Office of the President By Cathy Van Wyhe Hello IMGA Members, Summer is almost here which means goat producers and enthusiasts will have many activities to attend and participate in this year. First, IM- GA Education Committee members Lyn McBride and Cheryl Hopkins have planned a wonderful educational event concerning goat nutrition to be held during the Iowa Sheep & Wool Festival June 9 th at 11:00 AM. Please mark your calendars and attend this event. The show folks in our group will have the opportunity to strut their goats at Adel as well on June 9. To participate in the Fun Show please check-in with Show Chairman Kim Erwin between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. This show is a show and go format which allows contestants to arrive, enter animals for the shows, pay entry fees, show and leave the same day. The show is open to anyone and will consist of market wethers and does plus breeding does (no bucks allowed at this show). June 16 th will be another show and go Fun Show, held at Eldon Iowa, with Rose Shepard and Janis Johnson as Show Co-Chairmen. The Eldon show will consist of market animals, breeding does and bucks. Entry fees for both shows are $10.00 per animal to be paid during registration at each show. The Youth Point Chase has started with the first show on May 19 th at Boer-nanza. Many youth have contacted me after this show totally excited about the show and the Chase. The IMGA will be announcing the winners of this Chase during our annual meeting which will be held September 8 at Indianola, Iowa. Again this year, the IMGA will be sponsoring a scholarship to be awarded to a youth furthering their education in an agricultural college or university in Iowa. We will announce our recipient later this year after the Iowa State Fair. As many know the Iowa State Fair will be including meat goats in the sale of champions, if you would like to contribute to the sale please contact me or complete the form located on the Iowa State Fair website under IFAA Sale of Champions. The IMGA September weekend to be held September 8 and 9 at the Warren County Fairgrounds, Indianola, Iowa will be full of events and activities. We will be crowning our new IMGA Meat Goat Queen on Saturday night during our annual meeting. The Board decided to change the meeting to Saturday evening which was suggested by the commercial breeders in our group. We will also have educational programs after the show on Saturday prior to the meeting which will include information on scrapie eradication laws. Other programs will be announced at a later date as we are finalizing the information with the presentation folks. As previously stated we will announce our Youth Points Chase winners at the annual meeting. Also there will be a costume contest, peewee showmanship, a silent auction and pot luck supper on Saturday evening. There will be two ABGA sanctioned goat shows; one on Saturday September 8 and the other on Sunday September 9. Finally during the annual meeting there will be an announcement of the new IMGA Board members for 2013. If you would like to run for a seat on the Board please contact any current Board member. We will have 3 seats available thus will need 4 candidates; terms that will be expiring are Kim Erwin, Myron Smalley and Cathy Van Wyhe. Each of the current Board members may run for re-election, at this time one member has decided not to run for re-election. The IMGA has joined forces with the National Goat Expo to be held in October at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Des Moines, Iowa. We will have a booth which will be located in the Sheep Barn with other Associations including the American Boer Goat Association. A committee is being formed to design the booth layout and determined what our one hour time slot presentation will contain. If you are interested in joining this committee and/or assisting at the National Goat Expo please contact either Cheryl Hopkins at boerdoe@aol.com or me at rcvanwyhe@iowatelecom.net. If interested any producer may become a member of the National Goat Expo Association & Club by sending membership dues to Jennifer Parrish. The form to join is located on the NGE website. In conclusion I hope it is apparent the IMGA is working hard to promote the goat in the state of Iowa. Also, hopefully all IMGA members can see the Board of Directors have listened to you and are implementing programs and events to accommodate all members of the group in one way or another. Sincerely, Cathy Van Wyhe IMGA President 1
