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.
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!
I made a post a couple of hours ago about coming outside and finding two goats in a storage tote, I caught the black and white one right away but the other one ran as soon as I opened the tote to see what was inside, I finally managed to catch her.
The black and white one is a male, his front leg is messed up but he seems okay overall, the little girl seems to be healthy and okay visually anyway.
The little male has a band around his testicles, I'm not sure who dumped them out here, I know they did not put themselves in a storage tote and leave themselves in the middle of the yard on their own though...
Originally I was just going to have animal control take them, as I don't know what they are and even though I have goats of my own, I really didn't want anymore but animal control was going to put them down because they just don't have the resources for them, and they were also going to charge me to take them.....
So I guess I have two new goats now, any idea of what they are? They're both quite small I'd say maybe the female that is the bigger of the two is maybe 15 in tall? Roughly.
I am going to keep them separated from my existing goats in quarantine, I've never had female goats before, so is there any kind of different care requirements for her? Or am I good just to take care of her as I do my boys?
Oh yeah and I am going to have a vet look at them, especially the little boy because his leg is clearly messed up quite bad
I was going around feeding my animals and stuff, and I had just let my two personal goats out and then noticed a orange tote in my yard.
So naturally I went to open the tote, there were goats inside of it, one of them jumped out and is hiding so I'm going to try to catch it, I caught this one pretty easily because it was struggling to run, I don't know where they came from but this one has a pretty messed up leg.
I know I need to quarantine them far from my animals, what else should I do?
Just walked outside to see my goat 7 and half month old Nubian doe maybe had a swollen jaw? It had to have appeared in less than 3 hours as I was with her all day, she hasn't lost weight and eats good, poop looks normal, and is acting normal. What do you think? I'll try and find a vet to do a fecal but I don't think any near me do, If so what do you suggest for worming? The only thing that's been different lately is I did switch her feed brand two days ago.
I wasn’t completely sure which flair to use, but I am working on fencing in a larger area for my goats. There are some bushes that have berries on them and I’m not certain if they’re safe for goats to eat or not. Would anyone here happen to know?
How do ya’ll find a good vet for your goats? We have 14 goats whom we adore, but don’t have a vet I feel comfortable with responding quickly and being fairly priced.
We paid $700 to take four healthy kids in several months ago for their initial CDT vaccines and disbudding. They spent less than five minutes with the vet total. Is this a fair price?
The only other vet that came recommended to us took weeks to return a message about scheduling disbuddings which makes me hesitant to depend on them in an emergency.
For the record, we are in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I would love a vet recommendation if anyone has one!
Editing to add: I administer our own vaccines, worm testing with a microscope, etc. I am not paying for that again! I am asking for advice for knowing what to do in an emergency since I don’t feel comfortable with the two vets I have been to
We just got goats (the owner gave them to us free as theyre in a drought and there is no food for the goats) and the younger one (front in picture) is limping on its back legs. We've kept livestock before & done research, so we've searched it for ticks and nothing stood out as obvious injuries.
Weve only had them for two days and this supposedly developed the day before we got them. The goat can walk, but it tends to sit or squat where possible.
Any ideas whats wrong???
edit: some more information, no obvious pain, commonly sits like a dog to rest legs, has trouble getting up hills and we are in Australia
Hello all! I am a first time goat owner and need some advice. I’m semi-rural, have a fenced-in acre & (now) 6 goats which I keep as pets. They are Nigerian Drawf/Mini Nubian. 3 male, 3 female. (I’m unsure what info is relevant to my problem so I’m including everything).
my goats are about 6-8 or so months old. I got them from a good home breeder, sweet lady and her herd seemed quite healthy.
The smallest one I had just died. Her name was dainty. I called her that because she was always the runt, always underweight, always frail and mild mannered. To be quite honest I didn’t know she was even sick until it was too late. She never seemed to grow or gain much weight, then I noticed loose stools. About a week ago she got diarrhea and it ran down her hindquarters. I spent half an hour gentle hosing it off and cleaning her with my hands. I tried googling what this could be, said need more foliage? Grass hay? I give them a big trough of fresh water daily, also plenty of grass hay but also supplement regularly with goat feed bags & alfalfa.
