Here are scanned copies (used by permission) of articles about the Ultimate EZ Milker. Provided here for reference.
ONE
TWO
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Testing for CAE
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis is a devastating disease in goat herds. Unfortunately, it can lie dormant in goats for years before manifesting as severe arthritis or scar tissue in a doe's udder. In kids who develop the disease, it manifests as the encephalitis form, causing seizures.
In my opinion, testing for CAE is essential, and disposing of CAE positive animals is the easiest option for the goat owner who has a small herd to supply milk and meat for the home.
You will see claims that CAE can be "managed" by separating a diseased goat from the healthy herd and by bottle feeding any kids. This method is time consuming and risky. All births must be witnessed, and the kids must NOT receive colostrum from an infected doe. Also, when you sell goats, the ethical practice is to inform buyers that you have CAE on your farm.
Some goat owners don't mind "managing" CAE positive goats, but due to the nature of the disease and the problems of maintaining separate facilities, I recommend putting down any positive goats. I understand that other goat owners may have different opinions.
How to test for CAE:
Things to have on hand:
Syringes and needles
Alcohol swabs
Vacuum tubes (red top, no coating)
Small Priority Mail box
Bubble Wrap
Paper towels
Zip Lock bags
Permanent Marker
Click on links in steps for more info.
1. Draw blood from each goat into a separate red top vacuum tube.
How to draw blood (with pictures)
How to draw blood (video)
2. Insert needle into red top tube, and the vacuum will draw the blood into the tube.
3. Label each tube with the name of the goat.
4. Fill out the submission form.
5. Package as per instructions on the biotracking.com website. Be sure to include your payment.
NOTE: Check the website for testing dates. I always ship on a Monday before a testing date.
In my opinion, testing for CAE is essential, and disposing of CAE positive animals is the easiest option for the goat owner who has a small herd to supply milk and meat for the home.
You will see claims that CAE can be "managed" by separating a diseased goat from the healthy herd and by bottle feeding any kids. This method is time consuming and risky. All births must be witnessed, and the kids must NOT receive colostrum from an infected doe. Also, when you sell goats, the ethical practice is to inform buyers that you have CAE on your farm.
Some goat owners don't mind "managing" CAE positive goats, but due to the nature of the disease and the problems of maintaining separate facilities, I recommend putting down any positive goats. I understand that other goat owners may have different opinions.
How to test for CAE:
Things to have on hand:
Syringes and needles
Alcohol swabs
Vacuum tubes (red top, no coating)
Small Priority Mail box
Bubble Wrap
Paper towels
Zip Lock bags
Permanent Marker
Click on links in steps for more info.
1. Draw blood from each goat into a separate red top vacuum tube.
How to draw blood (with pictures)
How to draw blood (video)
2. Insert needle into red top tube, and the vacuum will draw the blood into the tube.
3. Label each tube with the name of the goat.
4. Fill out the submission form.
5. Package as per instructions on the biotracking.com website. Be sure to include your payment.
NOTE: Check the website for testing dates. I always ship on a Monday before a testing date.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Bottle schedules (several options) for full size goats
This question comes up frequently on the goat board at homesteadingtoday.com, so I've complied schedules here. Credits given.
Feeding Schedule *this is meant as a general guide, some babies will need more*
1st week~ 4 feedings per day, 2-4 oz. per feeding for small goats and 4-6 oz for large goats, colostrum for the first 24 hours!
2nd week to 8 weeks ~ 3 feedings per day, 5-12 oz. per feeding for small goats and 6-20 oz for large goats, you will be gradually building up to the larger amount of milk
8+ weeks ~ 1 or 2 feedings per day, 10-12 oz. per feeding for small goats and 15-20 oz for larger goats, gradually reducing the amount in the bottle until weaning is complete
*we aim for about 1 oz. per lb body weight for the 1st 3 weeks*
We recommend using Whole Vitamin D Cow’s Milk from the grocery to bottle feed your baby. At 4 weeks of age, we add .5 cc’s of Poly-Vi-Sol to a bottle every day for additional vitamins and minerals.
