Dairy Goat Performance

By Sarah Adamson
It’s tax season.  Whether you dread it or enjoy it, one benefit of tax season is it provides you with an opportunity to break down and itemize your expenses.  Completing this process provides you with valuable insight into your true cost of production.

By Sarah Adamson
Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) is a contagious – and potentially fatal – viral disease in goats.  It can be transmitted in several ways and, without a specific treatment, it is best to follow a strict mitigation program to decrease the frequency of CAE-infected animals on your farm.

By Sarah Adamson
Dry doe nutrition is an important part of a successful dairy goat operation.  However, many producers don’t invest enough time and/or resources into this important stage of a dairy goat’s life to capitalize on the benefits it provides.

By Jon Urness, Vita Plus national forage specialist, retired
Nutritionists sometimes use RFV and RFQ to describe how a certain forage is feeding.  However, these two values mean more when you compare the relative dollar value of different forages in the market.

By Sarah Adamson
While any number of factors can cause diarrhea and scours, coccidia becomes the more likely cause when goat kids are between 3 weeks and 5 months of age.  Since it is nearly impossible to completely eliminate coccidia form the environment, it is best to understand the impact is has on your herd and then develop a herd-specific treatment and prevention plan.

By Sarah Adamson
Keeping comprehensive records is important for any business to grow and thrive, and dairy goat farms are no different.  The Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) is a great way to keep individual milk records on each of your does.

By Sarah Adamson
Previously, we discussed how important it is to have a maternity and fresh doe checklist.  Now we will address the items you should have on a newborn kid checklist to ensure a safe start to life.

By Sarah Adamson
Kidding season is right around the corner - are you ready?  Having a maternity pen and doe checklist can help ensure a smooth delivery for the animals and make sure staff are prepared. 

By Sarah Adamson, Vita Plus dairy goat specialist
While most producers know it is important to give their does a dry period, many only give them 40 days.  Is that long enough?  Research shows it can take between 40 and 60 days to complete the necessary stages before a doe is ready to be an efficient producer again.  In this post, we look at the stages of the dry period and explain why it needs to be longer.

By Sarah Adamson, Vita Plus dairy goat specialist
The incorporation of the right buck could quickly improve your herd’s production and genetic potential. When you are considering a new buck, ask yourself these questions.

By Sarah Adamson, Vita Plus dairy goat specialist
With breeding season is right around the corner, buck health should be at the top of everyone's mind.  When evaluating buck health, focus on these five areas.