FoxDog Stampede: Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What do the goats eat?
- When are kids available?
- Can I reserve a kid?
- Are your Bucks Available for Stud Service?
- What is your Vaccination and Testing Protocol?
What do the goats eat?
The goats eat alfalfa hay, brush and leaves, the pasture in our fields, and whatever else they find that they like. They depend mostly on pasture and hay. For treats they get bread, corn chips, and fruit and vegetables. They also get supplemental minerals, baking soda, and of course, all the water they can drink.
When are kids available?
The kids are available as soon as they are weaned. This is usually about 8 weeks after they are born. In 2010 our does will be giving birth in April and early May, therefore their kids will be available in June and early July.
Can I reserve a kid?
Of course. If you see a doe or buck you like you can reserve one of their offspring.
Are your Bucks Available for Stud Service?
We keep a closed herd and generally do not allow our bucks to service unknown does. However, if you have proper vaccination and testing certificates from a veterinarian, we are willing allow our bucks to do drive-way service on your doe. This means the doe is brought to our farm while in heat and mated quickly. She will not be boarded here, or allowed to stay with our does.
What is your Vaccination and Testing Protocol?
All new animals to our herd are tested upon arrival for CAE. They are also vaccinated for Tetnus and Enterotoxemia C and D and we run fecal tests on them. We keep a closed herd and do not generally test for CAE after the goat has been cleared by the first test. However, we do follow up tests upon our veterinarian's recommendation. We are going to begin the testing protocol to get our herd certified for Grade A milk within the next year or so.
Our goats are not vaccinated regularly for enterotoxemia C and E, except for the does who are vaccinated one month before they give birth, and new arrivals as mentioned above. We have found it unnecessary to vaccinate more than this. We will gladly vaccinate all kids sold at the new owners' request.
We perform regular fecal tests on our goats to look for worms and coccidia. If we find evidence of such infestations we will worm and/or treat for coccidia. Generally, we have not found such evidence as our goats were wormed regularly upon arrival and the land they live on did not carry a wormload prior to their arrival.