Always warm the milk to about 102* (a little warmer than you would for a human baby) – a baby goat cannot digest cold milk. The microwave is fine for this, but make sure to shake the bottle before feeding it to eliminate hot spots in the milk. You should start introducing water, hay and goat feed around 4 weeks of age. They probably will do little more than play with it at first, but they will eventually get the idea about solid foods.
Kids usually will drink only until they are full. If they are usually drinking a 12 oz bottle and for one feeding they only drink 6 oz, that is ok. Be careful not to overfeed them. Don't give them more than 12 oz per bottle for the small goats and 20 oz per bottle for the large goats.
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogs...ats-or-be.html
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
If I have the milk I pretty well let them take what they want every time I feed. When they start playing with the nipple they are done. Same way when I start with the lambar. If they all pull off and there is no milk left I put a little more in it next time. I only feed three times a day for three weeks or so, then switch to two times a day. I have three that are a little over a month old right now taking about 15 lbs of milk a day.
Coso
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I 'free choice' feed - meaning kids get as much milk as they want each feeding. This is how I raise my Nubian bottle babies -
They get 10-16 oz of colostrum in the first 12 hours after birth - divided into 3-4 feedings depending on the size of the kid - smaller kids will eat less more often.
For the next 24 hours they are fed once every 4-5 hours - 5 feedings. Here they are switched to milk and eat an average of 5-8 oz a feeding.
At this point I start adding in baking soda to the milk - 2 TBS per 1 gallon.
They are then fed once every 6 hours - 4 times a day for the next 2 weeks. They usually start out around 6-10 oz a feeding are up to 12-16 oz a feeding by 2 weeks of age.
After 2 weeks of age they are moved to a 3 a day feeding - once every 8 hours. Between 2 and 4 weeks of age they increase to about 20 ounce a feeding.
I keep them on 3 feedings a day until they are weaned. After they are month of age I usually give them a 12 hour night, and then the other 2 feedings 6 hours a part. Around 6 weeks of age they are eating between 2 and 3 quarts a day. Some of my largest buck kids will eat just a tad over 3 quarts, but most will only get up to 2 1/2 quarts a day. I have found that 2 quarts is an adequate amount with good growth, but wouldn't feed less. I don't wean my kids until they are 75-80% of adult weight which is usually around 6 months of age. In the end our kids average between 80-120 gallons of milk before they are weaned.
They are also started on alfalfa hay at a week of age, and really eating it by 4 weeks.
LomahAcres
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Feeding Schedule *this is meant as a general guide, some babies will need more*
1st week~ 4 feedings per day, 2-4 oz. per feeding for small goats and 4-6 oz for large goats, colostrum for the first 24 hours!
2nd week to 8 weeks ~ 3 feedings per day, 5-12 oz. per feeding for small goats and 6-20 oz for large goats, you will be gradually building up to the larger amount of milk
8+ weeks ~ 1 or 2 feedings per day, 10-12 oz. per feeding for small goats and 15-20 oz for larger goats, gradually reducing the amount in the bottle until weaning is complete
*we aim for about 1 oz. per lb body weight for the 1st 3 weeks*
We recommend using Whole Vitamin D Cow’s Milk from the grocery to bottle feed your baby. At 4 weeks of age, we add .5 cc’s of Poly-Vi-Sol to a bottle every day for additional vitamins and minerals.
Always warm the milk to about 102* (a little warmer than you would for a human baby) – a baby goat cannot digest cold milk. The microwave is fine for this, but make sure to shake the bottle before feeding it to eliminate hot spots in the milk. You should start introducing water, hay and goat feed around 4 weeks of age. They probably will do little more than play with it at first, but they will eventually get the idea about solid foods.
Kids usually will drink only until they are full. If they are usually drinking a 12 oz bottle and for one feeding they only drink 6 oz, that is ok. Be careful not to overfeed them. Don't give them more than 12 oz per bottle for the small goats and 20 oz per bottle for the large goats.
