For the Love of Goats

If you've listened to previous podcast episodes on parasites, you have heard us talk about the 5-point check, but what exactly is it? How can you use it to determine when you need to use a dewormer?Quite simply, the 5 things to check are:FAMACHABody conditionPoopCoat conditionBottle jawIn this episode, I'm talking about how you can use this information, which you can get for free, to keep an eye on the parasite status of your goats.I also talk about which worms cause which symptoms, and how different combinations of symptoms can mean different worms.To learn more about using dewormers correctly, check out our previous episode with Dr. Michael Pesato, discussing the newest recommendations of the American Consortium of Small Ruminant Parasite Control.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/5-point-check-for-parasites/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

If you've been thinking about a meat breed and are looking for one that does well on pasture and forage, is parasite resistant, and hardy in general, the Kiko might be the breed for you. In today's episode we are talking to Karen Kopf of Kopf Canyon Ranch in Idaho about their experience raising dairy goats and then switching to meat goats and specifically Kiko goats. One of the reasons I wanted to interview Karen is because of the amazing records they keep on their herd, so we get into all of the details on the breed.Kikos were developed from feral goats in New Zealand and dairy goats, and they have no breed standard. This means there is a lot of variation between individual Kiko goats. Karen talks about the wide variation in sizes, as well as feeding, kidding, and selling meat.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/kiko-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Although rabies in goats is not common, it is possible. In today's episode we are talking to Dr. Kevin Pelzer, a Professor of Large Animal Clinical Science, Production Management Medicine at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech.We are talking about how goats can get rabies, as well as the symptoms, diagnosis, and vaccination options. Rabies in goats looks considerably different than the stereotypical rabid dog, and luckily humans are much less likely to get rabies from their goat on the rare occasion when a goat does get infected. Goats are also unlikely to give rabies to each other.Although there is not a rabies vaccine labeled for goats, we discuss the best option that is available, and why you should avoid the dog rabies vaccine.To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comSee full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/rabies-in-goats/Want to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

When some people hear a goat cough, pneumonia is often the first thing that comes to mind, but it is really not common in goats. A cough is also not a good indication of whether a goat has pneumonia or when it has recovered from pneumonia. In today's episode we are talking to Dr. Michael Pesato, Assistant Clinical Professor of Food Animal Medicine and Surgery at Mississippi State University. He is board certified with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, specializing in Food Animal Practice.We discuss the wide variety of reasons that goats cough, as well as the real symptoms of pneumonia and how it is diagnosed. We also talk about which antibiotics work best when a goat has pneumonia and why penicillin should not be the one you reach for first. Dr. Pesato discusses the pneumonia vaccine in cattle and why it's not appropriate for goats, as well as how management is the key to avoiding pneumonia.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/pneumonia-in-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

If you have goats, or if you are considering getting goats, you should be aware of Johnne's disease. It is an infectious disease that is highly contagious, and there is no cure.Today's guest is Dr. Michael Pesato, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Food Animal Medicine and Surgery at Mississippi State University. He is a board certified practitioner with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners specializing in Food Animal Practice. We are talking about how Johne's is transmitted, the symptoms, and diagnosis. We also discuss the different types of testing, as well as the efficacy of each one, and when it makes the most sense to do a blood test or a fecal test. And finally, we talk about what to do if you discover that you have Johne's in your herd.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/johnesdisease/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Do you struggle with marketing your goat-based business? Or do you think you've got it covered because you have a website and a Facebook page? Or maybe you send out an email every month or two just to let people know what you're selling at the moment or what's on sale.In today's episode, we are talking with Liz Wilcox, the Fresh Princess of Email Marketing, about how you can use email to build a relationship with your customers. We talk about becoming friends with your fans and followers, and not simply trying to sell your product in every email.Liz has helped thousands of people dial in their email including a plumber, a podiatrist, and even a nun, and she shares lots of ideas for those of us with goat-based businesses.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/email-marketing-goat-business/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

In today's episode, we are talking with the oldest Saanen breeder in the US about these gentle giant of the dairy goat world. If you've ever looked at the American Dairy Goat Association's Top Ten list for milk production, you've seen his goats.Scott Hoyman of Caprikorn Farms has been raising Saanens for more than four decades along with his wife Alice. He talks about why they originally chose Saanen goats and why they went on milk test. He also talks about how ADGAGenetics.org can help you to choose more productive goats for your herd, as well as herd sires that are more likely to improve milk production in their daughters.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/saanen-goats/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Whole herd biosecurity screening is a valuable tool that we can use to feel confident that we have a healthy herd. Washington State University has a biosecurity screening test that uses one tube of blood from a goat to run tests for caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE), caseous lymphadenitis (CL), and Johnes.In this episode, we are talking to Dr. Claire Burbick, Associate Professor at Washington State University and a faculty member of Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.CAE, CL, and Johnes are all highly contagious, so if you bring in a new goat and don't test, you could wind up with multiple goats testing positive in a few years.Dr. Burbick goes into detail about how each test works, how accurate they are, and next steps if you get a positive result.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/testing-goats-for-cae-cl-and-johnes/To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Caseous lymphadenitis, usually called CL, in goats is an incurable and highly contagious disease. I recently helped one of our Goats 365 members think through her options when several of her goats tested positive, and I discovered that eradication of this disease from a herd is not nearly as simple as the textbooks make it sound — emotionally or medically.In this episode, Dr. Michael Pesato, an Assistant Clinical Professor at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, is talking about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of CL.Dr. Pesato says that although abscesses can be treated, CL cannot be cured. While some people think it's not a big deal, it can negatively affect a goat's overall health and even fertility. Kids born to infected moms may not be as healthy as those born to CL-negative does.We talk about what CL is and how goats can get infected. Then we talk about your options if you have goats that test positive. If a pregnant goats tests positive, can her kids be born with it? Can they get it from her after birth? Do you cull the positive goat before or after kiddingWe also talk about the fact that although there used to be a CL vaccine for goats, it is no longer available, and Dr. Pesato talks about why the sheep vaccine is not recommended for goats.If you are buying goats — or sheep — it's important to educate yourself about this important disease and how you can bring it onto your farm.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/cl-in-goats/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐

Most people think that avoiding urinary calculi in male goats is as easy as balancing the calcium and phosphorus ratio, but that's only the beginning. We are talking to Dr. Robert VanSaun, professor of veterinary science and extension veterinarian at Penn State University, about all of the different types of urinary stones, what causes them, how to prevent them, and how to treat them. Balancing calcium and phosphorus is only helpful for preventing struvite stones, and that may not even be helpful if the goat simply has too much phosphorus in the diet.In addition to struvite stones, goats can wind up with calcium stones from consuming too much calcium, and unlike struvite stones, calcium stones cannot be prevented or treated by adding ammonium chloride to the goat's diet. If you live in the western US, you may see more silica stones if your goats are consuming grasses that are high in silica.This is a must-listen episode for anyone who has male goats, whether they are intact or not.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/urinary-calculi-in-goats/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support the content you love?Head over to -- https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/products/love-goats-tip-jarThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the content you love and help us keep bringing you new goat resources, you can do that through our Tip Jar. No one ever said raising goats was easy, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune or drive you crazy! You just need the right information. 🔹 Check out Goats 365 membership 🔹 Or explore The Goat Academy 🔹Looking for Deborah's books? They can be purchased wherever books are sold, or you can get an autographed copy on our online store. Happy goat-keeping! 🐐