For the Love of Goats

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! 🐐

It's not unusual for people to love their goats so much that they want more! But we all have our financial limits. So the next question is, how can your goats make money for you?In this episode I'm talking about a variety of goat businesses, starting with those that don't have a huge financial start-up investment and moving on to those that cost six figures to get started in most states.I also mention the importance of being sure that you are doing everything legally and are covered in terms of liability.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-business-ideas/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support this podcast?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 want a standard size dairy goat that gives a gallon or more of milk daily, then the Alpine might be for you.In this episode, we are talking to Emily Thompson of Kara Kahl Alpines in Southeast Minnesota who has been raising goats her whole life with her sister and her parents, who started raising alpines in the 1970’s.Emily talks about the general attributes of Alpines, as well as why she's continued to raise them for decades.She has been a judge with the American Dairy Goat Association for 22 years and is also co-chair of judges training assessment and licensing committee.The family shows their goats at the national level and even brought home the title of grand champion doe. They are also on milk test.See full show notes here >>https://thriftyhomesteader.com/alpine-goats/ To see the most recent episodes, visit  ForTheLoveOfGoats.comWant to support this podcast?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! 🐐

Every aspect of your buck's health is critically important during breeding season, from his eyes and legs to his reproductive system.Dr. Jamie Stewart, Assistant Professor in Production Management Medicine at the vet school at Virginia Tech, who previously joined us for an episode on artificial insemination in goats, talks about the various aspects of a buck's health that can affect breeding success, as well as the success of your kidding season.Dr. Stewart talks about what a vet does in a breeding soundness exam, as well as what goat owners can do to be sure their buck is in the best condition for breeding season.We discuss epididymitis and orchitis and the many potential causes for those problems, from physical trauma to infectious disease, including some that can wind up causing an abortion storm during kidding season.If you've ever wondered why it's so hard to find a goat owner who will provide buck service, this episode will help you understand the possible diseases that can be transmitted during breeding.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/buck-health-and-breeding/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 melanoma in goats is quite rare, it is devastating when it does happen because there is no cure. In this episode, we are talking to Julie Jarvis PA-C, a retired Dermatology Physician Assistant who practiced human medicine for 21 years. She has also been a goat farmer since 2004, and one of her goats was recently diagnosed with melanoma.In my post on squamous cell carcinoma, I talked about how easy it is to misdiagnose it, and the same is true of melanoma. Since Julie had 21 years experience in human dermatology, she knew something was seriously wrong when she saw what most people would have assumed was an injury or hoof rot.Julie goes into detail about what she saw and what she did, as well as the research she found on melanoma in goats.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/skin-cancer-in-goats-melanoma/ 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've ever seen the goats without ears, that's what we're talking about today! LaManchas are best known for having tiny little gopher ears, which most people either love or hate. If you raise LaManchas you know the most common question you hear is, "What happened to their ears?"But LaManchas have a lot going for them beyond their cute looks. Today we are talking to Tania Love of Love Acres Dairy Goats, who has a small but impressive herd of LaManchas that have earned spots on the American Dairy Goat Association's Top Ten list for production.Tania also has some great advice for anyone getting started with dairy goats, regardless of whether they choose LaManchas or another breed.See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/lamancha-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 are looking for a medium sized dairy goat that produces about a gallon a day, then consider the Oberhasli, which originally came from Switzerland. Morgan Allen of Haycreek Farm in Minnesota has been raising Oberhasli goats since the mid-1990s. Their goats have done well showing at the national level, and they have several does on the American Dairy Goat Association's Top Ten list for production.In today's episode, Morgan is talking about what drew her to the Oberhasli and why she's still raising them after all these years. She also talks about selling their milk to a commercial cheesemaker and making their own caramel sauce.See full show notes here >>  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/oberhasli-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! 🐐

We first composted a dead goat many years ago when it died in winter when the ground was frozen solid. At the time, we thought of it as the second-best option because burial was not possible. However, as we discuss in this episode, composting actually causes a carcass to decompose faster than burying.J. Craig Williams, extension agent with Pennsylvania State University Extension in northern Pennsylvania talks about advantages of mortality composting, as well as how to do it so that you avoid bad odors and don't attract predators.Although you can use the finished compost in your fields or gardens, mortality composting is really about disposing of a dead animal more than making compost. That means you won't be out there turning the pile every couple of weeks.Because a compost pile can heat up to more than 130 degrees, it will kill bacteria and viruses, however it is important to note that it won't kill prions, so you should not compost a goat or sheep that had scrapie. To learn more about scrapie, check out episode 45, Scrapie in Goats and Sheep.For more information on mortality composting, check out Cornell Waste Management Institute's website.See full show notes here >>  https://thriftyhomesteader.com/how-to-compost-a-dead-goat/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! 🐐