1. Goats for Beginners & Founder in Goats
Andrea Strusz MDGA Goat Conference 2014

2. Goats for Beginners

3. Things to Consider
Pet
Companion
Dairy
Meat
Fiber
Brush Control
Show

4. Plan Ahead Research breeds available Set a budget Buy or Lease Sex Age
Size

5. Prepare Find hay source Find a grain source Shelter Fencing Chore help
Locate a vet

6. General Care Feed Storage Hay feeders Feed Pans Water troughs
Things you will need
Feed Storage
Hay feeders
Feed Pans
Water troughs
Hoof Trimmer
Clippers

7. General Care Disbudding box Disbudding iron Tattoo Kit
Grooming supplies
Milk stand

8. Milking Supplies Pump and bucket Teat wipes and/or dip Pail Filters
Storage containers
Cooler

9. Kid Care Bottles and/or Nipple bucket Tube Feeder Creep Feeder
Warming barrel
Large totes

10. Kidding Kit Gloves OB Lube Kid Pulling Cable Bulb Syringe Oxytocin
Banamine
Hair Dryer
Navel Care (Iodine/Nolvasan)

11. Kidding Kit
Box Cutter
Molasses
Kid ID
Towels
Stethoscope
Scale

12. Health Care Kit Thermometer Pain Relief Probiotics Bandages/Tape
Syringes/Needles
Antibiotics
Antacid
Mastitis Tubes

13. Health Care Kit Dewormer Lice treatment BoSe Clostridial Anti-Toxin
CD/T Vaccine

14. Off Flavored Milk Bitter Barn Feed Taste Malty Cardboard
Weed/strong feeds shortly before milking
Late Lactation
Barn
Milk left out too long in a poorly ventilated barn
Feed Taste
Onion, garlic, pine, silage, grass
Malty
Not cooled quickly enough
Cardboard
Oxidation from milk exposed to light, copper or iron

15. Off Flavored Milk Metallic Musty Salty Rancid
Contact with metal or rust
Musty
Moldy hay, stagnant water
Salty
Late Lactation
Mastitis
Rancid
Too much air caused by vigorous milking
Foamy milk cooled too slowly (45° <1 hour)

16. Great Tasting Milk Milk clean, dry teats and in a clean area
Make sure your milk bucket and storage containers are clean
Strain and chill your milk quickly
Don’t milk warm and cold milk together
Keep does away from bucks
Keep it fresh!

17. Questions About General Care

18. Founder

19. Founder-Acute Laminitis
Inflammation of the laminar corium of the hoof wall.
Laminar corium is the sensitive connective tissue that holds the pedal (coffin bone to the wall of the hoof
Cause ischemia (lack of good blood circulation, heart attack of the hoof)
Can affect any hoofed animal

20. Founder-What Happens?
As tissue swells it cuts off circulation to laminae. Starved for oxygen, blood and nutrients the tissue dies. This weakens the bond that holds the pedal bone to the hoof wall allowing the pedal bone to separate from the wall. This causes less support to the pedal bone with less support, this allows the flexor tendon to rotate the pedal bone in the hoof.
This causes pain and increases growth due to increased vascularization (long growth of toes)

22. Causes Anything or Nothing Acidosis Fever Illness Trauma Overeating
Kidding
Mastitis
Retained Placenta
Pneumonia
Heat Stress

23. Acidosis Rumen has too much starch and not enough fiber
Starch is broken down into lactic acid
Acidosis occurs when lactic acid exceed the capacity of rumen microbes to metabolize it
Increased acidity can kill off rumen microbes. This is thought to release toxins causing illness in the goat.

24. Clinical Findings Fever Dried bedding on the feet or knees
Increased respiratory rate
Pain-Recumbant
Heat at coronary band

25. Treatment First 24-48 Hours Non steroidal anti-inflammatories
Ice water submersion on and off
Banamine daily
Non steroidal anti-inflammatories
Bute-Short term
Aspirin-Long Term

26. Treatment Balance rumen to prevent further damage Probiotics
Sodium bicarb
Grass hay instead of alfalfa
Decrease grain

27. Chronic Laminitis Often affects kids Abnormal hoof growth
Outer claws more affected
Thick sole
Abnormal dew claw growth
Abnormal shape
Very hard hoof wall
Abnormal toe tips

28. Prevention Stable Rumen Adequate forage Zinc, Selenium, Biotin
Close herd monitoring

29. Chronic Affects on Herd
Weight loss (don’t get up to eat)
Fertility (due to pain)
Low milk production
Contracted legs
Knee walking

30. Hoof Care
Frequent hoof trimming/shaping
The hooves will never recover

32. Questions about Founder