Stocking up (and emptying the wallet!)

Once a year, in January or February, we place a massive order with Jeffers Livestock Supply - it's sort of like taking the goats on an online shopping spree!  We get stocked up with all of the necessities for the coming year - and usually decide to try out one or two new items that we discover along the way.

So what's in the Took a Leap Farm cart this year?  Let's take a peak!

1. Noromectin: While we worm based on fecal results, we always give goats that are under stress a dose of wormer, since parasites can take advantage of an animals whose energy is being used for other purposes.  This means that all new mamas get a dose of this orally after kidding (it gets washed down with a bucket of warm molasses water -- the proverbial spoonful of sugar!), kids get it when they move to new homes, and everyone gets it when there's evidence of need.  We're also stocking up on Valbazen, a different type of wormer that is used in rotation, to prevent resistance to internal creepy-crawlers.
2. CMPK solution:  Newly-freshened does also get a good dose of this, which boosts calcium after kidding.
3. CD&T Toxoid:  We vaccinate all of the pregnant mamas 21 days before kidding to give the babies passive immunity for Clostridium perfringens and tetanus, then administer two booster shots for the kids at 4 and 8 weeks. 
4. Bovi-Sera:  In the past, we've used a vaccine for pneumonia, but Bovi-Sera covers a wider variety of issues, including other respiratory and enteric diseases.  We're going to switch to this, which many goat farmers swear by.
5. Needles and syringes:  We use boxes and boxes of these.  But this year, we're also going to try out one of these bottle mount vaccinators, which should make things easier and reduce some of the waste.
6. A new feeding syringe:  Because every year, we can't find the one we used the previous year.
7. Pill guns:  These work really well for shoving copper boluses far enough back into the mouth that the goats swallow, rather than chew, them.
8. Kidding supplies:  We never want to be short on J-Jelly, feeding tubes, Tri-Iodine for navel dipping, Pritchard nipples and bottles, tattoo ink, and more once kids start to arrive.
9. FightBac:  We spray each girl's teats with this before she leaves the milk stand to help close the teat and prevent mastitis.
10. Replamin Plus:  We administer this mineral supplement to everyone about once a month -- it makes a big difference with shiny coats, happy skin, and more!
11. Feeding pans and bowls:  This year, we need to implement a new feeding routine, but until then, these large pans are great for feeding the "general population", while the smaller rubber bowls are perfect for kidding pens (and, ultimately, Pelly the Dog chew toys).

In addition to this heaping shopping cart, we're also picking up some supplies elsewhere:

1. BoSe, a selenium supplement, from our vet:  We're in a selenium-deficient area, and we dose all of our expectant mamas with a bit of this about a week before they kid.  While many goat farmers use BoSe 21 days before kidding, our original vet indicated that this can be an abortifacient, causing premature labor in late-term pregnancies.  Her recommendation was to administer later, in the last 7-10 days of pregnancy - if it does stimulate labor, the kids would likely still be viable at that point.
2. Banamine, a pain medicine, also from our vet:  We use the teeniest doses of this when disbudding and castrating...it takes a little of the sting out.  And speaking of stinging...
3. Stinging nettle and raspberry leaf from Amazon:  We start giving the girls a few days before kidding. Not only do they love it, but they get the benefit of herbal support for kidding and milk production.  While we're ordering here, we're also tossing in a few palmyra brush heads for the goats to rub against.  We screw them onto the barn walls and - instant bliss!
4. Teat wipes from Nelson Jameson:  We've used these for years - no muss, no fuss, and low price (when you go through 200+ a week, you need a low price!).

Folks do things a lot of different ways, but these are some of the tools, medications, and other goodies that prove useful to us.  After seven years of raising goats (which is hard to believe!), we've honed our needs and know exactly what we need for a successful year ahead!

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