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogs...ats-or-be.html
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
If I have the milk I pretty well let them take what they want every time I feed. When they start playing with the nipple they are done. Same way when I start with the lambar. If they all pull off and there is no milk left I put a little more in it next time. I only feed three times a day for three weeks or so, then switch to two times a day. I have three that are a little over a month old right now taking about 15 lbs of milk a day.
Coso
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I 'free choice' feed - meaning kids get as much milk as they want each feeding. This is how I raise my Nubian bottle babies -
They get 10-16 oz of colostrum in the first 12 hours after birth - divided into 3-4 feedings depending on the size of the kid - smaller kids will eat less more often.
For the next 24 hours they are fed once every 4-5 hours - 5 feedings. Here they are switched to milk and eat an average of 5-8 oz a feeding.
At this point I start adding in baking soda to the milk - 2 TBS per 1 gallon.
They are then fed once every 6 hours - 4 times a day for the next 2 weeks. They usually start out around 6-10 oz a feeding are up to 12-16 oz a feeding by 2 weeks of age.
After 2 weeks of age they are moved to a 3 a day feeding - once every 8 hours. Between 2 and 4 weeks of age they increase to about 20 ounce a feeding.
I keep them on 3 feedings a day until they are weaned. After they are month of age I usually give them a 12 hour night, and then the other 2 feedings 6 hours a part. Around 6 weeks of age they are eating between 2 and 3 quarts a day. Some of my largest buck kids will eat just a tad over 3 quarts, but most will only get up to 2 1/2 quarts a day. I have found that 2 quarts is an adequate amount with good growth, but wouldn't feed less. I don't wean my kids until they are 75-80% of adult weight which is usually around 6 months of age. In the end our kids average between 80-120 gallons of milk before they are weaned.
They are also started on alfalfa hay at a week of age, and really eating it by 4 weeks.
LomahAcres
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Monday, March 18, 2013
Supplies List
This is a FIRST draft of things to keep on hand.... will be updating it.
For the milk house:
Milk Stand (I have two that I built following the fiascofarm plan)
Paper towels (regular)
Paper towels (blue, cut roll in half, remove cardboard, place in plastic coffee can, pour in udder wash)
Udder wash of your choice
Trash can
Little cups for kitty milk (first squirts from each teat to clear orifice bacteria)
Fly spray
Broom
Small shop vac
Plastic trash cans with lids for feed
Motion activated night light
Medicine Cabinet (supplies):
Iodine
Alcohol
Chlorhexidine concentrate
Vitamin E capsules
Cotton balls
Thermometer
Small disposable paper cups
Rags of all sizes
Syringes (3cc, 6cc, and 12cc)
Red top vacuum seal blood collection tubes
Kid puller
Bolus gun
Drench gun
Medicine Cabinet (meds):
BoSe
Copper boluses
Banamine
Various antibiotics
Dexamethasone (anti-inflammatory)
CDT
Tetanus antitoxin
Lysigin
E Coli vaccine
Vitamin C powder
Tums
Oral Calcium/Magnesium supplement
B Complex (injectible)
Thiamine (injectible)
Cydectin
Ivomec
Safeguard (for tapeworms in kids)
Herbals/Homeopathic:
Mo'Milk - Fiasco Farm
Dairy Maid - Fir Meadow
Mastoblast - Jeffers
Better Daze - Fir Meadow
Kelp
Books:
Sheep and Goat Medicine, Dr. David Pugh (Textbook)
(Also google Sue Weaver Goat Books for a variety of good starter books)
Mineral options:
Cargill Right Now - Onyx
Purina Goat Mineral (loose)
Jolly German Ultimate Goat Mineral
Cobalt for top dressing
For the milk house:
Milk Stand (I have two that I built following the fiascofarm plan)
Paper towels (regular)
Paper towels (blue, cut roll in half, remove cardboard, place in plastic coffee can, pour in udder wash)
Udder wash of your choice
Trash can
Little cups for kitty milk (first squirts from each teat to clear orifice bacteria)
