When to breed Saanen

Haven · #21 09/02/10, 06:06 PM

Vaccines are the bread and butter for most vets. They will pump every vaccine they can get into an animal, and then keep on milking you to come back for "boosters" despite the fact that science has proven that "boosters" do nothing but overstimulate and send the immune system into chaos. You cannot "boost" immunity in an already immune animal. (My experience is with dogs)

By the time they have milked you for all your worth by using vaccine cocktails as an excuse to get you to come in each year, your dog will be suffering from allergies, ear infections, arthiritis, skin problems, thyroid disease, seizures and every other immune mediated disease known to man.

I once moved and had to go to a new vet when my dog needed 2 stitches - they gave me a 3 page itemized estimate for 400.00 that included everything from general anesthesia, to biohazard disposal! I ran out of there FAST and found a vet that popped 2 staples in the leg for 35.00. A lot of vets see a new or inexperienced animal owner walk in the door and dollar signs start flashing in their eyes.

Choose your vet wisely! I'm sure the same stuff goes on with goat vets.

thaiblue12 · #22 09/02/10, 06:29 PM

Happy Farmer what state do you live in?? All those seem high priced to me.

I bring my goats to a disbudder $5 per head.
Vet Clinic neutered my 81 pound Pyr at 8 months old, plus rabies, final set of shots and microchipped him for $110 total.
Heartworm test for dogs $12.
Rabies 3 year $10 for dogs.
Idiot vet- goat check, blood test for CAE and CL farm visit spilt 3 ways $76
Good vet- emergency c-section on a Sunday, over night stay and meds $451

Rabies for goats from what I read seems useless and not sure why he wanted to do it but to bring the cost up. CD&T 2 ccs is all I do per goat and you can do that yourself. Wormer is pretty cheap and I buy the horse kind at like $5 a tube. I would ask any goat people you know who their vet is and if they like them and are their prices ok.

As far as the goat tape Emily posted her findings on here about it so subtract 10 pounds from it to be on the safe side.

I like to wait to breed to be on the safe side. One large baby from one small doe might not be the outcome you want. Saanen are seasonal breeders so March- maybe April is the last time till Fall. Maybe you can get a doe in milk or find some babies so you can get your goat fix

Alice In TX/MO · #23 09/02/10, 06:37 PM

I got completely taken at a similarly designed vet clinic. Fancy and overpriced. Had a buckling dehorned after a failed disbudding. He saw me coming and charged twice the estimate.

Look for a working clinic, not a snooty designer one.

copperpennykids · #24 09/02/10, 07:26 PM

We love our vet - dogs, cats, goats, alpacas, horses etc. Humble office, staffed by his darling wife, who is also his assistant and knows a heck of a lot about critters. Very knowledgeable, capable, with lots of common sense. Doesn't have to jack up his prices for "rent".

Great Pyrenees spay for 8 month old female (One year ago) = $88.00. No overnight stay required, knows how to sedate a Pyrenees perfectly.

Since you already paid the big bucks, bite your tongue and hope to be able to get him to sell you meds as you get advice here and from other successful goat folks.

As to your original question: I would wait and breed this doe at 8-9 months of age. Saanens tend to get chubby as dry yearlings. As long as she is growing well, she should be fine (80 lbs is a good bench mark for weight). And May/June kidding isn't too bad for heat.

PrettyPaisley · #25 09/02/10, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haven

Vaccines are the bread and butter for most vets. They will pump every vaccine they can get into an animal, and then keep on milking you to come back for "boosters" despite the fact that science has proven that "boosters" do nothing but overstimulate and send the immune system into chaos. You cannot "boost" immunity in an already immune animal. (My experience is with dogs)

By the time they have milked you for all your worth by using vaccine cocktails as an excuse to get you to come in each year, your dog will be suffering from allergies, ear infections, arthiritis, skin problems, thyroid disease, seizures and every other immune mediated disease known to man.

Just like with children, which is why we don't vax our kids. But when you start talking rabies I get scared. I know better now.

saanengirl · #26 09/03/10, 01:38 PM

There is nothing wrong with using an equine rabies vaccine on a goat. Some researchers did a study on goats and rabies vaccines a few years back and found some benefits. Since so few drugs are approved for goats, that vaccination falls under minor-species use provisions. It is definitely not illegal.

Pony · #27 09/03/10, 02:09 PM

$300? And you actually brought the animals to him?

Hokey smokes!

While it may not be illegal to give a rabies vaccine, I do think it would have been appropriate to at least educate you about it and ASK you if you even wanted the flippin' thing.

My 2 cents: Find a farm vet who is willing to sell you the meds you want, knows something about goats, and will come out in a true emergency but will talk you through the stuff you can do on your own.

HappyFarmer · #28 09/03/10, 04:33 PM

[QUOTE=thaiblue12;4620140]Happy Farmer what state do you live in?? All those seem high priced to me.

We're in CT. Yes they are very high priced-all of them. I've learned to do most things myself over the years, though not quite ready to spay the dog!

A different vet let me take our first spayed pyr home, this one though! ugh. She's closer, but he's just as bad in many ways. It's just a scam, "this is how it is take it or leaveit". I've looked for another vet, but no luck. They like easy cats & dogs no livestock, there's anywhere from 3-5 of these vets in every town.

HF

Creamers · #29 09/03/10, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Vaccines are the bread and butter for most vets. They will pump every vaccine they can get into an animal

A good vet will not do this. I give our cows, llama, equines and goats and dogs their vaccinations and my vet just says,"I don't blame you."

