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After show health routine?

1185 Views 5 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  toth boer goats
The county fairs are staring to pick up and I was just curious if y’all have a routine for after shows to keep your goats immune systems up after the stress of shows or to keep them from bringing something back to the barn . :)
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You almost need to start it before so they have a good immune system going in. Giving vitamin C and garlic daily would certainly help.
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Honestly mine always seem to come back from the fair sick to the point that I do 3 days of antibiotics. That is if they're staying all week. The last two years I have just taken them over the day of the show and haven't needed any meds though I do isolate them when they get back. I do vitamin c and probiotics a week before as well.
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The only prevention I do is a anti fungal. They are washed at the racks and go straight to the trailer. I also have fungal spray that they get as they come off the trailer once they get home. Also all equipment is sprayed down and left in the sun for a few days. I don’t know what it is with show animals and ring worm but it’s enough to give me the creeps! When the goats do come home though they are in quarantine and treated like a new animal to come onto my place. They are watched for signs of illness and absolutely no nose to nose touching with other goats for 30 days. So far knock on wood we have not had one get sick after the fair.
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A big thing to consider is doing a fecal at least a couple of weeks before to ensure there are no parasites/cocci, because that will really hamper their health. Depending on your location if it's been wet and humid like it has been here, then cocci is one to worry about. Make sure they are healthy going in - good weight, no eye/nose discharge, eating good, etc. You can add Gatorade to a bucket of water or electrolytes (Bluelite is great), that away they get used to drinking that and when you go to fair you can add it to their water and it won't taste so different to them. Sometimes goats don't drink well if the water tastes different, so masking it helps.
Probiotics and oral B-Complex helps with stress.
If you are able to wash your goats before going home, then that is best, or try to use some kind of fungal spray on them after they leave the show ring. I am guilty of not doing that the last couple of years, but normally we would spray everyone down with diluted bleach water, especially legs and feet and topline. But they make spray products that make it safe and easy.
Give probiotics day after show, especially if they have been stressing. Otherwise all you can do is really just watch, get them back into their routine and comfortable.
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Good advice.
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