Fly spray
Broom
Small shop vac
Plastic trash cans with lids for feed
Motion activated night light
Medicine Cabinet (supplies):
Iodine
Alcohol
Chlorhexidine concentrate
Vitamin E capsules
Cotton balls
Thermometer
Small disposable paper cups
Rags of all sizes
Syringes (3cc, 6cc, and 12cc)
Red top vacuum seal blood collection tubes
Kid puller
Bolus gun
Drench gun
Medicine Cabinet (meds):
BoSe
Copper boluses
Banamine
Various antibiotics
Dexamethasone (anti-inflammatory)
CDT
Tetanus antitoxin
Lysigin
E Coli vaccine
Vitamin C powder
Tums
Oral Calcium/Magnesium supplement
B Complex (injectible)
Thiamine (injectible)
Cydectin
Ivomec
Safeguard (for tapeworms in kids)
Herbals/Homeopathic:
Mo'Milk - Fiasco Farm
Dairy Maid - Fir Meadow
Mastoblast - Jeffers
Better Daze - Fir Meadow
Kelp
Books:
Sheep and Goat Medicine, Dr. David Pugh (Textbook)
(Also google Sue Weaver Goat Books for a variety of good starter books)
Mineral options:
Cargill Right Now - Onyx
Purina Goat Mineral (loose)
Jolly German Ultimate Goat Mineral
Cobalt for top dressing
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Goat Kid Care Schedule
This is based on the info at dairygoatinfo.com. The orginal was written by Vicki McGaugh of Lonesome Doe Nubians.
The day the Kids are born…
The day they are born give them a Bo-Se Shot. Full size dairy kids get 1/4cc, subcutaneously.
Give 1- 400 unit Vit E Capsule, orally.
IMMEDIATELY dip navel with Iodine, using clean iodine each time. Real iodine is available from your vet, use only the 7%. With iodine hard to find, you can use chlorhexidine or betadine. Some folks dip hooves, too, as they are soft and absorbent.
If you are bottle feeding kids, each kid needs to consume about 20 oz of colostrum within 12 hours. Minimum is 1 ounce of colostrum per pound of kid. After 20 ounces of colostrum, they can be switched to milk.
Bucks, limit to 4 oz colostrum per feeding, but still getting their 20 ounces in 12 hours.
More colostrum of course can be fed, just not less. The highest quality of colostrum comes from your older does in their first 12 hours of milking.
After 12 hours the kids ability to absorb immunity from the colostrum stops; colostrum however is very high in fat, high in calories and has a laxative effect to get the hard tarry meconium out of the intestine, expect to see first black tarry poop, then yellow colostrum poop, poop will then change to brown as they get onto milk. Other colors warn problems. Some kids can get yellow diarrhea from colostrum, but this is normal.
For bottle kids, put a pinch of baking soda per kid into each bottle, once a day.
At day 20, start on Cocci prevention. Use Corid or sulfa, dosages in Goatkeeping 101 on dairygoatinfo.com. Give it once a day for 5 days, then repeat every 20 days until well grown and on meat goat pellets that contain their cocci med (decoquinate, rumensin, lasalocid, bovatec). Do not wait for symptoms of cocci or worms and then use treatment; think prevention always.
Edited to add: There is a new medication available for coccidia that is ONE dose every three weeks. 1 cc per ten pounds, orally.
Day 20 - Deworm with Valbazen - 1cc per 10lbs (this is for tapes) Important note is that my kids are not in pens frequented by adults; so adult worms aren't a worry for me until the kids are older. If your goat kids are in with adults, then you will have to worm them with your adult wormer, usually Cydectin.
Day 60 – vaccinate for CDT. Give BoSe.
Day 90 – booster vaccination for CDT. Deworm with Valbazen.
Day 120 – booster vaccination for CDT. Deworm with Valbazen. Give BoSe.
The day the Kids are born…
The day they are born give them a Bo-Se Shot. Full size dairy kids get 1/4cc, subcutaneously.
Give 1- 400 unit Vit E Capsule, orally.
IMMEDIATELY dip navel with Iodine, using clean iodine each time. Real iodine is available from your vet, use only the 7%. With iodine hard to find, you can use chlorhexidine or betadine. Some folks dip hooves, too, as they are soft and absorbent.
