DZA Goats

04/08/2026

Spring is the TIME for CD&T shots! Does are kidding. Here are the recommendations for CD&T shots.
1)Does should be vaccinated for CDT approximately 30 days prior to giving birth to provide protection to the kids through the first milk, or colostrum. If the doe has not been given a priming booster of two shots adminstered three to four weeks apart at some time in her life, the pre-kidding annual shot will not be effective. This priming set of shots is usually given when the doe is a young kid but can be done at any age.

Kids should be vaccinated at 5 to 6 weeks of age and then given a booster three to four weeks later. Important Note: Vaccination of kids from properly vaccinated does prior to 5 weeks of age may result in kids that are not protected and annual boosters may be ineffective.🐐

01/27/2026

My friend Dan Vollmer, bought several pregnant does. Dan has an Avery, and this is his first time with goats. Let's all wish him luck. Anyways, Marble gave birth less than 3 weeks ago, and he is now dealing with little escape artists. Lol. 🐐😅

01/16/2026

I truely have a love/hate relationship with Facebook posting. I can't stand how it chews up the links I post. So I'm going to try reposting the Dec. 25th posting of mixing up the wormers.

Changing up your Parasite Management on WORMING
I know that some of you guys wonder if I ever have any good news concerning your livestock. Well there is good news every once in a while I can share that, but unfortunately it's usually about something that can keep your herd safe. Well, I guess that is good news, Right? None of us have the money or care so little when a pet or herd member is lost. It can hit hard!

Here is a new article that deals with parasite safety, i.e. worming. I've seen medicine become less effective. It isn't the medicine, it is the parasites have become immuned. Much earlier in my livestock management, I was taught that you needed to switch meds at least twice a year (per the vet). But now they find that practice is still not enough.

So let's cover some basics, each of us needs to know.
Myth: I've wormed five weeks ago so now the stock are safe.
Fact: The wormers we can buy will not kill every type of parasitic worm.

Just because a wormer works for stomach and brown worms doesn't mean it will kill the poll barb worm. Each wormer kills different types of parasites; Ivermectin and Cydectin are in the macrocyclic which means they act by paralyzing the worms, which are then passed from the animal's body. Safe-Guard and Valbazen disrupt the digestive system of the worm, which kills it. If parasites are resistant to one class of drugs, it will be resistant to all drugs in the same class; if it has resistance to Ivomec, then it will also be resistant to Cydectin and so on.
We can achieve a higher efficacy and fewer resistant worms that survive the treatment, meaning less resistant worms with a combination treatment.

No, this does not mean you mix the two it means you give the animal two doses, one of each. Here is a great article that I highly recommend reading.

Before using this approach, there are a few precautions to be aware of.

1) In New Zealand and Australia, products are sold
that contain a combination of dewormers, so
only one product needs to be administered. In
contrast, in the US, no dewormers are yet sold in
this formulation, so the dewormers need to be
bought and administered separately. This increases the cost as compared to the products
available in these other countries. Additionally,
the different groups of dewormers are not chemically compatible, thus they cannot be mixed together in the same syringe. Rather, they need to
be administered separately, but can be given one
immediately after the other.
2) All dewormers should be administered at the full
recommended dose whether administered singly
or in combination.
3) When using dewormers in combination, meat
and milk withdrawal times will be equal to the
dewormer used with the longest withdrawal time
period.
4) If using dewormers in combination, it is critical to
maintain refugia; thus, one should be using a selective treatment approach based on FAMACHA©
(see FAMACHA© section of the ACSRPC website
(wormx.info) for more information on this method and for further explanations of refugia). The
presence of refugia is essential to realize the full
benefits from combinations. In fact, if refugia are
not maintained then you will not get the necessary dilution of the resistant survivors, and this
will then lead to having multiple-resistant worms
that can no longer be controlled with the combination treatment.
5) If the efficacy of your dewormers are more than
80 percent, it is possible you may not notice any
difference in the clinical response of treatments
when applied singly vs. in combination. However,
the impact on the further development of resistance could be quite large (see Table 2).
6) Any safety precautions that exist for a single dewormer will also exist when used in a combination; however, there are no known additional
risks with using more than one dewormer at the
same time.

Let's get year 2026 started with good practices management. 🐐

01/01/2026

This would be my New Year's resolution if I actually had one.🐐

12/11/2025

GOATS AND THE MULBERRY STUDY

You guys know I'm always looking for ways to supplement my feeds. I've just completed reading a medical white paper on using mulberry leaves to supplement your goats feed. Mulberry trees are grown all over the world. The mature mulberry trees are from 20-30 feet in height, depending on the variety. The fruit range from 1/2 inch to 4 inches long and range from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch wide. Most of us have tried a mulberry or two. They are quite tasty and make excellent pies, tarts, jams or jellies.

