Myotonic Goats Why Do They Faint?
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VOL. 97 NO. 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 • $4.99 U.S. •WWW.COUNTRYSIDENETWORK.COM MYOTONIC GOATS WHY DO THEY FAINT? LICE! ARE YOUR GOATS LOUSY? PREGNANT GOAT CARE An Easy Guide to PLUS Cheese Aging Equipment goat journal :: in this issue 18 58 06 From the Editor THE STORIES 58 Breed Profile: Boer Goats 08 Reader Feedback 31 A Weekend at Rendy by Tamsin Cooper Reader Letters, Fan Photos by Theresa Miller 62 Breeders Directory/Classifieds/ 13 Reader Spotlight 34 Changes to The IDGR Bookstore by Peggy Boone 14 Back from the Vet 68 Just for Fun by Katie Estill DVM 37 Put on a Happy Face! by Tamsin Cooper 70 Coming Attractions 16 Katherine’s Caprine Corner by Katherine Drovdahl 40 Are Your Goats Lousy? by Karen Kopf THE FEATURES 44 Got Brush? 18 Why Do Myotonic Goats by Marcia V. Stucki Faint? by Janet Garman 47 A Guide to Cheese Aging Equipment 23 Pregnant Goat Care by Kate Johnson by Kate Johnson 52 Secret Life of Goats: 28 Photo Essay Surfing Goats Pack Goat Rendezvous by Theresa Miller ON THE COVER Summer, from the farm Andy’s Acres in Carlton, Minnesota. Photo by Chelsea Dobs Photography. THE REAL WOLF JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 VOL. 97 NO. 1 By Ted B. Lyon & Will N. Graves CountrysideNetwork.com EDITORIAL Steph Merkle, Content Director [email protected] Marissa Ames, Editor [email protected] Samantha Ingersoll, Ann Tom Editorial Assistants CIRCULATION & MARKETING Ellen Grunseth, Marketing Director [email protected] Traci Laurie Publication Designer ADVERTISING Alicia Soper, Advertising Director [email protected] (715) 748-1388 Kelly Weiler [email protected] (715) 748-1389 Sue Lapcewich [email protected] (970) 373-7301 GENERAL MANAGER Mike Campbell [email protected] The Science, Politics, Goat Journal (ISSN 0011-5592, USPS 147-020) is published bi-monthly by Countryside Publications, 136 W Broadway Ave, Medford, WI 54451. and Economics of Coexisting with Periodicals postage paid at Medford, WI and Wolves in Modern Times other mailing offices. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of the editor or publisher. All contents of this issue of Goat Journal are A comprehensive look at one of copyrighted by Countryside Publications, 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is the most controversial prohibited, except by permission of the publisher. Editorial office: P.O. Box 566, Medford WI 54451. predators in North America. [email protected] Advertising office: Goat Journal, P.O. Box 566, ORDER AT Medford WI 54451. [email protected], Display advertising rates on request. CountrysideNetwork.com/shop Phone 715-748-1388, fax 715-785-7414. Subscriptions: (US funds): $24.99 per year; or call: 970-392-4419 2 years $39. Goat Journal Subscriptions, P.O. Box 1848, Carson City NV 89702. 970-392-4419. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. CORRECTION: (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY In our last issue, we incorrectly credited a photo within the FACILITIES: send address corrections to Goat Journal Subscriptions, P.O. Box 1848 Flower Crowns and Tutus photo essay. The photo of Carson City NV 89702. Michelle wearing a blue sweater was taken by Lisa Nichols. PRINTED IN THE USA. 4 GOAT JOURNAL | january/february 2019 WWW.COUNTRYSIDENETWORK.COM 5 goat journal :: from the editor Happy New Year! Ronda the prize-fighting fainting goat. RE YOU PLANNING TO MAKE CHANGES And do they have to be a specific breed to freeze this year or keep up the status quo? Increase and fall over? Contributor Janet Garman tells us Ayour goat herd or focus more on quality about fainting goats in one of our feature stories. characteristics? Finally learn to make cheese or just New years bring changes, whether we’re enjoy watching peaceful wethers eat your weeds? talking about your pregnant doe’s changing One year ago this month, my husband decided needs or new ownership and changes to he wanted fainting goats. I always chuckle when the International Dairy Goat Registry. he wants specific animals, because my focus is It’s not yet spring, and goats are still bedding livestock. His is pets ... the miniature lop rabbits, down inside barns, which increases chances for lice. the myotonic goats that don’t give much milk. But How do you know if your goats are lousy and how since he is so patient with my chicken math and goat can you treat it? We also have a breed profile of the multiplication, I immediately went looking for fainting popular Boer goats, a story about goats that surf at goats. I soon found a local woman who raises small, Pismo Beach, and results of a groundbreaking study silky myotonic lines and I purchased