Click on each topic to go to an article:
What is CAE?
Effects of CAE on milk production
Lactation, Somatic Cell Count, and Production
Mammary gland as target of CAE
Goat disease research in Brazil
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Sad day on the farm
There has been a problem with our herd queen's udder. Late in her pregnancy, her udder experienced quite a bit of apparent engorgement. She was uncomfortable, and hugely pregnant. I figured she was having multiple kids and didn't worry much. No fever, etc.
She has only half an udder, as she experienced an injury prior to my ownership of her. She's successfully raised twin kids for me each year.
She passed her health check for travel across state lines in April.
Shortly after our arrival here in Missouri, she kidded and gave us two beautiful Saanen cross doelings. The next morning, she was shivering and droopy eared and running a temp of 107 degrees. The vet was out of town for another week, so I called Yarrow, my go-to-rescuer. She helped out with meds and advice and support. THANK YOU, Yarrow. The doe's fever went down, and she became more comfortable except for part of her udder.
The remnants of the right side of her udder were enlarged and hard. It almost appeared as if she had mastitis in the 'blind side' of mammary tissue that remained. She has two areas of hard tissue, each about as big as a softball. She lies down only on the other side, with her right leg held up and out a bit so as not to press on the swelling.
She's not making her normal amount of milk, so I've been supplementing the doelings. They are both dam raised and bottle fed.
The veterinarian returned and came out today. He examined her carefully and we talked extensively about what I had seen and what had been done for her. He determined that the swelling is not mastitis, but tumors.
I'm completely flabbergasted.
She will be mom to these kids as long as she's comfortable. The tumors are already so large, that I don't think she'll be with us on the migration south to Texas in the fall.
She was one of our first 'real' milk goats. She's our herd queen, although she's not been acting in that capacity much lately. Her registered name is Bright and Beautiful Orange Ice, but we just call her Orange.
She has only half an udder, as she experienced an injury prior to my ownership of her. She's successfully raised twin kids for me each year.
She passed her health check for travel across state lines in April.
Shortly after our arrival here in Missouri, she kidded and gave us two beautiful Saanen cross doelings. The next morning, she was shivering and droopy eared and running a temp of 107 degrees. The vet was out of town for another week, so I called Yarrow, my go-to-rescuer. She helped out with meds and advice and support. THANK YOU, Yarrow. The doe's fever went down, and she became more comfortable except for part of her udder.
The remnants of the right side of her udder were enlarged and hard. It almost appeared as if she had mastitis in the 'blind side' of mammary tissue that remained. She has two areas of hard tissue, each about as big as a softball. She lies down only on the other side, with her right leg held up and out a bit so as not to press on the swelling.
She's not making her normal amount of milk, so I've been supplementing the doelings. They are both dam raised and bottle fed.
The veterinarian returned and came out today. He examined her carefully and we talked extensively about what I had seen and what had been done for her. He determined that the swelling is not mastitis, but tumors.
I'm completely flabbergasted.
She will be mom to these kids as long as she's comfortable. The tumors are already so large, that I don't think she'll be with us on the migration south to Texas in the fall.
She was one of our first 'real' milk goats. She's our herd queen, although she's not been acting in that capacity much lately. Her registered name is Bright and Beautiful Orange Ice, but we just call her Orange.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Due dates
Louise - in Missouri - February 2
Actual: February 7
1 doeling, 1 buckling
Lemon - February 12
Actual: February 8
1 buckling, stolen by Cocoa
Snowbelle - March 4
Actual: March 3
Vet assisted: 2 doelings, 1 stillborn buckling
Cassie - March 10
Actual: March 4
5 bucklings
Princess - May 5
Orange - May 8
Cocoa - May 17
Actual: February 7
1 doeling, 1 buckling
Lemon - February 12
Actual: February 8
1 buckling, stolen by Cocoa
Snowbelle - March 4
Actual: March 3
Vet assisted: 2 doelings, 1 stillborn buckling
Cassie - March 10
Actual: March 4
5 bucklings
Princess - May 5
Orange - May 8
Cocoa - May 17
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Goat diseases
C.A.E. = Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis
This is a serious goat disease. It is in the same family with the HIV virus.
In goats, it can cause arthritis, ruin an udder, or kill kids by attackinghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the nervous system.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Click HERE for more information about C.A.E.
Click on this link for an article that explains the connection between CAE in milk and positive tests in humans for HIV.
Info about CL, a disease that can pass to humans
Click here
Johne's Disease = a 'wasting' disease in cattle and goats. Has been linked to Crohn's disease in humans.
Click HERE for more information about Johne's.
This is a serious goat disease. It is in the same family with the HIV virus.
In goats, it can cause arthritis, ruin an udder, or kill kids by attackinghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the nervous system.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Click HERE for more information about C.A.E.
Click on this link for an article that explains the connection between CAE in milk and positive tests in humans for HIV.