I'm going to talk about feed this is not usually the berries but the leaves only. The interesting thing is the mulberry is a fast growing hardy tree that can take most winters 'in stride without even breaking a sweat' as the saying goes. If it is grazed it will put its leaves back on multiple times. With this knowledge, I wouldn't recommend planting the young tree in a goat's paddock or enclosure if you want it to live. Because goats not only eat all the leaves, they strip the bark and sharpen their horns on young trees. But I decided to plant several outside of the paddock for hand harvesting. I'm unable to climb a cherry ladder any longer, so it would be a better investment for me to plant a modern variety or a dwarf; there are several to be had. Trees are expensive but I will buy cuttings and root them. Mulberries are super easy to root, and once you have one or two it is easy to take your own cuttings and multiply the trees to ensure you have a nice grove to use as fodder. They are not an emergency feed it is a stopgap feed, used for a fill between. They recommend bushes that are used as fodder be allowed to grow the first year, pruned lightly the 2nd year (here is your new cuttings for more trees) and harvested every other month the 3rd year and thereafter. Ensure your cuttings have at least 3-4 leaf nodes.

Now, here is the breakout of the study. It concerned a broad species study; then narrowed down to 25 Xiangdong black goats. Five goats in each group, with five groups. Each group was provided the same feeds. The control group was group 1, getting no mulberry leaves. Group 2 was given the same feed with 5% mulberry leaves adjusted with the protein to be the exact same nutrient density as the controlled group 1 was receiving. Each group thereafter was given an additional 5% mulberry leaves over the last group, with their feed ratio adjustment to equal the same proteins and mineral density as the control group. The last group was receiving 20% mulberry leaves. This study tested the goats for 90 days and this is a breakdown of the study, which will interest those who show meat goats, sell them, or butcher them.

I'm going to place the white paper link on the bottom of this posting. It is a difficult read, some of you may not understand it but if you want to read the 25 pages it will be there. I highly recommend my young or sensitive readers do not tread the two (2) paragraphs after the 1st table. These are on the method of collecting the data.

Mulberry leaves added to the goats feed. The goats in groups 3 and 4 had the most improved body weight, with a higher parasite resistance caused by the mulberry leaf fodder. They gained 2.5 lbs and 3 lbs. over the controlled group and group 1 and 2. There was a glucose increase, and high-density lipoprotein went up; LDLC, low-density lipoprotein went down. Goat given 15% and 20% mulberry leaves antioxidant properties sky rocketed! The apparent digestibility of nutrients was closely related to the growth rate of animals. Meat quality showed a greater improvement and the meat odor was demenished.

I know this has been a long read but I feel it is worth it. Here is the 90-day white paper study link. This is the PMC National Library of Medicine, Animal Bioscience publication. Titled: Supplementation with mulberry leaves improves growth performance and meat quality of Xiangdong black goats. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11917434/🐐

Mulberry (Morus alba) leaf (ML) is a high-quality feed source for ruminants, while it is unclear whether it can enhance the growth performance and meat quality of Xiangdong black goats. In this study, we investigated the effects of ML ...

11/22/2025

I came across an interesting short article that I thought everyone would be interested in. Here is an article straight from winter knowledge. It is published by the University of Maryland Extension. 🐐

11/06/2025

Dealing With THAT Nasty Goat

Over the last umpteen years, I have had to deal with a few nasty buck goats. The nastiest was a pygmy buck that I took as a rescue. A small one that I wouldn't have thought was going to be a problem. Dang, I wished I hadn't taken that one! He not only was mean he caused massive farm damage, before someone took him or 'adopted' him, and I think he most likely went into the stewpot. At that time, I used a spray bottle of water to spray them when they acted up, which worked for a little while. But the bucks got used to it and just accepted it, and it didn't stop them from acting up. Then I used a water hose if it was available. That did work; however, I was often in a different location, and it was not an option. So during trying the multiple ways suggested out there. I learned the secret to controlling nasty bucks! I was going to post a how to on this method which I highly recommend, but Mark has done such a wonderful job of explaining, I wanted to share his video with you. Hey guys check it out! I've used this method for so long now I tell my new goat parents about the method. And yes, sometimes the little snots need a refresher. Check Marks video out it will make living with a buck or buckling easier and safer.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=PackGoats.com+%2b+flipping+a+goat&&view=riverview&mmscn=mtsc&mid=F857E58889795C69EB65F857E58889795C69EB65&&aps=1&FORM=VMSOVR 🐐

Watch videos instantly on Bing—enjoy direct playback, discover related clips, and dive into trending content all in one place.