Index Presidents Letter Page 1 Trickman Boer Goats Page 1 Index Page 2 Schedule of events Page 2 JB Boer Page 2 Stitch-N-Room Page 2 Scrapies Page 3 Windrush Boer Goats Page 4 JRCN Boer Goats Page 4 Recipes Page 4 Killian Boer Goats Page 5 Killian Boer Goats Page 5 IMGA Sale Page 5 J Bar K Boer Goats Page 5 Money Saving Ideas Page 5 Coccidiosis Page 6 Coccidiosis Page 7 Advertising Page 7 IFAA Page 7 Goat Meat Taste Test Page 8 New Goat Terminology Page 8 Disclaimer Page 9 Board of Directors Page 9 Advertising Rates Page 9 IMGA on Facebook Page 10 Boer-Nanza Page 10 Promoting the Goat Page 10 Handy Boer Goats Page 10 Types of Wormers Page 11 Silly Goats Page 12 2012 Schedule of Events Tall Corn Meat Goat Extavaganza - June 2, Grinnell IA Sheep & Goat Festival fun show - June 9, Adel IA Wapello County Fair fun show - June 16th Eldon IA Southern Iowa Sho N Go June 30th Osceola IA ABGA Nationals June 11-16 Duncan Ok Minne - Goat - A - July 7-8 Jordan MN Southern IA Show- July 28 Oskaloosa IA 2012 Tall Corn ABGA Open Meat and Boer Goat Show - August 4-5 Washington Count Fairground Iowa State Fair - August 18 Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa Meat Goat Association Shows - September 8-9 Indianola Fairgrounds 2
SCRAPIE ERADICATION Submitted by Rob Vincent Currently, the US has a mandatory scrapie eradication program. Scrapie is a neurological (affects the nervous system) disease of sheep and goats. It was first noticed in Spain in the mid 1700 s and came to the US from the UK through Canada with imported sheep in 1947. Signs that may be seen in affected animals are: abnormal gait (walking in a strange way), star gazing, not keeping up with the herd, isolating themselves from the herd, rubbing on objects (itchy scrapie!), weight loss, and ultimately death. An animal may have scrapie and show no signs until later in the disease when death occurs. This disease is always fatal. There is no cure or treatment. Animals most likely become infected when they are young and are exposed to the infectious agent. It takes two things to become infected: susceptibility (ability to become infected all goats are susceptible, our current scientific understanding is there is no genetic resistance like there is in sheep), plus exposure to the infectious agent in large enough amounts to infect the susceptible animal. In the US, goats most frequently become infected after exposure to infected sheep. The infectious agent (we currently believe this to be a Prion), is in the highest concentration in the placental tissues and fluids, thus, when an infected animal lambs or kids, she exposes her offspring and also contaminates the environment where she lambs or kids. The more infected animals that are lambing or kidding in an area, the more contamination there is and the more risk for infection. Thus, goats housed with infected sheep during lambing and kidding, or put into an area where many infected sheep previously lambed, could become infected. Once goats become infected, they can then infect other goats even if sheep are not present. Why do we want to eradicate scrapie? Scrapie costs US producers 20-25 million dollars annually. This loss is due to death of infected animals, increased cost of disposing of carcasses, offal, etc., and loss of potential export of animals, embryos, and semen. There is a low prevalence of scrapie in goats and eradicating it can be cost effective. In other words, the time is right. Please note, there has never been a case of scrapie transmitted to humans, thus, sheep and goats are safe to eat. How are we eradicating scrapie? Producers (you), markets, dealers, slaughter plants, and the Federal and State governments, are all working together to eradicate scrapie. This is being done in several ways. Sheep have the fortunate ability to have genetic resistance to scrapie if they are of a certain genotype (RR considered resistant in the US, and QR only very rarely susceptible in the US). Thus, many sheep producers are using RR rams and produce only resistant (RR or QR) offspring and thus decrease the prevalence of scrapie in sheep. The government is working with slaughter plants to sample sheep and goats for scrapie and if a scrapie positive animal is found, the animal is traced, via its official identification back to the flock or herd of origin or birth and that flock or herd is cleaned up, thereby preventing more spread of scrapie. Thus, when you officially identify your goats (or sheep) with an official tattoo or official ear tag, that identification is an essential component of scrapie eradication in the US. Please continue to use your official identification of your animals when you show them, sell them, trade them, or give them away. If you have a registered herd but have not registered your registration tattoo with USDA, please call Lisa at 1-866-USDATAG and she can help you get that registered. If your animals are not registered, she can help you get official ear tags or an official tattoo. Also, please call your local veterinarian or a USDA or IDALS (Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship) veterinarian if you see signs of scrapie in your animals. The USDA or IDALS veterinarians will come free of charge to work to determine if your animal has scrapie (USDA & IDALS cannot; however, help you with any other diagnosis of disease in your goats or sheep.) How can you keep scrapie out of your herd? The US has worked very hard to eradicate scrapie for the past 11 years and there is now much less scrapie than when we began. Only 3 15 flocks/herds were found to be infected with scrapie last year in the US and no scrapie