Info about CL, a disease that can pass to humans
Click here
Johne's Disease = a 'wasting' disease in cattle and goats. Has been linked to Crohn's disease in humans.
Click HERE for more information about Johne's.
Important links - Click on title of each item
Extensive goat care information.
How to disbud a baby goat (remove horn buds)
Disbudding video.
How to draw blood for testing
Using an elastrator to castrate bucklings
How to test for Mastitis
Milk flavor issues
How to tell if your goat has parasites
How to Trim Goat Hooves
How to use goat hobbles
Note: You can also get a curb chain (for a horse bridle) and use it in the same way.
Where to buy goat stuff
Milk Stand Plans
Click here for pic of milk stand modifications to make it more stable
Homemade Milker
The pump is a Durvet 65 ml Fixed Dose Pour-On Applicator. The syringe body is 35 cc with the threaded type needle end, but the needle is removed. The vinyl tubing came with the applicator (I only used half of it), and I used a small hose clamp and super glue jel to make sure the hose stays on the syringe body.
When in use, you are not constantly pumping the mechanism. After the milk starts to flow, it's pump....wait....wait....wait....wait....wait....pump....repeat.
I do finish out by hand, but that's usually just a tiny amount.
To clean it after milking, I run extremely hot water through it, then soapy water, then clean water. A couple of times a week, I run bleach water through it, too.
I am not selling these, just showing what you can make for about half of what they sell for.
How to disbud a baby goat (remove horn buds)
Disbudding video.
How to draw blood for testing
Using an elastrator to castrate bucklings
How to test for Mastitis
Milk flavor issues
How to tell if your goat has parasites
How to Trim Goat Hooves
How to use goat hobbles
Note: You can also get a curb chain (for a horse bridle) and use it in the same way.
Where to buy goat stuff
Milk Stand Plans
Click here for pic of milk stand modifications to make it more stable
Homemade Milker
The pump is a Durvet 65 ml Fixed Dose Pour-On Applicator. The syringe body is 35 cc with the threaded type needle end, but the needle is removed. The vinyl tubing came with the applicator (I only used half of it), and I used a small hose clamp and super glue jel to make sure the hose stays on the syringe body.
When in use, you are not constantly pumping the mechanism. After the milk starts to flow, it's pump....wait....wait....wait....wait....wait....pump....repeat.
I do finish out by hand, but that's usually just a tiny amount.
To clean it after milking, I run extremely hot water through it, then soapy water, then clean water. A couple of times a week, I run bleach water through it, too.
I am not selling these, just showing what you can make for about half of what they sell for.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Quirky Goat Farm South - Dec 17, 2010
I had to put the cat in the feed barrel again. This is the second day that I've found a little mouse in the feed. Have you ever tried to catch a frightened mouse by hand? It's just NOT happening. So, I caught Miss Kitty and put her in with the feed and the mouse. Instant success. Cats aren't as inhibited and slow as humans when it comes to rodent capture.
I made the mistake of leaving the Tupperware corn chip box on the table where Orange could reach it. She managed to get the container open for three days in a row. I finally put it on a high shelf where she couldn't see it. She looked on the table, searched back and forth, and then she carefully and deliberately looked UNDER the table. Goats are deep thinkers, and they constantly impress me with their cognitive skills.
Making a change in the routine always gets the goats' attention. Putting hanging feeders for the horses on the fence that adjoins the goat pen caused some turmoil. The horse feed has molasses on it, and the goats could smell it, so they were trying to figure out how to get through the fence to get horse feed, too. Then, as the horses were eating, I put out the goat feed. The goats perceived that there was now competition for feed from the horses, so they behaved quite decorously and each stayed at a feeding station, chowing down instead of running from one feeder to the next to see what the next goat was getting.
Rambo, the borrowed Saanen buck, has accomplished his job, and all six does are now bred. We have kids due to be born starting in early February, a few in March, and the rest in May. Anybody need a barbecue goat? There are sure to be some!
I made the mistake of leaving the Tupperware corn chip box on the table where Orange could reach it. She managed to get the container open for three days in a row. I finally put it on a high shelf where she couldn't see it. She looked on the table, searched back and forth, and then she carefully and deliberately looked UNDER the table. Goats are deep thinkers, and they constantly impress me with their cognitive skills.
Making a change in the routine always gets the goats' attention. Putting hanging feeders for the horses on the fence that adjoins the goat pen caused some turmoil. The horse feed has molasses on it, and the goats could smell it, so they were trying to figure out how to get through the fence to get horse feed, too. Then, as the horses were eating, I put out the goat feed. The goats perceived that there was now competition for feed from the horses, so they behaved quite decorously and each stayed at a feeding station, chowing down instead of running from one feeder to the next to see what the next goat was getting.
Rambo, the borrowed Saanen buck, has accomplished his job, and all six does are now bred. We have kids due to be born starting in early February, a few in March, and the rest in May. Anybody need a barbecue goat? There are sure to be some!
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