r/goats Jun 20 '23

Asking for goat health advice? Read this first!

33 Upvotes

If you are asking for health advice for your goat, please help us help you. Complete a basic health assessment and provide as much of the following information in your post as possible:

  • Goat's age, sex, and breed
  • Goat's current temperature as determined by rectal thermometer. Please, for the love of god, take your animal's temperature. Temperature is ALWAYS VITAL in determining whether your animal might be ill or in need of assistance.
  • Whether the goat is pregnant or lactating
  • Goat's diet and appetite (what the goat is currently eating, whether they are on pasture or browse, supplemental grain, loose mineral, et cetera)
  • Goat's FAMACHA score (as determined by the process in this video) and information about any recent deworming treatments, if applicable
  • As many details regarding your animal's current symptoms and demeanor as you can share. These may include neurological symptoms (circling, staring at the sky, twitching), respiratory symptoms such as wheezing or coughing, and any other differences from typical behavior such as isolating, head pressing, teeth grinding, differences in fecal consistency, and so forth.

Clear photographs of relevant clinical signs (including coat condition) are helpful. Providing us with as much information as possible will help us give you prompt and accurate advice regarding your animal's care.

There are many professional farmers and homesteaders in this subreddit and we will do our best to help you out of a jam, but we can't guarantee the accuracy of any health advice you receive. When in doubt, always call your local large animal veterinarian who is trained to work with small ruminants.

What's up with that blue Trusted Advice Giver flair?

The mods assign this flair to /r/goats users who have an extensive history of giving out quality, evidence-based, responsible husbandry advice based on the best practices for goat care. Many of our users give terrific advice, but these flairs recognize a handful of folks who have gone that extra mile over time to become recognized as trusted community members who are known to always lead people in the right direction. If you get a slew of responses to your post and don't know where to start, look to the blue flairs first.


r/goats Feb 03 '25

PSA: The Dangers of AI Husbandry Advice (with example)

53 Upvotes

Hi everybody!

Recently, we had a user post a picture of a goat that may or may not have soremouth, also known as contagious ecthyma, scabby mouth, or orf. I won't link to the post since it isn't relevant whether or not that was what was afflicting the animal, but in the course of responding to that user I felt an opportunity to point out something that I have noticed and has been gnawing at me.

For many users seeking help, if they do not come straight to the sub, they will go to one of two places to get information: Google or ChatGPT. This post is about the former, but in case anyone was wondering if ChatGPT is a valid place to get advice on husbandry, what to eat tonight, how to live your life, or companionship: it is NOT. Large language models like ChatGPT are a type of generative AI that seeks more or less to respond to prompts and create content with correct syntax that is human-like. The quandary here is that while it can indeed provide correct answers to prompts, that outcome is often incidental. It isn't an indication that the model has researched your question, merely that it has cobbled together a (sometimes) convincing diagnosis/treatment plan from the massive amount of data across forums/message boards, vet resources, and idle chit-chat that it is trained on. The point is this: you should never be in a position where you have to rely on an LLM for husbandry advice. If you have access to an internet connection, even the generative AI from Google search is a better option. But that doesn't mean it's a good one, bringing us to the principal subject of this post:

Orf! What do?

For some relevant background, we have never had a case of orf on our farm. I have read about it in vet textbooks and goat husbandry books and seen many images of it, I'm familiar with what it is, how it is spread, and at a high level what to do about it and what not to do. That said, when I was helping this user, I thought I'd brush up and make sure I wasn't providing misinformation. I knew orf was viral in nature and reckoned that in moderate to severe cases it could probably cause fever, but I wanted to see if I could find a vet manual or study of the disease in goats to confirm how likely that would have been. This was what I was met with:

Hm...

If you don't scrutinize this too closely, everything looks sort of on the level. Orf is indeed self-limiting (not sure why the AI says usually, there is literally nothing you can do to treat the root cause, but okay), and it more or less implies that humans can contract it so be careful. The symptoms section looks fine, overall, prevention is... eh... The orf vaccine is a live vaccine. Application of it is not something that most small scale homesteaders or hobby farmers will be familiar with and using it is basically putting the virus on your property. Orf is a nuisance disease and the main time it is a problem is when it is being transmitted between a dam and her kids. Proactive vaccination in closed herds that have never seen a case is not a vet-recommended practice.