infected flocks have been found in Iowa since June 2010. However, this does not mean the job is over and there is no risk to your goat herd. While the risk to your herd is low; you always want to weigh the cost of preventing or lowering the risk versus the potential cost of not doing that. Here are some things to consider. If you have goats, and you are kidding them where sheep lambed, and you did not do a very good job of cleaning up before you started to use your old lambing barn for kidding, you might wish to go back now and do a good cleaning of that area. Don t lamb and kid using the same site or building if you can afford to avoid using that area. If your main business is raising goats but you want to have a few female sheep you wish to breed, be sure those sheep have an official genotype test and they are RR or QR and keep the paperwork that proves that.. Keep that documentation even if you dispose of those sheep. ALL goats are considered susceptible so, if you have 100 goats and also have a female sheep that lambs or aborts on your farm and later is found to be positive for scrapie, the current herd cleanup plan would most likely require the destruction of ALL the goats potentially exposed to the scrapie disease agent. Based on the current prevalence of scrapie, the risk of your flock either having or contracting scrapie is low, but not impossible. I hope some of the facts above help you to make decisions that are best for your situation. Going forward, the scrapie eradication program plans to do more slaughter surveillance in goats. The US has to do a prescribed amount of surveillance to find any remaining cases of scrapie in our sheep flocks or goat herds. Once we believe we are at zero prevalence, hopefully by 2017, the US will continue to do surveillance to continue to prove that scrapie has been eradicated from the US. Your continued use of official ID will make that possible. Thank you for your continued use of official ID. If you have questions after reading this article, please feel free to call either of the Scrapie Designated Epidemiologists for Iowa, Dr. Greg Schmitt (IDALS) at 515-669-5633 or Dr. Sharon Fairchild (USDA APHIS VS) at 515-669-3727.
Recipes Barbqued leg of Goat Ingredients 1 Hindquarter of young goat 1 Clove garlic 1 Tsp salt 1/4 tsp finely ground pepper 1 cup wine vinegar 1/4 tsp cumin A pinch of Rosemary 1/2 cup your favorite bbq sauce optional Direction: Clean meat; remove as much fat as possible. Rub meat well with cut garlic clove. Rub in salt and pepper. Place over hot coals on grill. Brush with remaining ingredients mixed together. Turn and brush about every 15 minutes for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check to see if meat is done by cutting a small piece. If still pink, cook a little longer. May be baked in a large pan in a 350 degree oven for the same time. Turn and brush frequently. Serve with sauce from pan. Goat Curry 2 pounds goat meat (stew meat or chili meat works) 1 large onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 hot pepper, chopped and seeded (if you like it hot, leave the seeds in) 2 tablespoons of curry powder salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cups of water Cut meat into bite sized pieces if it's not already cut up. Combine with the onion, garlic, hot pepper, curry powder, and salt and pepper in a re-sealable bag. Let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the meat and vegetables until evenly cooked. Add the water, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Correct the seasonings to taste and add more water if needed after the hour, then continue to cook until the meat is tender, 20-25 minutes more depending on the meat. Serve over white rice with green bananas, fried plantains and chutney, or anything you want. You can also add cubed sweet potato or tomatoes to the curry as it cooks. Goat meat from an adult goat is called chevron, meat from a young goat is called kid or cabrito. Depending upon how the goat is raised, the meat can be mild or strong. Goat meat can be prepared in many ways, such as grilled, stewed, baked, barbecued, fried or even made into sausage. Lean goat meat is rich in protein and flavor, though the meat can be on the tough side, depending on the age of the animal. A great choice for low cholesterol diets. A serving of goat has half the calories of beef or lamb, one-third the calories of pork and about the same amount of calories as skinless chicken. Goat meat is a common ingredient in Mediterranean and Spanish dishes, as well as Mexican dishes prepared with cabrito, which is the meat of a young goat. Many Caribbean dishes call for goat as well, using a blend of curries. Traditional cooking methods are to sauté, roast or barbecue (which in the strictest sense of the word involves smoking the meat slowly over wood coals to tenderize the roast, flank or steaks). Old world spices for goat include cumin, chili peppers, curry, garlic and rosemary. 4
