Meat Goat Blog

Parasite Resistance in Goats

Goats are funny animals. They can find the tiniest hole in the fence and show the entire herd how to get out - but they can't see the wide-open gate you're trying to get them to go through. They can pound on each other with their horns all day long - but get sick from eating the wrong kind of leaf. But perhaps one of the most stunning goat-paradoxes is how these comparatively large animals can get killed by a little worm that's smaller than the tip of a pin.

As the scientists refer to it, Haemonchus contortus, or the Barber Pole worm, is a parasite in goats and sheep that attaches to the walls of the stomach and sucks the nutrients from their blood. This lack of nutrition causes the animal to become anemic (which often leads to Bottle Jaw and eventual death).

    Drug Resistant Parasites

So if you're like a lot of ranchers right now, you're thinking "AH - No big deal! I'll give them some wormer and they'll be good as new!" But here's the other side of that coin. Parasites, like the Haemonchus contortus, do not have static genetics. They are constantly changing and adapting to their environment. So, even though that wormer kills off most of the population, the one or two parasites that survive grow immune to the medicine. Then, as the population rebuilds from the survivors, a lot more worms have immunity to the drug.

People have been using modern Anthelmintics for over 50 years - and it's starting to show. According to Ray Kaplan, DVM, PhD, a professor at the University of Georgia, parasites that are common to cows, horses, sheep, and especially goats are becoming entirely immune to dewormers. There are already a lot of popular wormers on the market that, quite frankly, aren't worth much more than water for fighting parasites. This is why the agricultural market needs to start treating parasites differently.

    Alternative Dewormers

Over the years, we've heard a lot of ideas for how to purge worms from a goat's system without drenching or injecting them with wormer. Some people absolutely swear by copple tablets, garlic, algae, and even tobacco. But none of these methods have really seemed to be as good advertised. Most of them have not performed well in scientific evaluations. Those that did, must be administered too regularly for commercial use (Although copper oxide wire particles did show promise for treating Barber Pole worms in goat kids). If you're interested in learning more about Alternative Deworming methods, check out this great article by the SCSRPC.

Another popular method for parasite management is pasture rotation. The idea behind pasture rotation is that, when parasite populations build up in one pasture (growing in the manure), the herd gets moved to the next 'clean' pen. Without hosts to feed on, the parasite populations in the first pasture die off. Using a system of three or four pens, this method can be quite effective - but it's a lot of work for commercial operations and it doesn't do anything to fix the problem. So here's what we're doing to combat worms - and I hope you will too!

     Parasite Resistant Goats

In the same way that the parasites can grow resistant to dewormers, goats can grow resistant to parasites! But, just like the parasites, not all goats have the genetics for it. This is why culling is such a big deal! Whenever we see a goat that looks run-down or wormy, we immediately  start thinking "Has that goat been wormy before? If so how recently?" Then we do a Famacha eye score to measure the parasite load of the animal. If they need to be wormed, we grab one of the few effective dewormers on the market and treat the animal. But if they have been wormy and run-down before (especially within the last two years), that animal has got a first-class ticket to the sale barn next time we go - whether or not she has nice babies, good conformation, or a pleasant personality.

By getting rid of the animals that are not parasite resistant, the genetics from the ones that are become more concentrated in the herd. As the years go by, the number of goats that need to be wormed/culled on the ranch plummets.

Most of our goats are wormed one to two times a year. If they need more than that on a regular basis, then we don't need them producing parasites for the other goats to pick up. Having goats that are completely parasite resistant is a pretty lofty goal - but it's one worth shooting for! If Dr. Kaplan is correct, traditional dewormers don't have many more years of effective use. Then ranchers are gonna have to make some tough decisions. I hope that parasite resistance in goats will become a more wide-spread goal before then. But if not, then maybe there will be enough savvy producers to supply the market with parasite resistant livestock.

How Nutritious Is Goat Meat? Is Goat Meat Good For You?

The folks over at Beginning Farmers published an interesting USDA-ARS chart the other day that compares beef and goat meat. The chart shows that goat meat is very healthy for you! It has just about equal or better scores than beef on almost all the good things and way lower scores on the bad!

Most interesting to me is the comparison on fat - beef has almost 5.5 times more fat than goat meat!

Here's the chart - just goes to show that goat meat is good for you!