The treatment section is where things get spicy with the part about scab removal. Oof. Now that is not even close to true and doing that when the goat is with other goats or going to a quarantine space where they will then shed the disease will cause it to spread to any other goat that inhabits that space unless it is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The bottom says the info is for informational purposes only and to consult an actual professional for advice, but that begs the question of why Google would provide that information front and center by default when you search when the first result below is an actual vet resource with correct advice. I won't get into the weeds about the ethics of that because it's a separate soapbox, this is the reality we live in now. This bad advice is particularly relevant because the user on our sub mentioned they had been picking off the scabs. So let's do another Google search for some clarification:

Oh dear, oh no

If you explicitly search whether or not you should remove the scabs, the AI overview is different. Not only do you see that you should not remove the scabs because they are infectious (very true), the overview now says that doing so will delay healing. The first "featured snippet", a feature separate from their generative AI overview, is an overview from the state of Victoria's government agricultural representative body, a reliable source. The highlighted text reinforces the "do not pick scabs off" advice. The overview still fails when it says to apply dressing to lesions. Evidently it has not ever reckoned with what it would be like to bandage an entire goat's face and mouth, which they need to eat, but maybe I'm an idiot. Let's check:

Thank you, Dr. Google

As you can see, generative AI is basically a hodgepodge of vague but mostly correct advice intermingled with plainly wrong advice. Seeking correction to the wrong advice, if you know that it is wrong, leads down more rabbit holes. I hope this highlights the importance of sourcing your information from reliable, proven veterinary resources/textbooks or state agricultural extensions that provide support for their claims with research. This sub prioritizes evidence-based husbandry practices and is one of the few forums to try to stick to that standard and I consider it important especially for people who don't have goat mentors offline.

This is not only important because users need good advice; it also affects the people that don't use this sub and go straight to Google. Reddit struck a deal a little under a year ago to make their data available for training AI. The information we post on this sub is being used as part of the training for these AI models and Google's SEO is increasingly favoring reddit at the top of search results in a number of areas. As the sub grows and the social media landscape changes, more people that never post but need info may find themselves coming here. Let's all try to do our best to make sure the information we share and advice we give is solid!


r/goats 22h ago

Humor The sleepiest goat in the world

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328 Upvotes

r/goats 1h ago

Grain Storage

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Upvotes

I need help finding an image of grain storage. It was similar to the toy storage rack seen below in the 2nd image but I was like grain storage bins/trash cans. This would also be used for mineral and alpaca grains as well. TIA!

Bestest goat for tax


r/goats 22h ago

Goat Pic🐐 Best Scratchies Ever

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113 Upvotes

Enjoy this video of my guy realizing how lovely brushes are!


r/goats 12h ago

How can I help this baby?

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16 Upvotes

I'm getting a little pygmy goat from my current job because she's struggling to put any weight on being with the rest of the weaned kids. I'm hoping with a bit of 1-1 care she can get better on some good quality goat feed and some hay and obviously any medication she may end up needing. I'm just wondering what everyone else would do with her in this situation? What food do you recommend and if any what extras should I be giving her for that added boost?

She will be coming with a friend of a similar size but she's is tiny at the moment. I'm not sure on age as I haven't been working there that long but i will be finding out.


r/goats 1d ago

Need some good vibes and happy endings if anyone's got them.

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44 Upvotes

I only feed timothy and pasture to my wether boys but unfortunately my Meriwether (5 yo) is genetically predisposed to forming stones. The first time at 3 yo he managed to pass it on his own. We only knew after the fact because he was peeing blood and we managed clear any remaining with pushing fluids. Since then we have supplemented his water with flavored Gatorade water and he hasn't had any issues until last Saturday. 3 of my boys ate some weed or another that didn't agree with them. The other 2 got diarrhea but he only got clumpy poop so I didn't really think anything of it but now I wonder if his stomach bothered him and he didn't drink as much water, I don't really know. But 2 weeks later he was clearly straining to pee. He only had a few stones but they were lodged in pretty good. We got him in for surgery but he had to have is urethra cut to remove the stones, which I guess decreases his chance for recovery because scar tissue can form causing secondary blockage. Anyway we are waiting to see if everything healed but I could really use some success stories if anyone has any. I love this guy I bottle fed him as a baby and losing him will really be hard. Also we did send the stones for analysis but the vet thinks they are likely silica based so something like ammonia chloride doesn't work.


r/goats 9h ago

General Husbandry Question Pygmy goats

1 Upvotes

Hi all!