IMGA Sale Submitted by Cathy Van Wyhe To have a goat sale or not; that is the question posed in the Iowa Meat Goat Association. Near the end of 2011 the IMGA Board of Directors questioned the membership if there was a desire to have a meat goat production sale in 2012. The results of the survey showed there was a definite interest in both selling and purchasing meat goats in some type of organized sale if one were to be held in Iowa. The current Board of Directors hashed the possibility of sponsoring a sale in 2012 but, decided after much discussion, there were too many areas of improvement needing attention concerning meat goats thus tabled the a sale until 2013. Two IMGA members Tracy Pettyjohn and Kim Hall took matters in their own hands. Tracy contacted the sale barn in Knoxville, Iowa to see if they would be interested in hosting a production sale in late Summer or early Fall. I have spoken with the Knoxville Sale Barn and they are willing to allow the IMGA to have a sale at that facility. Cory (owner of the barn) says he perfectly fine with that, we would just have to provide the help Set up, clean up etc said Pettyjohn. Tracy went on to say There is a full restaurant there and the facility would be perfect for a sale. Members who are interested in a possible production sale at Knoxville this year please contact Tracy at TPettyjohn@cstinc.com or give her a call at 641-218-8956. Kim Hall of Colfax, Iowa has also been working on a potential sale but at the Colfax Sale Barn. Kim has talked with owner Shaun Cogley and has had positive responses from Cogley. The Colfax facility also has a restaurant onsite and holds a general livestock sale on Saturdays. The owner is willing to allow the IMGA use of the facilities and staff to host a sale in the future. They are very interested in a wether sale in the Spring, but would also have a production sale. stated Kim Hall. If you are interested in a sale at Colfax please contact Kim Hall at 515-494-5506 or marvlind@gmail.com. The general consensus of the membership of the IMGA is a need to improve marketing of meat goats in Iowa by Iowa producers. Most members appear to be interested in hosting an organized sale; but a sale will take hours of organization, labor and cooperation. Two IMGA members are willing to organize a sale in 2012 and 2013; these members will need assistance from others in the organization. With this said if you are interested in a sale or sales organized and sponsored by the IMGA please contact either Tracy Pettyjohn or Kim Hall. Money Saving Ideas By Rose Shepard PVC Mineral Feeder Cut a 3' piece of 4" PVC. Glue a Y on the end of it. Cut a 3" piece of PVC and glue on the bottom of the Y Glue a screw on clean out on the bottom. Use a cap for the top. Don t glue it May also be used for loose salt or baking soda 5
Coccidiosis, the Most Common Cause of Diarrhea in Young Goats Jean-Marie Luginbuhl Extension Meat Goat Specialist Kevin L. Anderson Professor of Ruminant Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine Coccidiosis is the most common cause of diarrhea in goats between 3 weeks and 5 months of age. This is particularly true when goats are housed in confinement. Coccidiosis is most likely to strike young goats shortly after weaning because of the stress of being suddenly separated from their dam. Coccidiosis is caused by microscopic protozoan parasites called coccidia (Eimeria spp.). Coccidia live in the intestinal cells of goats. Coccidia go through a complex life cycle in the intestinal cells. In the process, they produce large numbers of eggs (oocysts) that are passed in the feces. In the process of growth and multiplication in the goat intestinal epithelial cells, the coccidia may destroy many intestinal cells. This may cause diarrhea and other signs of coccidiosis. Nearly all (or most) adult goats carry coccidia in their intestines. The very small eggs or oocysts passed in the feces of adult goats hatch in the environment and goat kids pick up the infective stages of the coccidia either directly from the manure or in contaminated feed and water. When present in small numbers, coccidia normally are not a problem. Therefore, the number of coccidia that invade the intestines will determine the severity of the infection. There are many different species of coccidia, some being non-pathogenic, and others being either mildly, moderately, or severely pathogenic. In other words, feces may for example contain a high number of nonpathogenic coccidia eggs, or a low number of the most severe pathogenic coccidia eggs. In general, if the animals do not show any clinical signs, the infection is not significant. In the presence of appropriate temperature, moisture and oxygen, coccidia eggs (oocysts) passed in the feces sporulate (hatch) and become infective in one to several days and can readily contaminate feed and water. Upon ingestion by other goats, these sporocysts pass through the stomach and into the intestines. Then the sporocysts invade the lining of the intestines and undergo several changes. Sick, young and stressed goats (weaning is extremely stressful on kids) are more susceptible and in these cases the coccidia may proliferate. It is this