For he is our G*d.
Herd management is usually an evolving process, no matter what level of experience one has with raising goats. There is always something new to learn,
which makes raising goats a fun and rewarding endeavor. As we learn either through personal experience, or from the experiences of other goat
herdsmen/women, we strive to constantly adapt our management practices for the benefit of our small herd. This page will undergo changes from
time to time as we may make slight changes to our program. Here at Joyful Hearts Farm we do not use chemicals to control pests and unwanted
vegetation. We maintain good health with proper nutrition, tonic herbs, and a healthful environment, rather than relying on the routine use of antibiotics
or other pharmaceuticals as a first line of defense.
Please learn about goats before you purchase them. I have provided links of resources that were helpful to me at the bottom of this
page.
Our kids and does get horse quality orchard grass along with alfalfa hay, twice a day. Our adult bucks get grass hay consisting of orchard and/or
bermuda along with a bit of alfalfa if their condition warrants it. During the cooler months of the year, or if we are not able to source a quality alfalfa
hay, we feed a product called Chaffhaye, which is made from alfalfa. Chaffhaye is a moist, fresh alfalfa that is sometimes referred to as Pasture in a
Bag. It is partially predigested due to the fermentation process, and contains beneficial probiotics and there is no waste! ChaffHage, as it's called in
New Zealand, has been used for decades for performance horses and is top quality nutrition. Goats do very well on it and we have eliminated the dusty
hay syndrome so common in this hot, desert climate. Much better for us and the goaties!
It has recently come to my attention that alfalfa crops are now GMO. This is of great concern to us. We are trying to source organic alfalfa, or
organic alfalfa pellets.
I mix my own grain mix for does in milk and late pregnancy. This can contain the following, depending upon avialability:
Kids are offered grain starting at about 2 weeks of age (minus the alfalfa pellets). They don't usually eat it at this age, but begin to nibble on hay and
minerals and grain. Kids are offered this grain mix once a day until approximately 4 months of age, depending on body condition.
Our adult bucks do not get grain.
We use Sweetlix Meatmaker 16:8 Loose Goat Minerals to everyone. This is made by Nutrena and everyone loves it. It has a high copper content, which
goats MUST have. Even with loose minerals, we must additionally supplement our herd with copper and selenium and zinc. I copper bolus twice a year,
and BoSe injections are given 3 times a year, sometimes more for our bucks. Organic Norwegian Thorvin kelp is also offered free choice to all, as
well as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as a rumen buffer. I also give my milking does and pregnant does leftover juicing pulp, mixed with a tsp. of
Diamond V XPC Yeast. This is a fermented yeast culture that improves digestion, muscle weight gain, litter weights, milk
production, conditioning, and even survivability in all the various animals it's been tried on, according to Dr. David G. Williams.
We have well water which we add Braggs RAW apple cider vinegar (ACV) to everyone's water buckets at least 5 times a week. Everyone loves the
ACV and this provides a variety of health benefits. We get our Organic Thorvin Kelp and raw apple cider vinegar from Azure Standard co-op. We also get our Organic Oats and Organic Barley from them.
Unhealthy treats that many feed their goats (marshmallows, animal crackers, bread, crackers, chips) have no place in our feeding program. We prefer
to spend our money on prevention of disease, which will pay huge benefits in the long run. Besides, our goats provide ALL of our dairy products ~ and
we desire the healthiest milk we can produce. Grass fed animals produce the healthiest milk full of Omega 3's!
Since we "dry lot" our goats, they do not have access to a pasture or woods to obtain the variety in their diet that is natural for them. They are
regularly offered tree branches, and herbs, and do forage on our local "weeds" such as buckwheat, sage, and mustard, which grow freely on our
property, as well as morning glory vines and whatever else their little curious little mouths can find *smile*. Additional favorites include rosemary,
comfrey, plantain, lilac bushes, jasmine vines, etc. They also consider their herbal dosage balls as major treats! Other tree leaves and branches they
adore are eucalyptus, cottonwood, maple, mulberry, and Brazilian Pepper trees. Several times a week they get fresh fruits such as apples, banana
peels and citrus rinds (all organic please, no pesticides!), as well as the juicing pulp leftover from juicing carrots, apples and kale. We have been very
blessed to have healthy animals and strong kids. I definately attribute this to our management practices.
We use Fir Meadow's herbal products for deworming, as well as Fir Meadow's cocci preventative herbal formula. An added perk is that there is no
milk withdrawal when using herbs. Kids start on the herbal program starting at 2 weeks of age. It has to be drenched until they are about 4-5 weeks
old, then they are taught to eat the dosage balls. Many have asked how to get their goats to eat the herbs. This is what I do:
I start them off
by drenching them. They are too young to eat dosage balls. Just
mix the herbs in water to drench. I use a 6 cc syringe, minus the needle
of course. I use 5 cc of warm water to 1/4 tsp herb and drench it very
slowly, allowing them to *chew* it and swallow each bit. They will not appreciate your efforts, so be forewarned :=)
At about 4 weeks old I introduce them to the dosage balls. I give them 1/4 of a
ball. I take that 1/4 ball and break it up small and shove it in their mouth.