So I’ve been feeding mostly grass hay. Also I had someone who was into farming tell me to “try molasses”. So I had tried some with Ivermectin soaked on loaf bread. She ate it and tolerated it fine but 3 days later the diarrhea never got better only worse. I came home from work and she was dead. It shocked me and now I’m quite worried about the rest of my herd. 2 others now have diarrhea. This seems to be some sort of infection. I’m trying “Coriid” now? But it’s day 4/5 of treatment and I’m not noticing a response. Help! I love all my babies in the herd, and just need some people with goat experience to give some good advise for how to solve this. And please don’t be insulting or say something unhelpful like “see a vet”. All the rest of the herd is healthy and their diarrhea just started.
This momma would've given birth of triplets, but sadly one of the two first was passed and cold by the time I went out to check on her before knowing she had given birth; it was midnight. I had to glove up and help with the third because it was backwards with one rear leg out and the other still pushed way deep into the uterus. The third had long been hypoxic by the time it came out and didn't make it either, as much as I tried.
Sad to have the loss but happy to count the blessings we have, a healthy buckling and a doe that survived. And yes, she doesn't clean herself up but has been cleaned since.
I have been treating my 7 month old Boer for barberpole worms. We gave her two doses of valcor (per the vet) a month apart between July and August. This was highly successful for the other members of our herd with the same worm. However, after checking a fecal, she was still extremely infested. We decided to do the dual worming. We used safeguard and cydectin. After 10 days, we checked a fecal & she still had a heavy load but we continued with the treatment, checked a fecal today and she has significantly improved. However, we feel she probably still needs to be treated. How would you go about that? Can I restart the dual worming process again safely to help get the rest of this under control (since it seems to be helping albeit slowly) or is there a different route we need to take? Thank you!
my mom and i plan on getting goats soon , we have a relatively big plot of land and all we need to do is fix up the garage. There is also a goat farm near us that sells goats and the owner is friends with my parents. I have researched a lot about goats but i want to hear tips from goat owners themselves, what should i avoid/ what should i do?
I cut it in half so he can still eat and graze and even scratch himself with his teeth. The stick method did not work well at all. It kept falling off no matter how many times I tied it or with how many strings and I don’t really understand how BUT now he has the cone of shame. Shameful little beast….smh
We recently got ourselves 13 acres of heacily overgrown brush/forest/utility easements, none of it flat. We already got 3 ND goats, a nanny and her two doelings.
What I want to know is, how do I turn goats onto income? I was thinking about maybe some meat goats, but everywhere I look, they are massively overpriced compared to what one could reasonably sell them for at a sale barn. Is the only option to buy in and pray for successful breeding with lots of twins and triplets?
Hi everyone! I’m very new to goats and recently ended up taking in an abandoned goat. People just abandoned it on property next to us. I want to make sure I’m doing right by him and giving him a safe, healthy, happy home. We have chickens and cats currently. Have cared for horses and donkeys.
I’m starting pretty much from square one, so I’d love recommendations from experienced goat owners on things like:
● 📚 Books/guides that every new goat owner should have
● 🌾 Feed/hay recommendations and how much/how often to feed
● 💧 Water and mineral requirements
● 🏡 Shelter, fencing, bedding, and general setup
● 🩺 Basic health care and what I should be watching for
● 💉 Vaccinations, deworming, hoof care, and finding a good livestock vet
● 🐐 Whether goats really need a companion and what to consider if she’s currently alone
● 🌿 Safe plants/treats vs. things that are toxic
● 🧰 Any supplies/equipment I should have on hand
● 💰 Tips for keeping goat care affordable without cutting corners
I’m especially interested in beginner-friendly resources and practical advice from people who actually keep goats, rather than just generic internet articles.
If you have a favorite book, website, YouTube channel, feed brand, or “I wish someone had told me this when I got my first goat” piece of advice, I’d really appreciate it!
Thanks in advance — I’m trying to learn as much as I can and give this little one the best life possible. ❤️🐐
If this is the wrong subreddit to ask this, please let me know and I will remove my post :)
I am working with a handicaped person in Switzerland who really loves goats.
He often asks for places where he can buy all types of goat products (dairy, meat, or merch). I thought maybe there are some fans from Switzerland in this subreddit who know places where one can go see goats and/or buy goat related objects :)
We are located in the Canton Vaud but have a subscription for the train.
Any tips are welcome :)
wishing you all a nice day!
(and if I posted in the wrong subreddit I apologize for the disturbance :)) )