damage, the destruction of cells lining the intestines and the rupturing of blood vessels, which give rise to the symptoms of coccidiosis. When a coccidiosis outbreak begins, only good sanitation and isolation of sick animals will prevent its spread through the herd. Coccidia eggs are resistant to many disinfectants and may survive more than a year in the environment. They will stay alive in a pasture as long as they are in a moist and dark environment, but will die when temperatures drop below freezing. Goats that survive coccidiosis develop a degree of immunity to future coccidia problems. What are the symptoms of coccidiosis? The symptoms of coccidiosis are divided into two categories: subclinical and clinical. Subclinical cases result in a decrease in feed intake and weight gain, and are difficult to detect because of the absence of diarrhea. Clinical cases can vary from some loss of appetite and decrease in weight gain and slight, short lived diarrhea to severe cases involving great amounts of dark, bloody and foul smelling diarrhea, fluid feces containing mucous and blood, persistent straining in attempt to pass feces, loss of weight, rough hair coat, dehydration, and in some cases death within 24 hours. The primary pathology associated with coccidiosis involves intestinal cell destruction. Scarring and rupture of the cilia of the lining of the intestines following treatment or recovery may result in permanently unthrifty and stunted goats because the ability of these goats to absorb digested food is impaired. Diagnosis is based on history, symptoms and microscopic examination. Presence of coccidia eggs in the feces of normal goats indicates that the goats are infected, but not necessarily diseased. Coccidia eggs (oocysts) can be found in the feces of most goats, including healthy goats. 6 How to minimize the risk and/or to prevent coccidiosis? Good husbandry practices are the best preventive measures against coccidiosis. Regular removal of manure and wasted feed, not feeding on the ground, designing feeders and water systems that minimize fecal contamination, providing a clean source of water, cleaning water tanks and feeders regularly, making sure that watering systems do not leak and that sufficient sunlight enter buildings are examples of such husbandry practices. If goats are kept on solid floors during the winter, maintaining clean and dry bedding is important. On farms where coccidiosis problems keep recurring, it may be advisable to treat the herd preventively. Several choices are available depending on the situation: 1. Feeding feeds containing a coccidiostat: 2. a. Decoquinate (Deccox ). Feeds containing Deccox are available commercially. 3. Decoquinate is approved for goats. 2. Drenching goats with oral dose of amprolium solution (Corid - 9.6%). Treat all adult goats, yearlings, and especially kids because kids are especially susceptible at weaning. Amprolium is not labeled for goats. 3. Alternatively, adding amprolium (Corid ) to the drinking water. During treatment, it is important to limit the water supply of the goats and to make sure that they do not have access to any other water source. Be aware that adding amprolium (Corid ) to the drinking water can be wasteful and expensive, as positive results cannot be guaranteed because they strongly depend on water consumption by the goats. 4. Other feeds containing coccidiostats: a. Monensin (Rumensin ). Monensin is labeled for goats. b. Lasalocid (Bovatec ). Lasalocid is not labeled for goats. Continued on page 7
Continued from page 6 How to treat coccidiosis? When goats come down with the symptoms of coccidiosis: 1. Drenching them orally with amprolium (Corid - 9.6%) for 5 consecutive days. This is the most effective form of treatment. Amprolium is not labeled for goats 2. Sulfa drugs (sulfadimethoxine) such as Albon are most effective in the early stages of acute infections when coccidia are multiplying rapidly. Sulfa drugs may not cure all stages of coccidiosis but are often given to infected goats to prevent secondary infections such as bacterial enteritis. Sulfadimethoxine is not labeled for goats. ADVICE and CAUTION 1. Whether treating goats against coccidiosispreventively or goats having come down with the clinical symptoms of coccidiosis, always consult first with an animal health specialist (local veterinarian, cooperative extension agent, etc.) for specific directions about which product and dosage to use, the route of administration (feed or oral), meat and milk withdrawal times, etc. 2. A vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency can be created by using amprolium (Corid ) too often. It is advisable to give animals an injection of Thiamin hydrochloride when treating goats against coccidiosis for 5 consecutive days. 2. Amprolium (Corid ) has a 24-hour 3. Meat withdrawal before harvest. Sulfadimethoxine (Albon ) has a 3. 7-day meat withdrawal before harvest. What are the important facts to remember about coccidiosis? 