Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the common questions we're asked on a weekly basis----and since (unfortunately) we now live in a litigious society---and obviously since there is not a DVM or MH after my name, I am NOT a vet, nor am I a Master Herbalist. Thus, here is the necessary DISCLAIMER: Although I relay herbal or educational products explaining treatment(s) for animals, you should always have access to a vet or herbalist, use their services, as well as consult your vet or herbalist. If you choose to incorporate herbs into your program, then you do the research and/or contact the folks you're purchasing from. 

Why (or how) do you use the Herbs in your program?
It was our intention to use herbs from the beginning--- especially since our family has seen some remarkable turnarounds in health issues we had been struggling with. We believe the Lord has equipped our bodies to counter sicknesses as well as accelerate healing when injured---if given the proper tools to do so.

We discovered early on that there was a HUGE learning curve when it came to goats, compared to other animals we’ve raised successfully. So, that first year, we treated any sickness or malady with the use of chemicals or pharmaceuticals; thus giving ourselves another year to learn about herbal treatments for goats. I would stay up for hours at night reading books I ordered,  scouring the internet---blogs, forums, etc researching how to successfully incorporate a natural approach—and just barely scratched the surface. Thankfully, the Lord led us to several different sources whose knowledge and experience was amazing.

Fir Meadow & Land of Havilah are both wonderful to work with & their products are some of the very best on the market. Both Kat & Christy are wonderful & gracious women who are Certified Master Herbalists and happen to raise goats.

I found 2 basic premises: Herbs stay in the body approx 4 hours and will work---"if used frequently enough & strong enough."  

We follow the directions (duh) on the package---but if the situation requires more herbs, in more frequent doses---that's what we do. Because we have a big herd (read: too many goats), we mix what we'll need for the day---adding the powder to water in a plastic peanut butter jar and give our herbs in drench form. If its preventative maintenance, the drench will be somewhat runny. If its an acute case, we'll make it thicker. Some find more success mixing the herbs w molasses and rolling into small balls. 

From FirMeadowLLC.com ----These are our main-stays & all have been successful for us---especially if caught early on:
GISoother---scours---we use for Cocci & Barber Pole
DWorm---for other parasites
MMune---build immunity
Herbiotic (powder or tincture)---our go-to for herbal replacement of antibiotic.
Vitalerb---great product full of everything green

From LandofHavilahfarm.com ----
Bulk herbs, Parasite Formula (that we add to our minerals), webinars & online courses as, well as her Herd-health practices & Holistic Methods.

Helpful books: "The Accessible Pet, Equine, and Livestock Herbal" Kat Drovadahl, "Holistic Goat Care" Gianaclis Caldwell (Pholia Farm Nigerian Dairy)

In addition, Face Book has some great Groups/Forums, "Totally Natural Goats." 