Comparison Goat/Beef(Ground)	Cooked
Servings	1
Servings Weight	100g

Content (units)	BEEF	GOAT
Water (g)	56.75	67.93
Energy (kcal)	257	142
Protein (g)	25.56	26.99
Fat, total (g)	16.42	3.02
Cholesterol (mg)	88	75
Saturated fatty acids, total (g)	6.317	0.926
Monounsaturated fatty acids, total (g)	7.305	1.354
Polyunsaturated fatty acids, total (g)	0.491	0.229
Copper (mg)	0.081	0.302
Iron (mg)	2.49	3.72
Magnesium (mg)	20	0
Phosphorus (mg)	193	200
Potassium (mg)	304	403
Selenium (mcg)	21.3	11.8
Sodium (mg)	401	248
Zinc (mg)	6.21	5.25
Vitamin B-6 (mg)	0.366	0
Choline, total (mg)	80.4	106
Vitamin B-12 (mcg)	2.69	1.18
Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol (mg)	0.45	0.34
Vitamin K (mcg)	1.6	1.2
Niacin (mg)	5.107	3.933
Riboflavin (mg)	0.176	0.607
Thiamin (mg)	0.047	0.09

Spanish Goats AREN'T 'Mutts'

Even though Spanish Goats are an organized breed, many people mistakenly use the term 'spanish' to describe anything that doesn't have a well-defined breeding ancestry, whether it is actually a Spanish Goat or just a "mutt." But this misconception is quite understandable. This term has been used for many years and has really stuck.

But here's the REAL story. As the Spanish Goat Association webpage explains, in the 1500's,

"The Spanish colonized the Americas from both sides. They left a goat trail. Some goats were brought from Spain to the Caribbean, through Florida, and onto Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. In the west, the goat trail runs from Mexico to California and Texas. So we have a mix of origins and possibly a little interbreeding in the middle. Remember that goats never received much documented attention, so the history is hard to verify, but Spanish goats in this country show their DNA to be of Iberian origin.

For the next couple of centuries the goats were used for milk, meat, hair, and hides. The goats survived well with minimal management, and those that became feral survived with no human management at all. They adapted well to their regions, and natural selection was the norm, producing a breed of goat that was an exceptionally well-adapted survivor."

Well that's what a Spanish Goat really is! Not a simple crossbreed, but an elite animal that has genetics that have survived - at times without any human involvement - for around 500 years!

Goat Prices Increasing in 2013

As I mentioned in a post a few weeks back, I believe that based on past market history, goat prices in 2013 are going to go up. But as I said in the post, this is only my opinion. However, the Goat Rancher magazine has recently published an article by Dr. Frank Pinkerton and Dr. Ken McMillin that uses USDA and NASS research to draw a similar same conclusion.

According to article, the "total goat numbers [between 2008 and 2013] declined by 9.9%, while meat goat numbers declined by 10.6%." As I discussed in my post, this was most likely a result of the economic downturn and the droughts that have hit the country over the last few years. By looking at basic supply and demand, the diminished goat population alone suggests a sales price increase in the near future.

 But further in their article, Dr. Pinkerton and Dr. McMillin make their full prediction for 2013 goat prices:

"We expect good prices to continue and peak just prior to Easter, drop a bit in April and more in May; thereafter, the June-swoon will occur. If rainfall levels permit, we expect a good late summer, early fall market for replacement females."

They support their conclusion with some very interesting statistics and information (if you're into that sort of thing). It's a very well written piece and I highly recommend that you read it. Since it is only Part I, we can all look forward to an update later in the year!

Tagging: Here Come the Kids!

With kidding season finally here, we've just set up our kit for "Open Season" on goat tagging. Though it varies somewhat from year to year, here's our general setup.

Each year, we select an seperate ID tag color for the bucklings and the doelings. The difference in color helps us easily sort them when we wean the bucklings in 60 days. The doelings' tag color changes every year so we can easily tell how old each doe is after they are grown. We keep the tags in seperate compartments in the kit, so we don't accidentally put the wrong color on the wrong gender.

We also tag each baby with USDA Scrapie tags. The tags are required if you plan to move the goats off your property (to sell, slaughter, or show). Since the USDA will provide the tags and applicator free of charge, we try to tag every animal we own - whether we plan to move them or not. Since we make a record of both tags, the Scrapie tag also acts as a backup ID tag - just in case the main ID tag falls out. By tagging early we don't have to worry about it on the day we sell them.

With those things out of the way, we still need a way to get hold of the little guys (they're very good at staying just out of reach). That's where our secret weapon comes in! We use a fishing net with a 6' handle as a giant butterfly net. It may sound funny at first, but it really works! The netting is lightweight (not the kind made out of rubber) and has very fine holes so they don't get tangled up. When the speedy kids are cutting back and forth, the net lets us keep up without moving our entire (significantly larger) bodies every time they move theirs. Plus, the extra arm length will often trick newborns into thinking they are safely out of range.