1. Coccidia are very host specific. Therefore the species of coccidia that infect goats infect goats only. Coccidia found in birds, cattle, dogs, and rabbits will NOT infect goats. The coccidia of sheep, however, may be responsible for some infection in goats and therefore should be regarded as suspect. 2. Virtually every goat has some level of infection, but illness occurs only in some animals. Fecal samples from virtually any goat of any age, sex, breed, and physiological stage will contain coccidia eggs. 3. THE DISEASE IS ALMOST ALWAYS GOING TO OCCUR IN YOUNG ANIMALS. KIDS LESS THAN 5 MONTHS OF AGE ARE ES- PECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE. Kids will become infected early on from the environment. Adults will have immunity to the parasite that is pretty effective in preventing disease, but not infection. 4. The primary sign of coccidiosis is diarrhea. Look for the signs of the infection in stressed animals. Happy, wellnourished kids left with their dam may show no diarrhea until they are weaned. THE STRESS OF WEANING MAY DEPRESS IMMUNITY ENOUGH FOR THE COCCIDIA TO GET THE UPPER HAND AND CAUSE INFECTION. 5. Good husbandry practices are the best preventive measures against coccidiosis such as removing manure, feeding off the ground, not letting goats jump into feeders (a real challenge), cleaning feed troughs and water tanks regularly, etc. Coccidiostats include amprolium (Corid ), decoquinate (Deccox ), monensin (Rumensin ), lasalocid (Bovatec ) and sulfadimethoxine (Albon ). These products may be used in the feed or water to prevent the development of the infection. Amprolium(Corid ), lasalocid (Bovatec ) and sulfadimethoxine (Albon ) are not labeled for goats. Advertising Don t forget, that as a member of the Iowa Meat Goat Association you get free classified advertising on our website. We can now put colored pictures along with your ad. You are welcome to put anything you want to sell. Whether its goats, soaps, equipment, trailers etc. You will not have to log in, the log in area is only for a couple people that do the web updating. Please remember that the updates are done around the 1st and the 15th of each month for the classifieds. Just fill out the form and we will get your ad in. Also if you sell your item please let Cathy know so that we can remove the ad. Also we have very reasonable rates in our newsletter for your business cards. The rate is 10.00 per quarter or 30.00 per month. All of our advertising rates are listed on page 9. IOWA FOUNDATION for AGRICULTURAL ADVANCEMENT (IFAA) Just a reminder, if you would like to start supporting the Iowa State Fair "Sale of Champions" Meat Goats - you may do so now through sale time by contacting the IFAA (www.ifaa.org). Anyone can donate funds to the sale - in any denomination. It is very simple - choose to support the IFAA and complete the online form (Join Us). There will be a section of the form where you can state you want your support to be directed towards the Meat Goats Only - this is located towards the end of the form. Please support the Meat Goats - if every member of the IMGA, $50.00 of support that would generate $5,000.00 in support. Think about it -- that would definitely send the message "Promote the Goat!" Also don t forget if you have a student who is going to college they need to apply for the IMGA scholarship. It is a 500.00 scholarship. It s a great way to help your student and your wallet. 7
Goat Meat Taste Test Submitted by Molly Vincent As part of his 4 th grade school science project, Andrew Vincent, 10 year old son of IMGA members Rob and Molly Vincent, conducted a blind taste test experiment with goat meat. During his background research, Andrew discovered that goat meat is a very lean, healthy meat, but he wanted to know how closely it compared to beef in taste knowing that taste is likely the most compelling attribute to increasing goat meat consumption. Andrew s family has served grilled goat burgers to friends, and they weren t even aware they were eating goat, not beef. So, Andrew wanted to see how goat meat would stack up in a blind taste test. Andrew conducted his taste test at a local Polk County Fair Board meeting. He had 20 participants. The goat and beef samples were labeled A & B. The samples were made in the exact same way, with the exact same seasonings. Following the taste test, each participant filled out a survey form that asked if they could identify which sample was beef and which was goat, how tasty each of the meats was, which one they preferred, and how likely the would be to eat each of the meats again. The results of the taste test were surprising to Andrew and his family. Following are some of the highlights: 8 of the 20 people (40%) misidentified the goat as beef and the beef as goat, suggesting nearly half could not tell the difference between the two. On a scale of 1-10 where 1 means not at all tasty and 10 means very tasty, the goat scored a little bit higher with an average tastiness score of 8.8, and the beef scored an average of 8.65. Half of the people (10) indicated they preferred beef, while 7 people preferred goat, and 3 had no preference between the two meats. 