How to milk? (tutorial)—-credit to: weedemandweep.com) https://www.weedemandreap.com/how-to-milk-a-goat/
Why (and how) do you do (or start up on) milk test? The “why” is easy. These are Dairy goats—-and even if you have a small herd or homesteading, its prudent to keep track of your management/feeding program, the doe(s) production, ButterFat, Protein, and just as important, her Somatic Cell Count (SCC)—which is another tool to identify possible pre-Mastitis. Getting Milk Stars (*) for your does will improve the breed overall as well as provide official proof to the potential buyer of her, or her offspring. We have always tested with both ADGA & AGS. Each registry has a slightly different minimum qualifications for your doe to star. Both provide Top 10 for the 305 Day test—-but AGS also offers Top 10 for 1Day Tests—in 4 different categories. It’s a lot of fun, very rewarding, and encouraging to see one of your girls make the Top 10 list. And, as your herd improves, so will your numbers—which not only provides pride in their hard work (and yours), but also improves the value of the doe, her progeny, and even her pedigree overall.
The “how to start” is almost as easy—but there are some technical terms to wade through, and of course, each registry is a bit different. Really, the challenge is learning the abbreviations & terms can be daunting at first. If I can figure it out in my 50’s, you absolutely can do it!!! There are some great sources on google; but here’s a link that breaks it down pedigrees & milk terms pretty easily: https://www.betterhensandgardens.com/understanding-goat-pedigrees-2/ (this website has a lot of helpful info)
Once you familiarize yourself with the jargon—-(goat language requires a whole new skill of understanding), just follow the rules for set up. Here’s a pretty good article that describes the basics:
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/5-steps-to-getting-started-with-milk/
We do the Standard 20 Test. We purchase our scales through Amazon—you want the ones that show pounds, and tenths of pounds (not ounces). The scales have to be calibrated every year—-usually by the Lab you’re using. There are many labs to choose from and they will be the one who assigns your herd code. Some breeders use Langston, Dairy One, etc. Ours is DHI Coop in Columbus and I love them. They will provide the actual BF which AGS acknowledges, but ADGA only allows up to 9.9%. We also have multiple testers to pull from—-just in case someone is sick or unavailable.
Links to start with: AGS— https://americangoatsociety.com/forms-brochures/ABCs-of-Milk-Testing-1-9-17.pdf-
ADGA—- http://adga.org/steps-for-adga-dhir/
ADGA’s link seemed a bit confusing to me at first…but it embodies the links to the other info you’ll need.
Their FAQ page was easier for me: http://adga.org/knowledgebase/dhir-faqs/ with a YouTube pictorial for starting out!!! :)
What are some of the things you would suggest to be successful after the decision is made to go on Milk Test? First, I love doing milk test and the Lord has blessed us. We put a LOT of work into our herd---we study/research new feeds, minerals, and continually improve the quality of our hay. We have a tight barn in the winter. (Not heated, but also, NOT drafty---in any way. All of which allows the does to stay warm and not waste any body energy fighting chills or drafts)
We keep our hay mangers stuffed continually---starting our day at 7AM---with the last barn check, at 10PM. We offer fresh, hot water 4x a day, plenty of quality hay, and the barns are bedded heavily with fresh, clean straw in the winter....and shavings in the summer. We feel the main reason we get high scores for our milk tests are a result of the way we take care of our herd. Bc testing is important to us---we view the goats as performance animals (which they are). The leading Dairies (Goat or Cow) do the same.

On Test Day---our does are given hot molasses water and LOTS of good hay (we use straight Alfalfa). We make their day as comfortable as possible. After milking and sampling each doe, their milk is put into bottles for their babies. Then the babies are offered a bottle every 2-3 hours. Most think its the greatest thing, this side of Heaven. A few think you're trying to poison them. Those become our "target" goats and we spend extra time loving on them and making them feel secure. Usually by the 2nd or 3rd bottle offering, they decide their brothers or sisters were right after all. And this is, indeed, a good thing. Ironically, they become the friendliest babies in our barn. The babies are all kept together---in the part of the barn where they are accustomed to. The mamas are moved to a different part of the barn. And, they actually end up doing well together...lots of hay, hot water, clean straw. They're content. We will swap "outside time" with the two groups. Mamas are let out in the morning, babies outside in the afternoon. We ALWAYS have a buffer in between the two groups---either a different group of goats (i.e. the yearlings) or empty stalls. And we double clip EVERY SINGLE GATE until the last doe is milked at the PM Milking. Its inconvenient, yes---but minor compared to a baby getting through and getting to his/her mama. 
Finally—we’ve proven via our own records, but others have as well. The does that nurse their babies (24/7) will test better (w higher numbers) than does whose babies have been bottle raised and milked 2x a day.

