Keeping kids alive comes down to three main factors: keeping them warm, keeping their blood sugar stable, and keeping them fed. Now, to elaborate on these three vital factors...
Avoiding Losses This Kidding Season: How to Save Goat Kids
How to Weigh a Goat: 5 Helpful Methods
There is nothing more important than being able to know your goats’ weights. Truly, you cannot perform important tasks like dosing medications, or even simple daily tasks, without knowing a goat’s weight. If you don’t have a plan for weighing, I encourage you to start planning one by the time you’re done reading this post, and then implement it!
Natural Mastitis Treatment & Prevention For Goats
Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland usually due to a mammary infection that occurs in lactating goats (though sub-clinical mastitis can persist when dry, or can occur from a precocious udder). Several different strains of bacteria can be responsible for causing this illness. Early stages of mastitis or sub-clinical mastitis are hard to pick up on.
Are Mineral Buffets Right For All Herds: Pros, Cons, and Thoughts
Many people are jumping on the trend of buffet-style mineral options for their herds—it’s slowly becoming more popular, especially within the natural community. The most important value that I strive to lead with in all of my consulting is that everyone’s situation is different.
Treating Polio & Listeriosis in Goats
Polio (Polioencephalomalacia) and Listeriosis (also referred to as “Listeria”) are two, unfortunately, highly common neurological illnesses in goats. Often when we hear about one, we hear about the other, because they appear very similarly. So much so that many people just refer to the issue as “polio/listeriosis.” When they treat for one, they also treat … Continue reading Treating Polio & Listeriosis in Goats
How Much Does Your Soil’s Mineral Level Affect Your Goats?
How much does your soil mineral content/forage mineral content actually impact your goats? I have heard from many industry professionals, vets, blogs, and goat owners to check and be aware of your soil mineral levels to determine how you need to supplement your goats. I cannot tell you how many people have come to me … Continue reading How Much Does Your Soil’s Mineral Level Affect Your Goats?
A Guide to Feeding Pregnant and Lactating Goats
It is so important for any creature who is a soon-to-be-momma to have proper nutrition. Why? Because it’s not just for their bodies, it’s for the bodies of their offspring as well. I cannot begin to explain how many occurrences visible at birth in goat kids can be attributed to poor nutrition of their dam … Continue reading A Guide to Feeding Pregnant and Lactating Goats
Redefining Goat Care
Goat Medicine: why does it differ so much from the veterinary medicine of other ‘similar’ creatures? I mentioned this briefly in one of my Instagram posts, which sparked many people to request a longer explanation. I could write for days, but instead I want to focus on a few key reasons as to why goats … Continue reading Redefining Goat Care
Goat Gardens: What to Plant, Forage, and Feed to your Goats
Goats are fed a diet of mostly hay these days—as they are domesticated and most owners don’t have miles of land for them to forage on. This is totally fine; however, your goats will always be healthier if you can switch up their diet in small, meaningful ways by adding in a variety of forage/browse … Continue reading Goat Gardens: What to Plant, Forage, and Feed to your Goats
Preventing & Treating Coccidiosis in Goats
What is Coccidiosis? Coccidiosis is a parasitic infestation in goats caused by the parasite Coccidia. Coccidia is not a worm, it is a protozoa. This means that regular dewormers (chemical ones, in particular) do not affect it. Luckily, natural dewormers work very effectively for Coccidia. Coccidia (aka Cocci [pronounced Kok-see]) has been known to cause … Continue reading Preventing & Treating Coccidiosis in Goats
The Giving Goat Natural Goat Care & Blog 