# Necessary supply list?



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

I will be bringing home my first dairy goats next week. My plan had been to start with a couple of doelings but the lady I'm buying from made me a deal on a doe/doeling pair that I couldn't pass up.  I'm a little unprepared, however, to have a doe in milk since I wasn't planning on having to milk for a year or two. I don't have any supplies for milking or adult-goat health requirements. I swear, my head is spinning like a top trying to get everything done in time. Do any of you lovely folk have a basic supply list handy? JUST the basics..things that are vital for everyday use/treating common ailments, since I only have a week and I'll have to order from Jeffers since no one in my area sells everything I'm going to need. I'll order the rest once the goats are here and I can stop my head from spinning. So far, my list looks like this:


Thermometer
Ketocheck
Molasses (where can I purchase this, btw??)
Weight tape
Calcium Drench
Probios
Mastoblast
CMT
Baking Soda
2 qt. SS pail
6 qt. SS pail
Stripping cup
Milk stand
Bucket w/warm water
Cloth for washing udder
Bag balm
Am I missing anything super important?? 

Last minute is NOT the way I normally do things and this change-up has me pretty anxious.


----------



## jdavenport (Jul 19, 2012)

I don't think you would need the mastoblast, ketocheck, unless you don't have a decent vet nearby. 
You will need to give the girls some type of wormer (Safeguard or Quest) when they get to your house and the doeling will need coccidia control (Corid or dimethox) until 6 months old. 
Make sure you have a supply of whatever the former owner is feeding, so you can gradually transition them over to whatever you're feeding. Your doe in milk will need at least 2 pounds a day of a concentrate (grain mix) and lots of high calcium hay like alfalfa or clover or perennial peanut hay. If she's not getting that, you'll have to work up to it, unless she's a mini, then she'll need half that. 
CD&T booster shot wouldn't hurt either of them. We give BOSE shots 2 times a year, the vet gives us the bottle. I also copper bolus, because we have lots of iron in our water and the girls get coarse hair and the black goats get rust colored hair, if I forget the copper.
Don't forget a really good loose mineral like Right now Onyx, or Techmaster Complete, or Mannapro. There are many good choices, usually the ones for dairy cattle have what you need.
I've never given my girls molasses, it's like feeding sugar to a toddler, sure they like it, but its not good for them.
Therabloat medicine in case they get into feed or too rich pasture for too long.
A regular sewing tape measure and a weigh chart http://fiascofarm.com/goats/weight-chart.htm would work fine.
A drenching gun and bolus gun for giving them wormer and medicine.
Only get the probios if you can keep it refrigerated, otherwise it loses its live and active bacteria.
Some type of breakaway collars for your girls in case they get startled and you have to catch them.
Excellent fences and a plan for the poop (compost bin).
Maybe a bag of horse treats from the farm store so the girls get to know you and trust you quickly, just break them apart to feed them.
Have fun!


----------



## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

Here are some changes I would make to your list:


Thermometer Buy extras
Ketocheck Shouldn't need this until you have pregnant does.
Molasses (where can I purchase this, btw??) If and when you need molasses, you can buy it at the grocery store.
Weight tape
Calcium Drench Buy MFO Oral Solution 

Probios
Mastoblast Waste of money.
CMT  You can make your own with dishwashing liquid.
Baking Soda
2 qt. SS pail
6 qt. SS pail
Stripping cup
Milk stand
Bucket w/warm water
Cloth for washing udder
Bag balm  Buy one of "mint" type lotions, Dynamint, Udder Comfort, etc.
Am I missing anything super important??









I would add:

Hay, Feed, Good Minerals
Feeders that will keep feed and hay up off the ground
Teat Dip
Syringes & Needles
Fortified B-Complex
Bio-Mycin
Wormers & Cocci Meds
Hoof Trimmers

Rx Meds:
Bo-Se
Banamine
Naxcel or generic
Oxytocin
Lutalyse

This is just off the top of my head, I'm sure other will chime in with other things.


----------



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

To my knowledge there isn't any vet in the area that will accept goats, decent or otherwise. If there is they don't have a website, email address, or phone number. On that front the best I've been able to do is get a "we might be able to do fecal tests for you" from the vet I take my dogs to. I'm still looking but figure I should be prepared to have to take care of medical problems on my own. I'm not sure what I will do if I need RX med's, though. =/
Dewormer and collars are on my list of things to order; forgot to list it here. 
Waiting for a response from the breeder so I know what type of feed to get for transitioning.
Fence for the pasture will be done by Saturday, still deciding on where to put my compost pile.
I have hay and will be finishing putting together the last two feeders tonight.
Picking up feed next week before I bring the goats home.
Hoof trimmers are in the barn already.