When do you wean? Our doelings and wethers stay with their dams until she is off her 305 day test, or if the mama weans her kids first. Generally, our bucklings are separated from their dams at night when they’re 8 weeks old. But they’re in a stall right next to their family so they can see them. During the day over the next 2-3 weeks, the boys are allowed to be with their moms for supervised time together, every 2-3 hrs for 10-30 minutes so the buckling can still nurse, and snuggle with his mama. Some dams enjoy this span of time. Others are fine with it for a week, or so, and she basically will wean him by walking away.
Why can't I pick up a buckling at 8 weeks? As mentioned above, it takes time to adjust to being away from the family unit. It can be a 3-4 week process, but somewhere around 12 weeks, the buckling is fully weaned, on grain & hay completely, and is ready to go to his new home.
Why do you dam raise? Gosh, this can be such a divisive topic. There are pros & cons for bottle babies vs dam-raised. The first 5 goats we purchased were bottle babies. Talk about a learning curve!!!! But, I grew up on a farm with animals that nursed their young, and I breast-fed my own children. So, I’m one that (heartily) believes in family units. I have dear friends who pull their babies immediately after delivery, milk the mama, and bottle feed the babies. Somehow, that seemed to be an unnecessary “middle man” step. However, as anyone who farms knows to expect the unexpected. So, its prudent to research & know the options (for example: in case the doe dies after delivery, the doe has a big litter (quints, or more), or you have a teeny baby born that needs extra help to get stronger to fend for itself amongst siblings, etc).
Our does often kid w quads, quints, and even Goodie had the septuplets. Contrary to what you may read, Nigerians are fully capable of nursing their entire litter—IF—-the dam is given enough quality feed (sometimes 3-4x a day), great hay (available 24/7), and high quality loose minerals. In Goodie’s case, she nursed all 7 for the first month, then we started supplementing the babies with a bottle 2x a day just to allow her body to stay healthy and remain in good condition.
I also must state that we spend intentional time with each of the babies—tough part of the job, I realize. :) And, the vast majority of the time, our dam raised babies are just as friendly as bottle babies. There are exceptions, of course—not often, but there will be that “one” who just is leery. Most of the time, they’re won over and become my shadow. But—just as you may have a bottle baby that turns out to be reserved, there may be a dam-raised baby that’s the same. Its a personality quality in humans as well.
We do give a bottle (of their dam’s milk) to the babies on Milk Test Day. They’re happier—thus quieter. (a big plus if you’re testing 20+ does). That extra time spent on Test Days yields great results. The babies decide you’re part of their inner circle and are even more friendly from then on. And, it also provides the buyer of a buckling to keep him on the bottle for a few more months while he’s adjusting to his new surroundings.
There’s just nothing sweeter than to look out in the field, or go through the barn at night, and see the families laying together. Often you’ll see litter sisters remain bonded as adults & the Grand-dams cuddled next to her daughters with their families.
Here are some links you may want to read: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/10/dam-raised-goats.html
https://landofhavilahfarm.com/loh/natural-raising/my-holistic-methods/raising-goat-kids-naturally/
https://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/kid-care.htm
Miscellaneous:
Best way to wether (castrate) a buckling? For years we banded our little boys. Not only is it (unnecessarily) painful for 24-28hrs, there can be a lot of issues with potential infection as the band sinks into the skin. A dear friend told us about using a Side Crusher (Burdizzo) with great results and MUCH less pain overall. They can be purchased from Premier1 (Premier1Supplies.com) or Valley Vet (ValleyVet.com). Then in the “search bar” type in Side Crusher. Yes, they run from $100-125 and banding is cheaper. However, the cost of just one trip to the Vet and/or antibiotics if the site gets infected ends up being the same (if not more). And, its just way (WAY) easier on the buckling. It’s almost immediate that he is back to running and playing showing little or no discomfort.
To reduce any chance of mess-up, a few suggestions. The 1st, which is obvious, Be CERTAIN you have the spermatic cord in the groove. Make sure the clamp is below the teat. Next, hold the “clamp” closed for 7-10 seconds. As soon as you release, immediately drop down about 1/4-1/2”, repeat. (Do both clamps on the same side before moving to the other side—-it swells quickly). We use an herbal pain reliever 30 min before, but you may also use Banamine. Here’s a pretty good vide (but she only does one clamp per side). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IqleqBI_fQ