Contact other goat breeders in your area and see who they recommend.

CaliannG · #30 09/04/10, 02:03 PM

Look for ranches in your area...not just small herds. What you want is the Vet the *ranchers* use...the one that has a someone come out and dose 200 head of cattle, or 100 head of hogs. He or she is going to be a vet willing to work with you, and who will be willing to let you buy things like BoSe or Bamamine so you have it on hand at 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

I agree that the rabies vaccine was hokey. I *know* that that particular disease has been under control for longer in NC than it has been in Texas....yet if a vet told one of the ranchers out here that he needed to vaccinate his livestock (horses, cattle, goats, hogs, sheep) for rabies, that rancher would kick that vet clear to the property line. What on earth FOR? We haven't had a case of rabies in this county for over 25 years. If it wasn't for the laws, no one would actually need to vaccinate their dogs and cats for it...it would be like vaccinating your kids for smallpox.

Seriously, though, find a new vet. A vet that charges you nearly $300 for check-up and vacs is NOT going to be one that agrees to let you buy Rx stuff to have on hand.

And stay away from buildings that could just as easily be housing a lawyer's office as it could a vet clinic...because that is a place that is catering to people with high-strung, championship Yip Dogs, and they have money to spend on Fifi. You want the Vet that has a house-converted-to-office on a farm or ranch road somewhere with clean, sweet-smelling stalls and paddocks that could, nevertheless, use a new coat of paint.

~grinz~ It helps if the vet is an Aggie, too. *wink*

Alice In TX/MO · #31 09/04/10, 02:17 PM

Do they have Aggies in North Carolina?

Alice, with burnt orange blood, and generation five of Texas Longhorns (not cattle)

CaliannG · #32 09/04/10, 08:44 PM

~laughs~ Well, if you go to the UT Pre-Vet Association Page, under Veterinary Schools, on the UT at Austin website, the first question it asks is "Considering Texas A&M?"

~smiles~ Of course, the Longhorns don't have a Vet School, so there is no competition there. If I need a Vet, a Mechanical Engineer, or an Agriculturalist, I want an Aggie.

But, if I want an Architect, a Chemical Engineer, or a Geologist, I want a Longhorn.

I'm not interested in football or football players at all, so the age old "rivalry" between Aggies and Longhorns doesn't make sense to me at all.

I am sure there are some Aggie vets somewhere in NC.

PrettyPaisley · #33 09/04/10, 09:45 PM

What in the heck is an Aggie? Is that some vet profession specializing in goats ?????

LoneStrChic23 · #34 09/04/10, 10:00 PM

Texas A&M are the Aggies and UT (university of Texas) are the Longhorns. Big time college rivals...your either wearing burnt orange or your wearing Maroon

As to the vet thing, all I can say is "Wow!" I've generally only had problems like that with the ER vets. My last Dane went after and cornered a bobcat in my yard a few years back. Rushed him to the ER vet (his biggest injury was his ear sliced in half) and they refused to even help stop the bleeding until they re-did ALL of his vaccines! I ended up bringing him home and fixed it myself.

I've personally found some vets can be bullies. You must remind them that THEY WORK FOR YOU & they are not the only vet willing to take your $. I have one vet that is a total a**, but he's a good vet. Took a few times of standing up to him, reminding him that I did not have to give him my $ and we now have a love/hate relationship, but he doesn't bully me anymore and when I have a serious issue (like my current epileptic Dane with Wobblers Disease) I know he's competent and can help..

Finally found a vet to give me Bo-Se, his "clinic" is a run down building behind his house, but he knows livestock (horrible with dogs though) and he's not outrageous on his prices.

Good luck to you on finding reliable care from a vet not trying to pinch your last penny out of you.

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com

Pony · #35 09/04/10, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrettyPaisley

What in the heck is an Aggie? Is that some vet profession specializing in goats ?????

Well, the way I understand it, Aggies are more interested in sheep...

Just what I heard, of course.

CaliannG · #36 09/05/10, 12:20 PM

~grinz~ UT at Austin: Where the men are REAL men, and the cattle are...nervous.

ANY-way....back to the topic at hand, and since I am absolutely sick of orange AND maroon (happens when you grow up around it), a vet from a good, agricultural college will likely do you better than one from the eastern colleges, which is why I suggested an Aggie. LOL

Find out who your local ranchers use, and go to THAT person.

Alice In TX/MO · #37 09/05/10, 12:29 PM

Yes, my favorite vets are Aggies. All my Texas vets are Aggies.

I got burned out on all the hype long ago, too.

So.... back to the OP

When *are* you going to breed that Saanen?

CaliannG · #38 09/05/10, 12:58 PM

PrettyP, I'd wait until she is 90 lbs to breed her, at least. But that is just me. I actually prefer to wait to breed until they are over a year, that way I KNOW they are all grown up and healthy. However, LOTS of people breed in the first year and do fine.

Why not wait a couple of months, take her to ANOTHER vet and get her weighed and all of that, then make a decision then? Then, she'll be at least 7 months old.

I can understand that you are really jonesing for goat milk....look around and see if you can find a doe already in milk and get her. That might help the wait more.

PrettyPaisley · #39 09/05/10, 03:13 PM

Thanks for clearing up the Aggie thing.

I thought I was missing something and obviously I was!

I'll wait to breed her for a bit longer. She just seems so petite to me, especially next to Buddy.