----------



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

It's going to be a four hour drive on the highway and, unless I can find an alternative, in a tarp-covered crate in the back of DH's truck. Very noisy, windy, and stressful. I'm pretty concerned about shipping fever. Is there anything I can do to help prevent it?

Anyone had any luck fitting an XL wire dog crate in the back seat of their sedan?


----------



## jdavenport (Jul 19, 2012)

Jeffers has a code for $10 off $100 on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JeffersLivestock?fref=nf

Hope this helps!


----------



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

jdavenport, you're the bomb!! Lol. Thank you thank you thank you!


----------



## PBJfarm (Jan 10, 2014)

We often transport in the cage in the back of the truck. You do not want the goat pee smell in the car, even if they are girls. I always put some hay in the cage ( ours is a truck bed sized one). And stop every hour and a half and check everyone. We have never had a problem moving goats or calves this way. 


Sent from my iPad using Dairy Goat Forum

PB & J Farms
Home to Nubians, a lone LaMancha, and the rest of the farm menagerie
Oktaha, Ok


----------



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

_After re-reading the following post, I decided to add the disclaimer "Not intended as confrontational". I truly am hoping to gain insight but am frustrated at the multitude of opinions and lack of scientific data on the subject._

Disease testing in goats is soooo strange. I don't understand it at all, especially CAE and CL. CAE isn't zoonotic so most ppl don't seem to care about it. Why not just test and cull accordingly? Why go through the stress of a prevention program with CAE+ does to get their CAE- kids? Even for a high dollar animal, is the risk/stress/work really worth it? :huh

CL CAN be zoonotic (rarely) but since the blood tests are touted to be unreliable, not many ppl test? IF an abscess surfaces the puss can be tested and THAT is supposed to be reliable but there can also be unseen internal abscesses on an outwardly healthy goat that you won't be able to notice. If there is an internal abscess in the udder and it ruptures, leaking CL-contaminated puss into the milk then it's possible for a human to contract CL in that manner, correct? But if the blood test isn't very reliable (false positives and false negatives both being common I guess?) then what the heck?? Testing for peace of mind wouldn't give me peace of mind if there's a good chance of getting a false negative. It would just make me paranoid and have me re-testing every other month. And what about the meat?? If you cull a positive goat is the meat even edible? :bang


----------



## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Cae is not zoonotic but can be disastrous for the goat. Even if you don't care for yourself or your animals, no way would you have a good reputation as a breeder with a casual attitude about disease. Do your research. CAE is a bad disease and so easily eradicated. Reputable breeders will not perpetuate it. Buy CAE negative stock, then you won't have to worry about it. So the answer to your question, yes, prevention and testing are totally worth it. 
CL is horrible and you are right, many don't test, but there are tests that are reliable. The tests done by WSU (WADDL) are good. Personally, if I had a goat with a CL abscess, it would just be put down. No way would i drink its milk or eat it or even feed it to my dogs.


----------



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

Oh, I wasn't questioning prevention and testing; only wondering why ppl allow it on their farms and try to keep it from spreading. Sorry!


----------



## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I guess if you ended up with a doe you liked or paid a lot of money for, and it turned out she had CAE, I can see where someone might want to get a couple of kids out of her and keep her around long enough to do that. Then put her down.


----------



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

Ah, I understand now.

And I guess my saying that came across a little snarky. Sorry if I offended anyone. ops


----------



## janner (Nov 3, 2012)

I would add a filter holder and a box of filters I also use babywipes to clean udder, but I know many people use different things, some just dust and go for it! I also keep water bottles half full, frozen and put them in water in a bucket and put the jar of milk to get it cold very quickly. This makes for better tasting, longer lasting milk. I would also recommend a good book like "Goats Produce Too", because you are going to have a lot of yummy milk pretty soon  Also, I didn't see hoof trimming nippers, a rasp and blood stop powder on your list. I also keep a pair of hemostats in my trimming tray.
Have fun,
janice


----------



## mountaingoats12 (Dec 31, 2013)

I would add CD antitoxin to your list, along with activated charcoal. The antitoxin will help digestive issues and poison(like acidosis, enterotoxemia), and the charcoal is a life saver for neutralizing poisons from gut issues, plants, bad feed, anything!


----------



## RKAcresGoats (Apr 8, 2014)

I don't know your preferences but I like to use coconut oil as an udder balm for my goats. It's cheaper and I think healthier for the babies (and your hands!). Do you have any goat books? A goat vet book comes in handy if you live far away from a vet.


----------



## jes (Sep 23, 2013)

Thanks everyone!! However, in a sad turn of events, I won't be getting lamanchas this weekend. Things just kinda fell through (no one's fault, it just didn't work out). On the upside, now I have plenty of time to get supplies ordered!


----------

