How long to quarantine new goats and how.

[smilesx4]

In the next month we will be purchasing 2-4 new goats and I was wondering what was the best way to keep them separate from the others. We have a very small barn, so I can keep them on the other side but they will still be within 5 feet of each other. Also, if I only have one pasture, do I have to keep the new ones locked up until I know we are good to combine them? Finally how long do I have to keep them separate.

Thanks everyone!

[mygoat]

Build a new pen about 30' away (at least) from your existing pens. you can make it small and they will be 'dry lotted'. Cattle panels are great because you can slap 'em up and take 'em down when you're done with iso periods.

You will need new housing. I use truck tops up on cinder blocks, dog houses, calf hutches etc. They may be an investment but they last a long long time for isolation, rearing kids, housing injured animals/animals that need treatment, making separate breeding pens for different bucks etc.

I isolate for 3 months. Before purchase or shortly after they arrive here I draw blood and send off for CAE, Johnes, and CL. After 3 months, I redraw and test again for all three. If clean, they get moved to the main pasture.

Try not to go into the pen as much as you can, or if you must, do so after your daily chores elsewhere. I have a hay feeder made out of 2x4 wire that I zip tie to the outside of the panel. If you don't have poultry AND if your goats are disbudded, you can put water buckets and feeders outside of the panel so they have to stick their heads through to drink. Even bottle kids (up to 3) can use a lambar through a panel - that's how I raise all my kids because I get down to just a couple pretty quick. I stack cinder blocks or paving bricks outside the panel and set the bucket on it for the kids... adjustable height that way too. :P

[yarrow]

I do the same as Dona... I've kept goats in total quarantine for upwards of 6months (one was a pregnant doe that tested neg. for everything I tested her for.. but I didn't want to risk her kidding in MY kidding barn where my does kid... so I kidded her out in quarantine and kept her and her kids totally away from my goats until I felt sure nothing was brewing in her).. call me paranoid.. but we pull and bottle all the kids (50 or so a year).. I don't have the desire or time to Pasteurize all that milk.. so it means I must keep my herd CAE free.. (since we pool milk and feed raw).. BUT.. I have 10years worth of neg CAE tests.. we always draw blood and do CAE & pregnancy tests before kidding.. I know no one is positive.. but it makes ME feel better.. knowing for sure.. BEFORE I pool that milk and feed it back!!

((must admit I cringe when I get on here (or fb) and see pictures of other herds.. with what I know are newly purchased goats.. just running amock among their herd.. GUESS they feel okay with it, since they bought from a *tested* herd ???.. most times it's probably fine.. until that time it's not!.. I refuse to ever risk it.. I know long term quarantine is a pain.. but peace of mind it brings, makes it worth it on our farm))
susie

[mygoat]

Its not even just the big scary diseases. Resistant worms, hoof bacteria (contagious hoof rot), and diseases like sore mouth can be transmitted if you just toss goats in with your existing herd. Stress has a great way of revealing those fun diseases, as well... You're most likely to have a goat show symptoms of disease near stressors. That's why we iso - if there's a problem, it'll pop up in iso.