Sugar Creek Farms

 Vaccinations and Tests   

We vaccinate our kids with CDT & pneumonia vaccines beginning at 6- 8 weeks of age, with a booster 2-4 weeks later, then annually thereafter.   Pregnant does are given their CDT & pneumonina shots about a month before they are due to kid, so that the level of antibodies against these diseases are at a high level in the doe's colostrum - this protects the kids for close to two months after birth.   Open does and bucks receive these vaccinations yearly. 

 The CDT we use protects against Clostridium perfringens types C & D, as well as tetanus.    The pneumonia vaccine helps to prevent disease from the two most common pneumonia-causing bacteria, Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida.

Unless new goats come from tested-free farms, we generally test all new goats coming to the farm for CL, CAE & Johnes.   Those which test positive are sent to slaughter.   The primary testing facility we use is WADDL  (University of Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab).   We do not test kids which are born to tested-free dams, but will do so upon customer request and at their cost. 

 Feed Programs

As a general rule, we feed our brood does around a half-pound of Purina Goat Grower pellets per head per day.   They have unlimited access to grazing in the warm months, and good quality hay in the winter months.     Young does are given more pellets unless they are getting too fat.  In that case, we reduce the amount of pellets.    Young bucks and our show goats are fed Purple Vision Excalibre pellets, along with Purina Goat chow loose feed to keep them growing.  Mature bucks are given enough pellets to maintain their weight, but not get too fat.   

We used to provide trace mineral salt, but found that the goats don't seem to use it, probably because they get what they need from the commercial feeds.   We give all of our goats a copper bolus every 4 months at the rate of 2 grams per 50 lbs.   We don't use any other feed supplements.

De-Worming Program 

First of all, we try to obtain Boer goats which have ancestors that have shown a good resistance to barber pole and other kinds of worms.   It has been our experience that goats which have a greater tolerance to worms grow better, have better overall health, and pass these traits on to their offspring.  Goats which need frequent deworming are culled.  

We check eyelids and other mucous membranes for evidence of anemia whenever we work with them.  Goats which are showing evidence of worm load are treated with two types of dewormer at a time, such as Cydectin and Valbazen, Cydectin and Prohibit, or Valbazen and Prohibit.  (We don't give Valbazen to does in early pregnancy, because this could cause an abortion).  The reasoning for using two kinds of wormers each time is that the worms are less likely to develop a resistance to two chemicals, rather than using the same one over and over.   We also think it is important to deworm only when necessary.   Research has shown that using a liquid dewormer as a drench is more effective than giving injections or adding deworming powder to the goat feed.   In general, goats are drenched at double the sheep dose, but breeders should follow the manufacturer's recommendations if in doubt.

 Most of our herd has access to an acre or more of lush pasture.   This lessens the chance that they will pick up more worm larvae.  We recommend that  goats which must be kept in a small area should be dry-lotted, because smaller grazing areas can quickly become loaded with worm larvae. 

 The timing for deworming is important as well.   We deworm does (when necessary) right after kidding, since the flush of hormones activates dormant worms in their stomachs.  Another good time to deworm the herd is right after the first couple of heavy frosts in the fall.   At that time of  year, any worm eggs that are dropped should freeze and the chance of picking up live larvae is practically nil.   When the weather turns cold, barber pole worms become dormant, so deworming during the very cold months is unproductive. 

 Our Breeding Programs   

We use natural service for most of our breedings, but we do use some AI (artificial insemination).   Our goal is to obtain the best bucks we can afford and which carry the qualities we want to improve in our herd.   However, limited use of AI gives us access to outstanding bucks and bloodlines. 

Our policy is to breed maiden does when they are around 18 months old, so that they kid around their second birthday.   We have found that does that are bred too young often have more birthing problems, they can be confused about mothering, and their growth is stunted.   Older first-timers have had a chance to grow, have much fewer kidding problems, and make better mothers. 

We prefer to kid in the months of April & May in the spring and in the months of September & October in the fall.   We avoid the very cold months of January and February and the hot months of July & August.   Some Boer does will not cycle in the spring months, so to produce fall kids we synchronize their heats using CIDRs and hormones (see protocol below).  Whenever possible, we prefer natural matings, though.   

When making mating decisions, we try to match a doe with a buck that can improve some of her traits.   For example, if a doe has thin legs or a narrow chest, we will try to breed her to a buck with heavier bone and a thicker body.