What routine care do dairy goats require?
Hooves should be trimmed every month to six weeks depending upon terrain, genetics and nutrition. Overgrown hooves can cause lameness which in turn can reduce milk production. We give annual vaccinations for tetanus and enterotoxemia (over-eating disease). We also vaccinate against rabies. Parasite control is one of the biggest challenges in raising goats in a confined area. They are naturally browsers and prefer clean pastures so that they would not have the parasite problems of other livestock. But because most of us cannot allow them to roam at will, goats must be dewormed on a regular basis. We highly recommend that you find a veterinarian knowledgeable about goats and work out a parasite control plan with him or her. It is a good idea to have fecal samples analyzed periodically so you know what kinds of worms your goats have and how many. Care must be taken to find the right dewormer, especially for milkers, since there is often a withdrawal period before the milk can be consumed.
