Kids - Health Care??

[Tam319]

Hi all,

We recently purchased a herd of 26 Savanna x goats. We had our first babies tonight! A healthy set of twins, nursing ethusiastically and a great mama who had the good sense to kid in the dry straw in the shelter and lick them dry. A great job for a first time kidder. So far, so good!!

Now for a bunch of questions...

-What do ya'll do for newborn health care? I was thinking:
*Vitamin A & D injection
*Vitamin E & Selenium injection (we are in deficient area)
*Weigh
*Eartag

*Elastrate bucklings at 3-4 weeks
*Vaccinate with Tasvax 8 and Glanvac at 6 weeks

The does were vaccinated with Tasvac 8 and Vit E & Selenium 3 weeks ago.

Any feedback on this protocol? Am I correct in assuming that iodining the navel is not recommended anymore?

I was also wondering if anyone had any advice on giving injections to the babies. I believe A & D is IM and E & Sel is SQ. They are so little and I am worried about causing some damage.

Also, I was wondering how ya'll organize your eartag numbers? My first thought was to do dam's tag #, then a letter for the year. But then I realized that I will have about ten of each number running around in a few years. LOL Should I give each goat its own number, and record the dam's number separately in smaller writing on the tag?? For example, have all of this year's babies' numbers start with 7 (for 2007) and note the dam's number at the top of the tag? What do you guys do?

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

[goatkid]

We still iodine the navels. I consider it very important. We give CDT at 3 weeks and repeat it in 21 days. I don't routinely give BoSe or A&D, but when I do, I give both subQ. I dehorn at 3-7 days old and band bucklings at 2-3 weeks old. I raise mostly dairy goats, so I tattoo rather than ear tag and do it at about 2 months of age.

[Sweet Goats]

Yes do iodine the navel. That is important. I also give all new babies Nutra drench and moms molasses water. Did mom get her CD&T shot 2-4 weeks ago? If not the babies need one at 2 weeks then two more boosters 30 days apart.
Congratulations on the babies. Do you have pictures?

[fishhead]

I've been told that all injections can be given subQ because of the goats fast metabolism. No need to cause them the extra pain of IM.

[Sweet Goats]

I also band my boys at about 6-8 weeks. That way we lessen the chance of any UC problems.

[Tam319]

Hello,

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was under the impression that iodine caused more harm than good in damaging the healthy tissue, but if it is still warranted in preventing joint ill I will do it.

That is interesting that you can do SQ with all vaccs. So even if its says IM on the bottle I can do SQ?

Anyone tried the oral vitamin A & D for goats?

What is CD&T? I am not familiar with that name. If that is the same as the vaccine for clostridial diseases and tetanus (the 8 way Tasvax vaccine or Visions 8) then yes, they had that 3 weeks ago.

Do you deworm the babies at the same time as their first vaccine? If so, with what and what method?

Thanks a bunch for the info. Babies can be seen on my blog here:
http://www.baleyardprincess.blogspot.com/