Finally, when we tag the kids, we will often see the mother nearby. This is an opportune time to write down the mother's ID number next to her babies' ID and Scrapie tag numbers in our cheap 50¢ notebook. When we get home, we'll transfer the 'field notes' into our herd records.

Goat Prices in 2013: They're Going Up!

MESSAGE TO STRUGGLING RANCHERS: Hang on just a little bit longer!

In case you haven't been watching some of the recent fluctuations in the agricultural market, here's a quick recap of some not-so-distant-history from a few years back:

• US economy still uneasy after crash.
  Result: Many cash-strapped ranchers, who have barely hung on to their animals for the last few years can't do it any longer, and have to sell their livestock for slaughter - pushing prices down.

• People start to relax about the economy. If the country was going to explode, it would have happened by now. Formerly cash-strapped ranchers buy replacement livestock.
  Result: Going rate for livestock was measured, not in dollars, but by the number of first-born children you were willing to trade for the animal. I still remember getting an e-mail from somebody with some friendly advice: "You need to raise your prices or else you're gonna sell out within two weeks."

• Agricultural regions of US hit by long periods of drought and natural disaster.
  Result: Many cash-strapped ranchers, can't afford increased feed and hay prices, and take their livestock to the sale barn to be sold for slaughter. Prices drop again.

 

Now I'm no weather man, but assuming the 2013 brings a couple drops of rain in with it, prices on feed are getting ready to go down somewhat. Result? Formerly cash-strapped ranchers buy replacement livestock and start over again. New ranchers take notice later in the year. Prices soar.

 

DISCLAIMER:  Taking advice from a guy who doesn't even get his boots on the correct feet every day may not be the best idea. I do not think, claim, or hope to be an economist. These are just my  observations and opinions.

The Kids Are Here!

Our favorite part of goat ranching has finally arrived! We had our first birth of the kidding season today! A beautiful set of Kensing Spanish twins. We can't wait to see what they grow up to be, but we won't have to wait very long - the little boogers shoot up like weeds! We'll wean them in April, when they're old enough to be away from their mothers. Between now and then, it sure will be fun watching them grow!

Spanish Goat Genetic Conservation Efforts

Lately there has been a surge in organizations, like the SVF, that are trying to preserve the embryos and semen of endangered species like Spanish goats. Their goal is to ensure that the unique genetics of each breed are not lost. We applaud their interest in preserving these precious breeds. Making efforts to protect rare breeds is very important and we appreciate their dedication. However, we have our own all natural approach for protecting these animals.

Spanish goats are characterized by their ability to survive and adapt to any environment. That is what makes them worth preserving! Spanish goats are not "endangered" because they are weak or incapable of surviving the rigors of daily life, but, on the contrary, because they are often crossed with other breeds so they can improve the weaknesses of the other animals.

While we use a small portion of our herd to cross with a Kiko buck, we focus heavily on preserving Spanish genetics the natural way - by breeding them and then letting them cope with the elements on their own.

Many breeders right now are being forced to sell their herds for slaughter because of the drought. But when spring hits and the rain returns, Spanish goats will be in high demand. When people start breeding and increasing their herd sizes the Spanish goats will be more protected than ever!

Drought Makes Feeding Grain a Necessity

Opposed as we are to feeding grain and supplements to the livestock, the lack of rain this year has forced our hands. As with most ranches in the Oklahoma area, the lack of water killed off the forage that would have sustained our livestock for the rest of the winter months. Right now we're having to feed about half a pound of grain per head every day to keep all the pregnant does from getting run down.

We feel very fortunate that we are able to hold on to our herd during this difficult time. Many ranches have been forced to sell their breeding stock for slaughter, just to keep them from starving. The majority of these ranchers will start all over again in the spring, using brand new stock.

So, while we don't like doing it, when most of the property has turned to dust and rock, something has got to give and we feel very blessed that we are able to hang on to our herd's genetics - even if it does mean using a little bit of grain.

A Little Extra Feed to Boost Next Year's Kid Crop

Earlier this year we saw that the kidding results from last year's breeding were significantly higher. While there were many factors, such as our new bucks, that could have contributed to this boost, we attribute the increase to the feed flush that we gave the does right before breeding. Even if this was not the cause of the results, we were so happy with the number of kids that we're gonna do it again this year!