Goats Flashcards
How much of total ruminant population is made up of goats
16%
How do their eating habits affect the exposure of goats to GI parasites
Reject urine/faecal contaminated plants so less exposure
Susceptibility of goats to GI parasites
remain susceptible throughout life
because they can’t develop adaptive immunity
What behaviour do kids show
Hiding rather than following
When might we see teat biting in adult dairy goats
When in season but not mated
What do most goat diets use as the main ingredient
Maize silage
+ need access to grass or good quality hay
What should we feed pygmy goats and pets like
ANd what should we feed dairy goats like
Pets like sheep
Dairy goats like cattle
Which type of concentrate diet should we feed goats and why
Cattle
Due to copper requirement
- More tolerant of copper than sheep; so sheep diets have too little
- Less tolerant that pigs
Which breed of goat is less tolerant to copper than dairy breeds
Angora
What is drug elimination for in goats like compared to sheep
For things going through the liver = faster; half that of sheep
e.g for anthelmintics
How do pygmy breeds differ in how they metabolise drugs
Those that go through hepatic microsomal enzymes e.g sulphonamides, chloramphenicol
are metabolised faster
What are the only licensed drugs in goats
Eprinomectin, baytril (enrofloxacin), anaestamine (ketamine)
Can goats be classified as pets?
No. ALL are food producing
What are the mandatory withdrawal times for drugs not specifically licensed in goats
7 days for milk
28 days for meat
Why should we try and gives injections subcut or IV in goats
Small muscle mass means more likely to get nerve damage and lameness
Which goat is a meat breed
Boer
Which scoring system out of lumbar and sternal is better
Sternal because fat is carried internally rather than subcut so lumbar less accurate
Which clostridial vaccine should we choose for goats
4 in 1; for C perfringens B, C and D + Clostridium Tetani
What additional clostridial pathogens would we vaccinate for if confirmed on farm
C novyi
C chavoei
Which clostridial organism causes most disease in goats
C perfringens type D
= enterotoxaemia
Which types of clostridial can cause haemorrhagic enteritis in young kids
C perfringens type B and C
What are outbreaks of C perfringens D associated with
Stress
Or sudden introduction of lush carbohydrate rich food
Because have a normal population of clostridia in gut; but these conditions cause overgrowth and production of the toxin
What presentation with C perfringens D in goats is common vs rare
Common = enteric form
Rare to get pulpy kidney
Why are faecal swabs demonstrating C perfringens NOT enough to confirm infection
Because it is a normal gut commensal
How do we confirm C perfringens D infection
Via enterotoxin demonstration in the gut via ELISA
Should we vaccinate for respiratory diseases at the same time as clostridial
No
Vaccination protocol for pasteurellosis
Do if there is an issue on farm
2 doses 6 weeks apart + annual booster
Which disease (non clostridial) do most farms vaccinate against and what type
Johne’s
Killed vaccine
- Not licensed
Vaccinate kids from 2 weeks to 6 months and rear separately
What factors contribute to initiation of breeding season in female goats
MAINLY = decreasing day length
Also: temperature, nutrition, presence of a male
When is puberty in goats
5 months
When should we first serve female goats
From 7 months to 1.5 years
Oestrus cycle length in goats
19-21 days (NB: longer in pygmy goats)
Gestation length in goats
150 days
When is ovulation in relation to oestrus
24-36 hours after start of oestrus
What breeding behaviour do goats show in temperate vs northerm hemisphere regions
Temperate = seasonally polyoestrus
N hemisphere: totally anoestrus between march and august; then breed august to march
Which breeds have especially long seasons
Anglo hubian
Pygmy
Boer
Signs of oestrus
Bleathing, tail wagging, drop in milk yield (BUT get an increase just before oestrus), vaginal mucus, vulval reddening and oedema
When do we see prostaglandin effects in relation to administration
After 36 hours
Uses of prostaglandins
Abortion at any stage; CL dependent throughout pregnancy
Induction of parturition
Timing or synchronising oestrus by causing luteolysis