Rarely do they take to it the first time, but after a week or so, they gobble
them up.
Something that REALLY helps when I bring in new goats that have never had
dosage balls, is feeding everyone else their balls first. Of course my goats
are CRAZY for them......so the new goatie(s) get extremely
curious.......doesn't take too many weeks for them to also mob me for their treats! In the meantime,
shove the ball (I break it smaller at first) way back in the mouth and I gently
hold their mouth so they MUST chew it.....if it starts to come out the side
of the mouth, I shove it back in, gently holding the head in an upward
position. (I stand over the goat with its head between my knees, facing foward)
Another way is to mix it in something. I use juicing pulp for my milkers.
They don't get balls.
Herbal deworming has worked very well for our herd for the past 5 years. We will continue running random fecal tests every Fall, and use chemical
dewormers on an *as needed* individual basis if a fecal test warrants it.
I want to share an excerpt from the chapter "Herbal Treatments for Goats" out of The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm And Stable by
Juliette de Bairacli Levy:
COCCIDIOSIS:
In recent years, especially in America, this ailment (generally to rabbits!) is becoming increasingly diagnosed in goats, but in former goat books and
old farming manuals relating to all types of livestock, this disease was never mentioned for goats. This new problem seems to me to stem from the
increasing use of vaccines for a growing number of goat ailments which are all readily curable by simple fasting and herbal medicines. I NEVER
vaccinate, never use a syringe for anything, considering it an outrage to a body not made for quick medications. I view with horror the advice of
orthodox medicine for vaccination of whole herds ~ and repeat vaccinations.
My advice is to avoid all unnatural treatments and to us the treatment advised for sheep (see Scour). Then immunize naturally with remedies proved
over the ages of antiseptic herbs such as garlic, sage, thyme, rue, rosemary, wormwood and southernwood.
I was interested to note that on the old farms of the Balearic Islands all of these herbs were grown and no others (with the exception of an occasional
Anatolia plant) for health protection of man and animals. They should also be grown on modern farms.(End Quote)
I hope this encourages those of you who desire to have a more natural herd management system. This is the foundation of our own herd management
for 3+ years. It works!
As of the summer of 2007 we began vaccinating kids at weaning age against Tetanus. That is the only vaccination we give and we have decided to not
give annual boosters of the vaccine. We regularly test our entire adult herd for CAE & CL (ELISA/WADDL). We also randomly test for
Johnes. We purchase animals only from those that test as well. We have tested Negative for 7 years in a row on all testing done. The U.S. Animal
Health Association has recommended that it is no longer necessary to test goats for brucellosis in the United States. There have been no cases of
brucellosis in goats for many years, although the disease is known in cattle, hogs, and even dogs. According to our State Veterinarian, Tuberculosis is all
but unknown in goats in California. Testing is still recommended in areas which are not TB-free, but this disease is not usually a goat health problem.
We follow Sue Reith's protocol during pregnancy.
We dam raise the babies born on our farm and sometimes will supplemental bottle feed if I have the time and inclination. It does make them *extra*
friendly. As you can see, we strive to raise all of our animals as naturally as possible, using herbal remedies when necessary. We desire to feed and
manage our small herd so that they will have strong immune systems to keep them healthy without having to resort to drugs or the false security of
vaccinating, which has its own side effects.
Please remember that this is the way I do things and we are always open to hearing new protocols that work for other goat herders.
There is so much to learn. I hope that sharing what works for our herd, will help you! May G*d bless you with a healthy herd!
Please visit my Links Page for more Self Study.
Page created on Sept. 1, 2005
Know that the LORD, he is God.
JOYFUL HEARTS FARM
We are the people of his pasture,
And the sheep in his care.
Psalm 95:7 (HNV)
NIGERIAN DWARF GOATS
OUR HERD MANAGEMENT
HAY
GRAIN
Rogue Organic Dairy Pellets
B.O.S.S. (Black Oil Sunflower Seeds in the shell)
Organic Rolled Barley
and Organic Whole Oats
I am planning on trying to sprout the whole grains and BOSS in the near future which would make a more nutritious, and highly digestable
supplement for the lactating does. To increase the protein and help with milk production, Alfalfa pellets are added to the mix (2:1) and oftentimes I
will topdress the grain mix with 1-2 Tbs of Goat Balancer. The protein is around 14%. I don't feed that much grain, as I don't feel the goats need
very much. I consider grain to be a supplement and is used sparingly.
MINERALS and SUPPLEMENTS
TREATS
WORMING, COCCIDIOSIS & TESTING
PREGNANCY
Hypocalcemia~ The Link between Calcium and Phosphorous in the Diet by Sue Reith as well as Fiasco Farm 's protocol. We give Red Raspberry Leaf to our does 5 weeks prior to kidding, about 2 heaping Tbs. We
supplement with BoSe and give a Vitamin E capsule the last few weeks before their due date. We have never vaccinated our pregnant does.
HERBS & GENERAL CARE
Last Updated August 11, 2011
It is he who has made us, and we are his.
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3 (HNV)
(c) Joyful Hearts Farm's website is created and maintained by Mrs. Fern Guyer.
All rights reserved.
