or at freshening = Ketosis

Pimples on udder = Topical Staph A infection

Pimples on mouth = Orf


Udder congestion or udder edema = CAE

Arthritis in joints = CAE

Abscesses = Caseous lymphadentitis

Good appetite with weight loss = Johnnes disease

Watery eyes in newborn kids = Entropion (curled under eyelid)

Watery diarrhea in newborn kids = Too much milk during feedings

Brown, smelly diarrhea in 3-4 week old kids = Coccidiosis

Goat and Sheep Fecal Sampling and FAMACHA Workshop

There will be a Goat and Sheep Fecal Sampling and FAMACHA Workshop on April 6, 2013 from 10am - 3pm at Paul Smith's College. The workshop will be led by Betsy Hodge from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Sheep and Goat Program. Cost for the workshop is $30 per person/farm. This cost includes all fecal sampling supplies (slides, float solution, cover slips, etc) and the official FAMACHA eye chart. Please bring your own lunch or bring money to buy lunch at the college's cafeteria.

The workshop will begin with lectures on small ruminant parasite management. After that we will move into the lab and there will be a fecal sample workshop using microscopes. Please bring a sample of your sheep or goats' feces to process. The day will end by going outside to learn the FAMACHA eye chart using live goats. Everyone will become certified in FAMACHA eye chart use and will receive an official FAMACHA eye chart.

Please contact Betsy Hodge at bmf9@cornell.edu to register for the workshop. Space is limited. Please sign up today!!

Calcium: Phosphorus Ratio - Why Alfalfa is Essential

When raising goats, it is very important to be aware of the role of the calcium: phosphorus ratio in their diet. Calcium is needed for bone development and muscle contraction. Phosphorus is used for kid development, milk production, and normal bodily functions. Too much of either of these compounds without balancing them with each other can cause very serious problems including death from hypocalcemia or from urinary calculi. Goat farmers should always feed twice as much calcium as phosphorus. They should observe a 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus. 

The best way to accomplish this ratio in the diet is through loose minerals and the feeding of alfalfa. Loose minerals are essential for goats for many reasons. One of those main reasons is that they provide a balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1. When buying loose minerals, make sure they are specifically designed for goats and make sure to read the label and see that they have the proper calcium to phosphorus ratio. 

Feeding alfalfa to goats is a great way to balance out calcium and phosphorus. Alfalfa hay, pellets, blocks and silage are all very high in natural calcium content. All grains (corn, oats, wheat, barley, etc.), hays, and grassy forages are very high in natural phosphorus. If you feed your goat grains, whether store-bought or homemade, feed your goats non-alfalfa hay, and let them graze on grass, then it is essential that you feed them alfalfa in order to balance the calcium and phosphorus.

Feeding alfalfa daily is very important for pregnant or lactating goats. Pregnant or lactating goats have very high calcium demands when growing kids or making milk. The production of kids and the production of milk leach calcium from their bodies and dietary calcium is needed to replace that deficit. If fed only grain and hay, the pregnant or lactating goat will have too much phosphorus in her body and can suffer hypocalcemia. This condition most often occurs when a doe is close to kidding or when newly freshened. These are times when her calcium demands are highest. Emergency administration of calcium supplements during hypocalcemia can be very dangerous due to sudden increases in blood calcium which can cause massive heart failure. The best way to cure hypocalcemia is to avoid it by feeding the doe alfalfa in her diet starting at breeding and continuing through lactation. 

Wethers must have dietary calcium in order to avoid suffering from urinary calculi. Urinary calculi are hard mineral deposits that commonly form in the bladder of goats. These are similar to kidney stones. All goats can produce urinary calculi but wethers are most in danger of dying from them. Bucks and does are usually able to pass the stones out of their bodies without complications. Wethers, especially those neutered before sexual maturity, have small urethral openings where stones can get stuck and cause blockage of urination. The urethra of a male goat widens with sexual maturity through erection and ejaculation of the penis. Wethers don’t typically become erect or ejaculate so their urethras stay very narrow. Treatment for stones stuck at the end of the urethra includes cutting the tip of the penis to expand the opening and catherization to allow urine to pass. 

Another problem that is particular to all male goats is that their urethra is not a straight tube from the bladder to the penis. It has an S-curve in it called the “sigmoid flexure”. This curve looks very similar to a trap in a sink drain. It also works similar to a drain trap by trapping urinary calculi in the S-curve so they can’t exit the body. Urinary blockage can occur here which makes it very hard to manually remove the stones through catheterization. Abdominal surgery is typically recommended for this problem. 

The best treatment for urinary calculi is prevention through proper diet. Originally farmers assume that grain caused the stones due to the fact that wethers who had diets high in grain commonly had trouble from urinary calculi. Now it is known that grain itself does not cause the stones. The imbalance between calcium and phosphorus in a high grain diet causes stones. Male goats, bucks and wethers, should be fed alfalfa along with their hay and grain in order to achieve the proper calcium to phosphorus ratio. 

Unfortunately baled alfalfa hay is rarely available in the Adirondacks. Luckily most feeds stores in this area sell either alfalfa cubes, alfalfa pellets or chopped alfalfa silage. The price for 50 lbs of all three of these alfalfa sources is about $18, depending on the feed store. 

