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Milk goats are specialised animals with a special function and future ahead of them. Taking care of new kids, ensuring their health and preparing them for adulthood from day one will benefit your goat herd’s health and your bottom line.

The first step in ensuring healthy kids is the adequate intake of good-quality colostrum. After this first ‘dose’ of antibodies, however, an inoculation programme should be followed to address parasites and other diseases common in milk goats.

Always consult your local veterinarian to establish a vaccination programme suitable for your area and specific herd. Vaccination programmes are guidelines to the most basic inoculation needs, but some regions and herds are exposed to specific health risks, which should be dealt with accordingly. There are, however, essential and optional vaccines, so be aware of epidemics or diseases, which are endemic to your region.

Inoculation programme for kids
January: Kids four and a half months old
• Epididymitis (essential)
• First inoculation for black quarter
(optional)
• First inoculation for botulism (optional)
January: Weaning
• Enterotoxaemia (essential)

February: Five to six months old
• Enterotoxaemia (essential)
• Rift Valley fever (optional)
• Wesselsbron disease (optional)
• Second inoculation for black quarter
(optional)
• Second inoculation for botulism (optional)
• Anthrax (only if disease occurred in
the area during the last five years)

April/May: All animals
• Botulism (optional)
• Pasteurella (optional)
• Black quarter (optional)

June: All animals
• Deworm (essential)

August: Two weeks old
• Pasteurella (optional)
• Vitamins A, D and E (optional)
• Heartwater (in heartwater areas): Note that vaccination after two weeks of age may cause a severe disease reaction. You can block the reaction on day eight or nine with a long-acting tetracycline at a lower dosage. Consult your veterinarian.

September: Six weeks old
• Pasteurella (optional)

October: All animals
• Deworm

Rift Valley fever
Southern Africa has seen a number of serious cases of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in the past few years. The symptoms of RVF and Wesselsbron disease are similar and both are rainfall related, distributed by mosquitoes and can lead to heavy losses.

Pasteurella
This is one of the diseases the goat farmer should be aware of, especially in kids. The disease is stress related and can be caused by a number of factors, including adverse weather conditions, weaning and a change in diet. Kids are vaccinated twice with an interval of four to six weeks (oil vaccine), while adults are vaccinated annually (alum vaccine). The rule of thumb is to vaccinate animals preferably two months ahead of known stressful periods.

Milk goat farmer, Donald Mouton of Fairview, says he first vaccinates his kids at two to three weeks after birth against Pasteurella with Multi-vax P and administers a booster shot about four weeks later. Vaccinations that follows this should be done according to a schedule determined in conjunction with your veterinarian.

As the main cause of Pasteurella is stress, take care to prevent stress in kids. Donald says over-crowding, change in the diet, weaning, idleness, heat and cold, handling and transport are sources of stress. Kids are easily bored and need ‘play pens’ with boulders or large rocks, trees and even tyres to climb on. Also take care around weaning time to make this transition as stress-free as possible.

Contact the Agricultural Research Centre in Irene on (012) 672 9305 for more information on kid-rearing.

Opsomming
Melkbokke het spesifieke behoeftes wat die voorkoming en beheer van siektes betref. Jong boklammers se eerste beskerming kom van biesmelk. ’n Inentingsprogram moet saam met jou veearts opgestel word wat ooreenstem met jou kudde se behoeftes en siektes wat in daardie gebied voorkom.