two does. My proving that goats prefer when humans smile. husband named them Ronda and Paige, after prize Do you own fainting goats or Boer goats? fighters. One doe had been bred, though the seller Do you have experiences with goats preferring didn’t know at what time. On February 15th, within their happy humans? Send your feedback and a week of bringing them home, Ronda gave birth to photos to us at [email protected] so we Buster and Manny. We enjoyed these tiny, bouncing, can display them within our next issue. hilarious babies until we admitted that there is only so much room for males on a small farm. We ENJOY YOUR NEW YEAR AND YOUR GOATS! advertised the little wethers and had a four-person waiting list! Myotonic goats are trendy right now! In YouTube videos and viral shares, they trip and fall over again and again. But why do goats faint? Marissa Ames, Editor 6 GOAT JOURNAL | january/february 2019 Registration is the foundation for building a valuable dairy goat herd. Performance Programs are the reinforcement. Request a free informaaon packet today. [email protected] or 828-286-3801 WWW.COUNTRYSIDENETWORK.COM 7 goat journal :: conversation in response to in response to MAKING GOAT MILK THE SECRET LIFE OF CARAMELS RODEO GOATS In the In the november/december 2018 issue: september/october 2018 issue: Received the Goat Journal yesterday. I was fascinated by the recipe for "caramel" the lady from AllThingsRanch provided I understand why AHA are now working to Goat Journal. What a wonderful gesture. Thanks so much to towards improving welfare within rodeo her and Goat Journal for sharing the recipe with us! Many thanks! sport, rather than trying to ban it. It is "Merci" "Gratias" difficult to oppose a popular cultural I couldn't wait to try it and I have it ready to go in the fridge. tradition. However, many welfare workers Can't wait for it to cool! SO easy to make and the taste … oh la la! find they have to work in activities they — Bob don't condone (e.g. fur trade). They ensure minimum standards to prevent long term stress. However, any animal that has natural predators will find pursuit and tying frightening and stressful. If goats are well- socialized to humans the risk is considerably WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! reduced. The goats' comments can be read in their postures and facial expressions. Send us your letters, whether positive, The Boer goatling does not appear at all constructive, or just to brag about your goats! distressed by the approach of the girl in the photo. However, the tied Kiko kid has a tense jaw and nostrils revealing distress. Goat Journal I can see that this method might P.O. Box 566 be needed for wild and feral animals. However tame, domestic animals should Medford, WI 54451 be trained and treated gently. I feel that encouraging children to compete in this or email activity is giving the wrong message. [email protected] — Tamsin Cooper of Goat Behaviour and Welfare 8 GOAT JOURNAL | january/february 2019 THANK YOU in response to GOAT CHEESE FOR THE SUPPORT FOR SALE OF OUR In the YOUNG READERS! september/october 2018 issue: Do you participate in 4-H, FFA, Grange, or other goat- showing endeavors? We would love to see your pictures! First, I enjoy the new format. While I only have dairy goats, I sell wethers for pulling and packing as well as pets. It’s interesting to hear from others on those issues. Knowing your roots in dairy goats, I was surprised to see the article “Goat Cheese For Sale?” didn’t mention goat share or herd share programs. In a share program, a consumer purchases a share in an individual doe’s production (or sometimes a share of the herd’s production, depending on state law). The consumer also pays a monthly or weekly boarding fee which reimburses a proportionate share of the farmer’s labor in milking and caring for the doe, feed costs, etc. These share programs are a viable means of getting milk directly from the farmer to consumers. I hope you’ll include information about shares in a future issue. — LeAnn Harner North Dakota Hi LeAnn, Thanks for your letter! We’re glad to hear that North Dakota offers herd shares! I live in a state (Nevada) where distributing milk from your animal is illegal except through very specific and stringent licensing requirements. Sadly, herd shares are not allowed here. We must own animals if we want milk that isn’t from a supermarket. As you said, it very much depends on individual state law. I urge all readers to contact their local USDA offices directly if they want to know whether they can buy/sell/share milk from small, private herds. Each state’s laws differ and change so often that it’s worthwhile to stay in touch with your own location’s requirements.