10/15/2025

Goat Pregnancy~

Have you ever thought about your goat's pregnant body? Just like a pregnant woman, pregnancy in your goat can cause her nausea. We often don't think of this side, but our loveable doe may stop eating her breakfast, treats, and even her dinner. Morning sickness in your doe is often about 21 to 28 days. Some doe's may experience it a little longer. During this time of early pregnancy, your doe will start to change in other ways, too. She may be standoffish, where her general attitude was outgoing. It is not unusual that she may not want to be even touched. On the other side of the scale, she may become very clingy.

During the first month, your doe's appetite usually lessens, sometimes to not wanting anything we offer. I have a doe who loves treats, but she hasn't taken a cookie in about a month (she refuses them) and will sniff my pockets to look for an acorn, which I usually have for some goat. Most does do not want their udders touched during pregnancy. Her udder and body are going through a lot of changes, which are very tender and can be painful to her. If she is to be a milk goat, then you can gently and very lightly brush it to keep in contact with her and prepare her for her duties after the baby is born. Remember to be gentle with your new mother. 🐐

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10/03/2025

Latest Livestock Threat!

Back in 2017-2018, I had a pair of twin LaMancha goats named Frank & Jessie James, that developed a screwworm infestation on each of their lower lip areas. This hole was an open burrow with the width of a 'AAA battery'. With this size of burrowing hole, there must have been several, because they are only as long as the width of a US Dime or 1/2". I knew what it was instantly because I had seen it as a child. I hadn't seen a screwworm opening in more than 46 years. In 1966, the US government set up the tedious task of eradicating this nasty flesh-eating fly from the USA. That program had to catch the male New World Screwworm (NWS) flies, sterilize them, and let them go. Now I don't know what method was used to sterilize them. But as you would think, it had to be darn tedious. Eventually the threat was gone and the NWS has not been seen in the USA for many, many years, but it is back and on the rise.

The NWS is a flesh-eating larva that is in the blowfly/botfly species, and they are officially back! Some of our neighboring countries still contain them, but they have moved across the border safe zone once again, and the state of Texas is setting up that eradication facility once more.

When the newscast or papers say a "wound opening," they leave a lot of description unsaid. The NWS adult can lay her eggs at the site of a tiny tick bite, and she will deposit 200-400 eggs there. This screwworm poses a threat to every species of warm-bodied animal, including humans. They are also a serious threat to every livestock grower as they enter the food chain and can cause the deaths of your livestock. The NWS enters as small a wound as a tick bite or as large a wound as the navel of a newborn animal and their birthing region of its mother. It can enter the dehorning, cropping, banding, branding, and tattoo sites. Don't forget your LGD! With the hatching of a large infestation on the animal, it can literally eat the insides of an animal to death in 1 to 2 weeks.

We have so many types of flies in the barnyard that these go unnoticed. Educate yourself and know what to look for. The APHIS identification is *Description* (Adult) screwworm flies have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and 3-dark stripes along their backs. The center stripe begins partway down and appears shorter than the outer stripes. (Larvae or Maggots) burrow into a wound site, eating as they go. Much the same way as a wood screw bites into a board. Their tearing teeth have razor hooks, and the living tissue wound becomes deeper and wider with the multitude of hatching maggots.

It is helpful to know how to identify this predator. I really recommend that every herd keeper, whether large or small, learn about this danger. I very highly recommend you click on the two pamphlets links below and especially the first link!!!

More can be found at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/new-world-screwworm-what-you-need-to-know-brochure.pdf

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/pest-alert-new-world-screwworm.pdf 🐐

08/29/2025

Hello all, I wanted to share a little about the Famacha scoring system with you today. This system is great for helping to access your herd animals. However, I often find people who are not very comfortable with the method. Doing these checks every two weeks to once a month can save your goat's life. I'm not joking, when it comes to Barberpole worms, they are deadly to your animals, and I've seen goats go down and die in 1-day!

It is said that repetition is the only teacher of facts. So based on that, I do perform this check regularly. For those who are doing it, this will be a refresher; for those who need to learn, this is going to be a great teacher and for those who are afraid of doing it wrong, you will learn that this step is easy and perhaps save the life of your goat. Some checks are better than no checks. I did learn something myself; and I have done them for many years. This is the first time and only time anyone has said "access both eyes not just one"! So my thanks to the University of Rhode Island and to Dr. Anne Zajak on teaching us better methods. This video is 30 minutes long and I highly recommend it to all sheep & goat owners, or future owners

https://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/video/ then select ♦VIDEO – Why and How To Do FAMACHA© Scoring.

For more information visit: web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/

08/13/2025

Hello all, today I want to post something just for women. and then something just for men. I truely believe these things and I'm prompted that someone out there needs this or knows someone who needs it now. I found these on another sight and wanted to share them. 🐐

https://www.facebook.com/reel/990463442992586
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1289176449587606