Keeping Goats

Worming regimes will vary depending on the number of animals being kept and the cleanliness of the pasture. At Scarsdale we advise doing quarterly worm egg counts which can be done in our lab to provide a fast turnaround time. We can then design a worming regime based on the results.

Disbudding is a surgical procedure and should be carried out by a vet. Goats have thin skulls and a low local anaesthetic toxicity level making this procedure more complicated than in calves. Other common surgical procedures carried out include castration and eye surgery. These procedures may be carried out either in our hospital or at home depending on your requirements and facilities.

Goats should have their feet regularly checked and trimmed. We can provide advice on how best to do this if required.

We advised that all goats are routinely vaccinated against clostridial diseases which include tetanus. This comprises a primary course followed by six monthly boosters