June 2010 Issue |
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IN THIS ISSUE: |
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• Subscribe to Meat Goat Mania • Email Us • Onion Creek Ranch • Bending Tree Ranch • OCR Health & Management Articles • MGM Archive |
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Subscribe FREE now! Monthly issues with new articles and other educational information on meat goat health, nutrition, and management written by Suzanne W. Gasparotto of Onion Creek Ranch and Pat Cotten of Bending Tree Ranch. In all cases, it is your responsibility to obtain veterinary services and advice before using any of the information provided in these articles. Neither Suzanne Gasparotto nor Pat Cotten are veterinarians. None of the contributors to this website will be held responsible for the use of any information contained herein. |
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MILK GOITER A soft swelling on the front of the throat where the chin meets the neck of a young kid is a "milk goiter." Sometimes also called "milk neck," it occurs around three weeks and can last until eight or nine months of age. It is normal, nothing to be concerned about, and should be left alone. This soft swelling occurs in kids of dairy and dairy-influenced breeds (this includes Boers) and is an enlargement of the thymus gland. It is not caseous lymphadenitis and it is not iodine deficiency. Do not supplement the kid with iodine; iodine toxicity is relatively easy to incur. Milk goiter is often associated with heavy-milking breeds. An enlarged thymus gland is part of the development of a good immune system in many juvenile mammals, including goats. When this soft swelling disappears, it sometimes leaves a pocket of loose skin. Suzanne W. Gasparotto |
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TIP on wethering: Store banding "donuts" in the refrigerator to give them extra life. |
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TIP on feeding protein supplements: Use protein blocks in dry areas. Kids will sit, sleep, pee, poop, and leave hair in protein tubs in areas of slight rainfall, making them unpalatable to goats. Use protein tubs in wet areas. Kids won't sit in tubs that have collected water, but goats will eat the dissolved protein supplement. Don't use combination protein/mineral blocks or tubs. Minerals in these products restrict (limit) consumption -- not the desired result. Use a protein block or tub without minerals and offer loose minerals free choice. The two separate products work better than a single combination supplement. |
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