I am getting two Pygmy doe’s soon. I have 3 pet sheep (weathers) super friendly. Two are hoggets & 1 lamb. They mostly free rage graze around the property and just stay with one another and don’t venture too far. My question is, would the goats mob up with the sheep and follow one another or would I have to keep the goats locked up and bring the sheep in for play dates?
The sheep sleep in the shed behind one of tractors we have, will the goats sleep with them?
I’m planning on doing up our old shearing shed as a space for the goats to play and have their own feed and lick block that the sheep can’t access. The shearing shed is also relative secure but I will be working on it to make sure they can’t escape, should I lock them up there at night instead of with the sheep?

The shearing shed area is quite large including a yard around it, so I was thinking about locking the sheep and the goats up together for a few days and monitor them to see how they get along. I feel like I should add that my sheep are super friendly, I don’t think one is even sure it’s a sheep and they took the lamb in no questions asked and they also get along with my chooks and are super gentle with them.

If I’m missing anything or need to take anything else into account please let me know! A huge thank you in advance.


r/goats 1d ago

Breed Identification Can someone tell me what type of goat this is pretty please?

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133 Upvotes

I saw this goat at the Brisbane show and loved it. It was small but seemed fully grown, super soft, very placid! There were a few all the same size so I don't think it was a baby. The image search says angora but it was smaller and different horns to the ones I see on google images. This is Australia if that's important :-)


r/goats 1d ago

Media or Goats in the News Rabid baby goats prompt North Carolina mobile petting zoo scare

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22 Upvotes

r/goats 1d ago

Breed Identification Please help me identify the breed of these goats I bought ... ~24 to 26 inches high... thx so much!

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20 Upvotes

r/goats 1d ago

General Husbandry Question Rabies

8 Upvotes

I run a mobile petting zoo. I’m now second guessing. Goats are not required to have the rabies vaccine and you can’t get it in store- you have to go through your vet. Yes, they can get other vaccines easily but that does not prevent rabies. Do you think it’s worth getting the vaccine? Should I cancel upcoming events ?


r/goats 1d ago

Help Request Doe bullying doelings. Worried for winter

5 Upvotes

Hello, first time posting here. This is our first year of having goats and got 5 nigerian dwarfs. We started off with 2 doelings but very soon after got 3 more, a 1 year old doe, a doeling and a whether. The newer doeling is a kid of the doe. The doe is bullying the original doelings and the whether and is kicking them out of the shelter. We have a barrel in the pen for them to play on and noticed last night that the 3 were sleeping in there. With winter on the horizon we are worried. The goat shelter we have is a decent size and im wondering of installing a wall down the middle will be good or if i should build a seperate shelter. The shelter we have has 2 doors on it so the individual "bays" will only have 1 door which ive read is a bad idea when it comes to bullying in the herd.

Thanks for reading, hopefully someone has some input


r/goats 1d ago

Help Request Goat uti?

2 Upvotes

My 5 year old Nigerian female has been squatting to pee, a small amount (~1/2 cup) comes out, and she’ll continue squatting for about 10 more seconds with nothing coming out. I am worried about stones or UTI.
She is not flicking her tail, grinding her teeth, or uncomfortable. She is a healthy weight, drinking and eating (Bermuda and minerals) as usual. The urine is clear. The 3 other goats are doing well with urinating. Temp is 103.
Any advice for some otc treatment is much appreciated.


r/goats 1d ago

General Husbandry Question Any good sources for reliable information on taking care for goats?

1 Upvotes

Hello, we are looking for good, reliable information on how to take care for goats. We are beginners.
Can you recommend some good books, websites, podcasts etc.?