Alfalfa cubes are finely chopped compressed alfalfa blocks. They are generally not recommended for goats because they can pose a choking hazard. They are very hard in texture and can be kind of big for a goat’s small mouth. Some people soak the cubes overnight in warm water to soften them. Many goats don’t like mushy, wet alfalfa and refuse to eat the soaked cubes.

Alfalfa pellets are powdered, extruded alfalfa. These are much easier for goats to eat and can be fed with the grain ration. They don’t contain very much fibrous material due to being from alfalfa powder. It is best to always feed 3 cups of alfalfa pellets for every 1 cup of grain per goat to maintain the 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio. 

Chopped alfalfa silage, sold under the brand name “Chaffhaye”, contains roughly chopped alfalfa that has been slightly fermented through the addition of yeast and a little molasses. The silage is moist and has a sweet smell due to fermentation. The fermentation yeast adds to the digestibility of the silage. Due to the alfalfa being roughly chopped, there is quite a bit of fibrous material in Chaffhaye. This is good because daily fibrous material is necessary in a goat’s diet to keep their digestive system working smoothly. Feeding Chaffhaye will decrease hay consumption due to being high in fiber. The recommended feeding is 2 lbs. of Chaffhaye per 100 lbs. of goat per day. Most goats don’t like Chaffhaye at first but will gradual develop a taste for it. Once they do, they will run you over to get it! 

If you aren’t feeding alfalfa currently, take time to evaluate your goat’s diet to see if alfalfa needs to be added. All goats at any life-stage can benefit from the proper calcium to phosphorus ratio. Lowering grain amounts and increasing alfalfa feeding will contribute to the lifelong health of your goats.

Upcoming Events!!

Hi!
There's TONS going on around the North Country this spring in regards to goats and other livestock. Here's a sample:

Schedule for Adirondack Goat Club events: 
To get on the email list for the ADK Goat Club, please contact Rose Bartiss at rosesgoats@gmail.com.


1/26/13 - ADK Goat Club general meeting -- Free! Potluck lunch, please bring food to share. We will talk about getting ready for kidding and getting ready for spring. All are welcome! Email rosesgoats@gmail.com (Rose Bartiss) for directions and to RSVP. Location: Rose's farm in Vermontville, NY

4/6/13 (tentative) - Fecal Sampling and FAMACHA Certification Workshop --at Paul Smith's College. Coordinated by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Sheep and Goat program. Lecture on parasite management, learn to use a microscope to do fecal samples at home, become certified to use the official FAMACHA score card. Pre-registration required. Open to all goat and sheep owners in the North Country. There will be a fee for the workshop and for lunch. Stay tuned for more details.

Schedule for the St. Lawrence County Cornell Cooperative Extension in Canton, NY:
To get on the email list for the Cornell Cooperative Extension Sheep and Goat program, please contact Betsy Hodge at bmf9@cornell.edu.

Beef Discussion Group – January 30^th at 7 pm at the Extension Learning Farm.  Lynn Fountain, lawyer, will be the guest speaker.  Everyone welcome.

Strategic Marketing Course for Livestock Farmers - February 5, 12 and 19^th - $30.00 per farm – See article.  Pre-registration required. Extension Learning Farm

North Country Pasture Meeting –Friday evening February 22^nd, Copenhagen (Ron Kuck 788-8450 or rak76@cornell.edu) and Saturday February 23^rd 10:30 am Malone 911 Building, Bare Hill Rd.  Jenn Colby, Pasture Program Coordinator for the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, break-out sessions for sheep and diary, reports on some North Country farm trials.  Contact Betsy Hodge at 315-379-9192 or bmf9@cornell.edu $30.00.

Sheep and Goat 101 – Saturday March 9^th, 10:00-3:00, A beginners basics course for those new to sheep and goats or wanting to get started in sheep and goats.  Lectures and hands on activities.  Kids and families welcome.  $10.00 per person or $20.00 per family.  Please register with the office – pay at the door.

Spring Beef Week – March 12-16^th – March 14^th in St. Lawrence County, Cooperative Extension Learning Farm, Canton at 6:30 pm.  Carol Gillis from the Beef Industry Council talking about what consumers want and Mike Baker on smart bull selection to produce quality beef.  $5.00 Contact Betsy Hodge 315-379-9192 or bmf9@cornell.edu Available in other counties during the week.

Pre-season training for Direct Marketers – March 23^rd – Food Safety for different venues and marketing channels.  Insurance – do you need it and what kind do you need.  Save the day! More details coming.

Bed & Breakfast Owners Guide to Working with Local Farmers – April 11, 1-4pm Extension Learning Farm.  We are looking for farmers interested in working with B & B owners and vice versa.  Most details coming.  Save the Date!

Schedule for Ward Lumber Educational Workshops and Seminars in Jay, NY:

To get on the email list for Ward Lumber please visit www.wardlumber.com.

2/19/13 - Equine Night 6:30pm - 9pm. Free! Pizza and refreshments provided. Guest speaker: Stephen Duran from Performance Horse Nutrition. Go to www.wardlumber.com for more information and to RSVP.

2/26/13 (tentative) - Swine Night 

4/2/13 (tentative) - Poultry Night

June 2013 - Chicken Harvest Workshop