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situation. Regarding fertilizer, it may be time to shy away from
commercial fertilizer and take a look at other options. (1) In
various parts of Alabama (NW, NE, SE) there are concentrations of
poultry farms, which tend to have an abundance of poultry litter. Now is
a good time to contact those farms and inquire about acquiring loads of
poultry litter to be spread this fall as fertilizer on pastures/hay
fields. (2) Consider planting legumes to help "fix"
nitrogen into the soil.
The University of
Florida Extension Service tells us "Legumes are plants that require
no nitrogen fertilizer. Their mutually beneficial association with
nitrogen-fixing bacteria enables legumes to obtain nitrogen from the air
in soil. Legumes provide higher-quality forage (higher digestibility and
higher protein) than most perennial grasses."
Legumes include
plants like alfalfa, clovers, birdsfoot trefoil, sericea lespedeza, etc.
They are preferred by goats, high in nutrition and tend to be high in
tannins which are known to control gastrointestinal parasites (stomach
worms).
On to more
serious problems like parasites, disease and mortality. Intestinal
parasites are probably the most serious factor impacting goat health and
mortality. There are various types of stomach worms and each
variety tends to be seasonal. Known by their common name, the brown
stomach worm and bankrupt worm tend to be present year-round, but are
considered by some experts to be a cool-season worm. Then, there is
the evil Barber Pole Worm, which tends to be prevalent during summer
time (June-Sept. in the South). An infestation of this worm can
lead to anemia, bottle jaw and mortality. Keep in mind there are only a
few chemical wormers labeled for goats and they are specific to certain
types of worms. A veterinarian or Extension specialist can help goat
producers identify which types of worms are a problem and which wormer
is appropriate for treatment.
Controlling worms
is also done through management practices and now is the time to figure
out how to manage for these parasites next year. Rotational grazing
allows for movement of goats from one pasture to another, this minimizes
the opportunity for stomach worms to overload pasture, goats to ingest
them and infestation to compromise animal health. Two pastures are
better than one, three better than two, four better than three, etc.
Keep it simple and insure movement from one pasture to another is easily
accommodated with proper planning and appropriate gates.
Coccidiosis can
be a serious problem among young goats; it tends to occur when they
start picking up all kinds of things from the ground into their mouth
and which can lead to an overload of coccidia. This situation can
be controlled though barn and pasture sanitation and pasture management.
Some easy methods include: regular cleaning of
manure and debris from barns and loafing areas followed by a dusting of
hydrated lime, regular cleaning of feeding vessels, annual spreading of
lime on pastures (in the fall) and pasture rotation (seeing a pattern
yet?). Combining all these practices will help minimize the
opportunity for coccidia infestation.
Controlling
respiratory irritation and disease is readily accomplished two ways,
sanitation and ventilation. As mentioned above, clean out barns and
loafing areas of manure and debris as needed and generously spread
hydrated lime; lime also helps control odor. Allowing a minimal flow of
air, and/or use of fans will help air out barns, move out old stale air
and reduce heat during summer time. An airtight barn is not
a good idea in areas where adult and young animals reside. Yet, a
kidding/nursery area well-protected from drafts is desirable.
Other than
planning ahead for the future, there is not much to be done about the
past. While following the fore mentioned practices does not
guarantee a problem free operation, it will limit the opportunity for
problems and narrow down issues when trying to identify sources for
problems. The best made plans canbe waylaid by nature.
Robert Spencer
is a contributing writer from Florence, Alabama. |
