GoatCamp2012™ The Best GoatCamp™ Yet -- Our Eleventh Year

Interest in GoatCamp™ exploded this year. Reflecting the increasing interest in GoatCamp™, a record 48 students attended this year. Two of the students were small-animal veterinarians interested in learning about raising goats on their own properties. Four students came from a large ranch ranch in Oregon, and two other students are planning large commercial goat raising operations on both the east and west coasts of the USA. Students attended from 17 different states, and every one of them was focused on absorbing as much information as they could. Five dedicated interns joined the Staff and Instructors for this week-long session of learning how to raise meat goats successfully.

Our long-time sponsor Jeffers again provided their handy insulated coolers containing useful items like the weak kid syringe, adjustable lead ropes, and various electrolyte products for students and interns. Dr. Lou Nuti of Prairie View A&M University spoke to students about Artificial Insemination and reproductive biology of goats on Monday. Bob Glass of Pan American Vet Lab near Austin, Texas discussed blood testing for several different diseases and demonstrated how to draw blood from a goat on Monday afternoon.

Dr. Jim Miller of Louisiana State University taught students about internal parasites and did actual fecal counts under microscopes on Tuesday. Dr. Miller provided FAMACHA training and certifications to attending students. Dan Byfield, president of American Stewards of Liberty, brought students current on private property rights affecting goat ranchers.

On Wednesday, Kent Mills of HiPro Feeds lectured on goat nutrition, the item which I always say is the hardest thing to get right in any managed herd. HiPro Feeds furnished an evening meal on Wednesday night for all students wishing to stay beyond class hours and learn to work Mr. Mills' nutrition formulation problems.

My vet, Dr. Mark Swening of the Coleman, Texas Veterinary Clinic addressed pregnancy and kidding issues and performed a necropsy for the benefit of all students on Thursday morning. Jim Bob Harris, President of Texas Vet Lab in San Angelo, Texas, provided a fajita luncheon on Thursday. After lunch he and Dale Weise spoke in detail about their newly approved vaccine for the prevention of Caseous Lymphadenitis in goats.

Students received hands-on training by working with Onion Creek Ranch breeding stock under the instruction of Pat Cotten of Bending Tree Ranch in Arkansas. They learned about ear tagging, tattooing, stomach tubing, clean catch collecting goat berries for fecal exams, hoof trimming, urinary calculi, checking pizzles on bucks/wethers, proper injection procedure, restraints, catching and handling goats safely as well as other activities.

Brooke Bonilla again this year did a superb job providing breakfast, lunch, and break food and drinks every day while maintaining her regular job schedule in town. The classes that I taught all week long emphasized the importance of learning how to THINK LIKE A GOAT and how to apply that information to benefit your goats.

GoatCamp2013™ planning is well underway. In fact, three students are already paid in full for GoatCamp2013™ to be held October 21-25, 2013. You too can sign up for GoatCamp2013™ now. I am already taking student reservations. My thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make our eleventh year such a success.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, 11-15-12