If you are bottle feeding kids, each kid needs to consume about 20 oz of colostrum within 12 hours. Minimum is 1 ounce of colostrum per pound of kid. After 20 ounces of colostrum, they can be switched to milk.
Bucks, limit to 4 oz colostrum per feeding, but still getting their 20 ounces in 12 hours.
More colostrum of course can be fed, just not less. The highest quality of colostrum comes from your older does in their first 12 hours of milking.
After 12 hours the kids ability to absorb immunity from the colostrum stops; colostrum however is very high in fat, high in calories and has a laxative effect to get the hard tarry meconium out of the intestine, expect to see first black tarry poop, then yellow colostrum poop, poop will then change to brown as they get onto milk. Other colors warn problems. Some kids can get yellow diarrhea from colostrum, but this is normal.
For bottle kids, put a pinch of baking soda per kid into each bottle, once a day.
At day 20, start on Cocci prevention. Use Corid or sulfa, dosages in Goatkeeping 101 on dairygoatinfo.com. Give it once a day for 5 days, then repeat every 20 days until well grown and on meat goat pellets that contain their cocci med (decoquinate, rumensin, lasalocid, bovatec). Do not wait for symptoms of cocci or worms and then use treatment; think prevention always.
Edited to add: There is a new medication available for coccidia that is ONE dose every three weeks. 1 cc per ten pounds, orally.
Day 20 - Deworm with Valbazen - 1cc per 10lbs (this is for tapes) Important note is that my kids are not in pens frequented by adults; so adult worms aren't a worry for me until the kids are older. If your goat kids are in with adults, then you will have to worm them with your adult wormer, usually Cydectin.
Day 60 – vaccinate for CDT. Give BoSe.
Day 90 – booster vaccination for CDT. Deworm with Valbazen.
Day 120 – booster vaccination for CDT. Deworm with Valbazen. Give BoSe.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Hybred Milk Machine
Here's what I'm using for milking the small teated goats. I hand milk the others.
It starts with a vacuum pump, with a large diameter hose going to the back of the pulsator. All of the larger return hoses that would normally bring milk to the bucket are blocked. One of the pulsating vacuum hoses has a cut off valve. You can see it tucked behind the shelf bracket on the wall. The other hose attaches to the Udderly EZ Milk bottle's side nipple.
The milk flows directly into the bottle. So, you have absolutely clean milk. I do strain the milk, but it's probably unnecessary. It is important to hold the bottle, especially if you have a dancing goat. If the assembly falls down, milk will get into the vacuum line and into your pulsator. This is NOT a good thing. That's another reason for the green and blue cut off valves!
I've been toying with the idea of putting a pulsator on a PVC pipe with capped ends (like the unused ballast tank on the wall there behind the belly pail.) This would simplify the whole thing tremendously. I just haven't taken the time to DO it. My idea is that you could have vacuum pump > ballast tank > pulsator > tube to EZ Milker.
The most expensive part is, of course, the vacuum pump, at about $400. The pulsator is another hundred.
It starts with a vacuum pump, with a large diameter hose going to the back of the pulsator. All of the larger return hoses that would normally bring milk to the bucket are blocked. One of the pulsating vacuum hoses has a cut off valve. You can see it tucked behind the shelf bracket on the wall. The other hose attaches to the Udderly EZ Milk bottle's side nipple.
The milk flows directly into the bottle. So, you have absolutely clean milk. I do strain the milk, but it's probably unnecessary. It is important to hold the bottle, especially if you have a dancing goat. If the assembly falls down, milk will get into the vacuum line and into your pulsator. This is NOT a good thing. That's another reason for the green and blue cut off valves!
I've been toying with the idea of putting a pulsator on a PVC pipe with capped ends (like the unused ballast tank on the wall there behind the belly pail.) This would simplify the whole thing tremendously. I just haven't taken the time to DO it. My idea is that you could have vacuum pump > ballast tank > pulsator > tube to EZ Milker.
The most expensive part is, of course, the vacuum pump, at about $400. The pulsator is another hundred.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)