Help is much appreciated! Thanks! 🐐


r/goats 1d ago

Nigora (Nigerian Dwarf×Angora) Goat land usage

1 Upvotes

Hello, all! I am in the learning stages to prepare to hopefully breed nigoras in the future. Step 1 seems to be determining how many goats you have room for. I am getting conflicting information and so would like y'all's expert opinion. How many acres per goat? I have access to about ten acres total, a 4 acre lot and a 6 acre lot. What size herd could that comfortably support? What is a comfortable square footage for each goat if I were to split that up into a couple smaller pastures? Thank you for your advice and opinions!


r/goats 1d ago

Help Request What is in this poop?!!?

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2 Upvotes

r/goats 2d ago

General Husbandry Question I have a question plus I have an update on Prince

5 Upvotes

I'll start with the question, I was wondering if temporarily using one of the Stalls in a horse trailer would work as a temporary housing solution for prince? A friend of mine needs a place to sit his trailer, and he said I could use it to house him for a while if I need to, it's a stock trailer with a bunch of ventilation in it it's meant for hauling cattle but it would absolutely hold him I just want to know if it would be okay to keep him in there.

And for the update, he's going to be okay though he needs to be confined, I he has a minor fracture in his Cannon bone in his right hind leg, past that he's just baggered and bruised and traumatized, but he's going to be okay.

Frosty is also doing okay even though he's not the one that got hurt he doesn't have a pen now, but he seems perfectly content being in the house at night and hanging out with the chickens in the day.


r/goats 2d ago

Help Request Thin Goats

2 Upvotes

I have Boers and Nubian female Nannie’s that used to be quite large to where they had a nice muscle structure about 2 years ago. Recently I’ve been noticing that some of my boers muscle structure has become almost non-existent to the point where you can see their bones which is really uncomfortable for me. I’ve been feeding them hay and sweet feed (at least twice a week) I’ve been letting them get some green too especially now since a lot of my garden is on the latter end of growing, but they’ve still not gotten any bigger. Is there anything that some of you know to do when you see a goat looking like what I’ve described? Thanks!


r/goats 3d ago

Goat Pic🐐 After 3 hours grazing

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37 Upvotes

Feed grains at night


r/goats 3d ago

Good morning

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97 Upvotes

Timex up close and personal


r/goats 3d ago

Help Request I need you to pray for my boy Prince

18 Upvotes

Last night around 12:00 in the morning someone drove into my yard which is also where I keep my goats, they busted down the electric fence and two panels for like a round pen, Prince was hit he's limping really badly, the police and everything was called but because I don't have any way to prove who it was or even a good description of the vehicle besides a dark older model car they can't really do anything, I gave Prince some sedative so he would be loopy and I just put him in the back seat of our car, he's at the vet right now I'm waiting to hear news about him, I'm not sure of his current condition at the moment.

I need you guys to pray for him, I feel like whoever did it it was targeted, I live up a dirt road and I have already dealt with a lot of people targeting us due to some other things going on, like busting our windshield out breaking in the house Etc.

I was outside taking care of my rabbits when it happened, I seen them just drive into the yard, it looks like they intentionally turned to go in my yard, I'm really not sure why anyone would Target an animal though it's just horrible.

If anyone also has any ideas of a temporary pen I could set up pretty quickly that would be great, my whole fence is destroyed and the panels were part of my emergency pen, so now I don't have anywhere to keep them at the moment fortunately Frosty is still small enough to be in a large dog crate so I'm just going to bring him inside at night and put him in with the chickens of the day since he's a good boy, but if Prince is able to come home that won't work for him he's bigger and a lot more destructive.


r/goats 3d ago

Goat Pic🐐 She’s so cute

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64 Upvotes

I really don’t like the black goats with blue eyes, especially ones lacking the frosted nose/ears. But she’s actually kinda cute. Regardless I like her she’s my bottle kid from this years (actual) kidding season.


r/goats 2d ago

Time to sell

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0 Upvotes

Rn the meat market has jumped. If you wanna sell goats now is time time to do it! Full grown goats are running around 150-200$ and about 4$ a lbs rn and its probably gonna hit 4.50$ soon or higher!

Take them to that sale barn b4 the market collapse again!


r/goats 3d ago

Humor Got anymore carrots?

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122 Upvotes