GoatCamp™ 2013 Held at Onion Creek Ranch in Texas

The  twelfth  annual  GoatCamp™ was held at Onion Creek Ranch in Texas during October 2013.  Students came from Kentucky, California, Maine, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Minnesota, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, and Canada.   Deborah and David Rising of Oklahoma returned  for their third  GoatCamp™.

Jeffers livestock, equine, and pet supply company  in Dothan, Alabama (1-800-533-3377) once again provided students with essential supplies like weak kid syringes, digital rectal thermometers, electrolytes, and adjustable lead halters.

Bob Glass of Pan American Vet Lab in Hutto, Texas explained   blood testing for several different diseases and demonstrated how to draw blood from a goat.    Dr. Lou Nuti of Prairie View A&M could not attend this year due to eye surgery, but  he will be back in 2014. Dr. Scott Jacques of Texas A& M University presented the BioPRYN  blood test to determine pregnancy in a doe and explained how it works.

Dr. Jim Miller, parasitologist at Louisiana State University, presented a thorough overview of internal parasites and performed fecal counts under microscopes for students to view.  Dr. Miller also provided FAMACHA training and certification for students.  Dan Byfield, President of American Stewards of Liberty, brought us current on private property rights issues facing goat ranchers.

Kent Mills, livestock nutritionist with HiPro Feeds, taught goat nutrition -- the hardest thing to get right in any managed herd -- and HiPro Feeds provided  supper for everyone.  My vet, Dr. Mark Swening of the Coleman, Texas Veterinary Clinic addressed pregnancy and kidding issues and usage of  livestock guardian dogs;   he also   performed a necropsy on an aged and infirm goat after humanely euthanizing her.       Dale Weiss of Texas Vet Lab in San Angelo, Texas presented his company's recently approved  vaccine for Caseous Lymphadenitis in goats after his company provided a terrific fajita luncheon.

Richard Walsh, DVM, who was one of two veterinarians attending GoatCamp™  in 2012, returned to speak about his progress in setting up his goat selling and slaughtering operation in Virginia.    Pat Cotten of Bending Tree Ranch in Arkansas provided hands-on training to students using Onion Creek Ranch's goats.  Ear tagging, tattooing, stomach tubing, clean catch collecting of goat pills for fecal examination, hoof trimming, checking for urinary calculi by examining  the pizzles of  bucks and wethers,  proper injection procedures, goat restraints, blood draws, and catching and handling goats safely were demonstrated.

Evelyn Martin offered her goat milk soaps and lotions for sale as she has done for the last four or five years.   I encourage you to visit her website  www.lathersdelcorazon.com <http://www.lathersdelcorazon.com>   to see and purchase her wonderful products.

Brooke Bonilla once again did a  wonderful job of providing breakfast, lunch, and break food and drinks daily while maintaining her regular two-job schedule in Brady.  The classes that I taught emphasized the importance of learning to THINK LIKE A GOAT and how to apply that knowledge to benefit your goat-raising activities. Staff members Carol Mathews (returning for her fourth year), Tom Thornton (his ninth or tenth year), and Karen Severn (her second year) did a bang-up job of keeping things functioning.   We celebrated Tom's 70th birthday during GoatCamp™.

GoatCamp™ will be held in 2014 during the week of October 20-23, 2014.  You can sign up now on the GoatCamp™ page at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com <http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com> .    My thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this 12th year of GoatCamp™ so successful.    See you in 2014.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas    11/7/13