i have 5 nigerian dwarf wethers, ranging from 3 months to 1.5 years-ish. i started with 2 (over a year ago) and just recently added the other 3 to my herd. my 2 original guys have gone to their vet for all of their vaccinations, etc. but now that i have 5, i’m interested in starting to do annual vaccinations myself. i’m pretty handy with a syringe (as weird as that sounds...) and have medicated my goats many times per vet instruction, so i think i could handle it. i know i’ve seen posts about others vaccinating their herds on here, so i’m wondering if there is a comprehensive list of what to give and how often? or is it just easier to pay the vet to come dole out the shots?
I don't even bother vaccinating my wethers. I do annual CD/T on my breeding does (and kids get CD/T) so if you wanted to do an annual shot for peace of mind, that would be it. I know several members here vaccinate for pneumonia. I never have, but did buy pneumonia vaccines to use this year because of the crazy temperature swings and poor air quality from the wildfires. I haven't gotten around to actually administering it though so I don't know how that will go. I don't feel that goats need to be inundated with vaccines. My very first goats were pet wethers who never ever received any vaccines. They lived happily to about 10 years of age. Never sick a day in their lives, except for a case of UC in one from the diet I fed them when I didn't know better.
good to know! i’ve been feeling neglectful lately because i think my older boys are behind on CDT. but i’m going to plan to administer that annually since the young ones need their booster this week.
I give my annual vaccine shots of CD/T 1 month prior to kidding.
I give it to all the goats(buck)(Does) at that time, so they are all in sync.
By then, my yearlings will be close enough for their annual CD&T shot too.
Same as above - I have and would always vaccinate the wethers as well. Tetanus and Entero are horrible diseases, and are very difficult to recover from if at all.
I also do a month before kidding just I do bucks when I pull them from the girls. Since you have weathers just go with when it would be easiest to remember to give.
I also vaccinate with once PMH IN, I usually do when I wean kids, so in the spring. I want to hit them before summer which is usually a bad time in this area.
Personally these two I find the most important vaccines to start with. Over eating, tetanus and pneumonia can all kill very fast with little to no time to actually save the animals. For other vaccines I would just pass unless there is a serious issue in your area that calls for needing them.
You can purchase the goat vaccines from places like PBS livestock or Jeffers. The CD+T shots I use are Colorado Serum. There are other brands, but all are 2 cc's (ml's) sub q (under the skin) Then 3-4 weeks later the second dose. After that, they are yearly boosters. It is much cheaper to give your own vaccines as opposed to having a vet give them. (But very important to have a trusted goat vet in the event that you need on for emergencies).
I give a pneumonia shot, also. (or the inter nasal one like PMH IN) We lost a few kids to pneumonia a few years back. I'm not willing to take that chance again. No vaccine is 100%, but in my opinion, some percent is better than none! Some folks never vaccinate their goats and the goats live long lives. Its up to you what you want to do. I figure it is easier to try and prevent a disease than treat it.
Like everything goat, there are differing opinions on vaccines, whether to give or not, some stretch the booster to every other (or longer) year, etc. Do what works for you and your goats.
I also do yearly CDT's on my whole herd as well as pneumonia vaccines. Just like @Goats Rock and @AndersonRanch . There are also folks who do yearly rabies like @Damfino
My point of view is it's cheap insurance against expensive vet visits and a second of pain is a lot better than a deadly illness.
There is nothing wrong with being comfortable giving shots. It is good to be able to deal with anything that comes up with goats. I personally hate disbudding and castrating, but, I do it and do it well. I don't like it, but am comfortable doing it (does that make sense?) Goats sense when we are uncertain and it makes them act up and then the action is way harder than it should be.
Don't be embarrassed by your shot giving ability. A good comfortable shot giver is a good thing! (thumbup)
I vaccinate my wethers every 3 years. I start them off with CD+T at about 3 months old and boost them 3 weeks later. Then I give another booster at 1 year. Then I shoot for once every 3 years because I don't feel that they need the shot every single year. I think tetanus antibodies almost certainly last several years and my vet agrees with me. Clostridium perfringens (the "CD" part of the CD+T) seems to be more common in young goats, perhaps because that is the age when they are switching from milk to other foods. I know any age goat can get it, but I've just heard of it happening a lot more often in goats under a year old so I worry less about it in my mature wethers. One reason I vaccinate less often is that I noticed with our first goat that as he aged he started reacting poorly to annual vaccination. I wondered if vaccinating every year might be kind of hard on them. We also do the rabies shot every 3 years.
My girls get treated the same as the boys for the first year, then after that they are vaccinated with CD+T every time they are within 4-6 weeks of kidding. If I leave a doe unbred one year, she doesn't get vaccinated. I do all my vaccinations myself except for rabies. Legally I can give rabies shots in Colorado but it isn't recognized by the state. I like having that veterinary proof of rabies vaccination since I take my boys to public events on a regular basis. Also, if a rabid wild animal is found on our property, if I don't have proof of rabies vaccination they can quarantine my place for six months in our state. That would be a huge headache if it happened so I'm happy to pay a vet for that one vaccination every few years. Dogs, horses, and goats are on the same rabies schedule so that makes it easy.
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