16 of the 20 people indicated they were very likely to try goat again, and 17 were very likely to try beef again. Only one person responded they were not very likely to try beef again, and one person responded they weren t very likely to try goat again. The results of Andrew s blind taste test are very encouraging to get people to try goat meat. It was surprising how well goat meat stacked up to beef in this blind taste test. There is a great story to tell about goat meat. With a taste similar to one of the most widely consumed meats, coupled with the health benefits of this lean red meat, goat meat is sure to catch on! Molly Vincent New Goat Terminology Submitted by Dori Sweet I would now like to introduce a new terminology in the goat world. Here is a goat suffering from bottle neck. I am lumping this in with the group of rubberneckers that fall into misfortune because they were not looking where they were going. This poor little boy was feeling really boxed in when I rescued him he was suffering from feeling blue, These here kids are very abled at maneuvering themselves into such ridiculous situations that they make their humans look really smart in comparison. It was just the other day my mom called all upset Her baby doeling was missing. She was about 3 days old and was missing from the yard. Her mom was all over baaaing for her and my mom had been in the yard mowing the lawn all day. After many searches, she showed up the next morning in fine health and it was discovered that she found a hiding place in the center of a wire spool, her mom was really really glad to see her. My mom thinks she is a beautiful but ornery lil baby. When you work with goats, the unexpected seems to be the norm. So, would ya say that to own goats, being a colorful character is needed to be a happy goat producer? 8
2012 IMGA Show Weekend The IMGA would like to remind all members that we are here to serve all meat goat producers which includes all meat goat breeds, both commercial and show. In order to help accommodate all members we are: 1. Moving the 2012 annual meeting and election of officers to Saturday night. 2. Throughout the day we will have our annual silent auction. If there is something you would like to donate feel free to bring it along. Last year there was lots of action and fun as people tried to out bid their friends by as little as a penny. 3. We have invited a guest speaker to hold a seminar. We will announce the speaker at a later date. 4. We will also be having a pot luck BBQ, details to follow. 5. The Junior Points chase winner will be announced 6. 2012 Meat Goat Queen will be announced 7. Also a new class has been added to the show it s the Best Iowa Bred, Born and Raised Mother/Daughter Pair Best Iowa Bred, Born and Raised Mother/Daughter Pair By Rose Shepard We have added a new class to the Iowa Meat Goat show in September. Best Iowa Bred, Born and Raised Mother/Daughter pair. We are hoping this class will show off the quality genetics that are passed on by the does. When people ask about the genetics of a animal they are usually wanting to know who sired it. There is a tendency to forget that the doe also contributes 50% of the genetics to the kids. So this is your chance to show off your does and what she passes on to her kids. So get your best does and their daughters ready. Lets show these girls off. The does can be any age --- they can be an older doe and a two year doe -- a yearling with a kid -- whatever combination -- the animals must be mother and daughter and the daughter must be Bred, Born and Raised in Iowa. Board of Directors Cathy Van Wyhe, President Robert Vincent, Vice President Rose Shepard, Secretary Myron Smalley, Treasurer Kim Erwin, Director Mike Harman, Director Janis Johnson, Director The Iowa Meat Goat Association is a non-profit organization and any donations are tax deductible up to 50% of your income. Advertising rates for the IMGA Newsletter When ads are submitted for the newsletter, payment must accompany the ad. The advertising costs are for members and business that are non members. (see disclaimer) Costs (per issue) Full Page $80.00 Half Page $40.00 Fourth Page $20.00 Business Card $10.00 per issue/$30.00 per year (4 issues) Classified $5.00 for to 7 lines Send your ad and payment to: Rose Shepard 4872 103rd St Montezuma IA 50171 Newsletter Disclaimer Submissions welcomed and encouraged Only those of constructive and informative information will be published. The author s views do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the IMGA. We reserve the right to refuse or edit any and all material. Please ask permission before reproducing IMGA newsletter content. Authors retain all copyrights, responsibilities and privileges thereof. This is a community built project and we try to compile helpful information. For veterinary assistance, please seek the advise of a licensed veterinarian. 9
Schrader Family Supports the Goat Submitted by June Schrader Our family continues to "Promote the Goat" whenever we can. We took a doe and bottle baby along with one of our lambs to Tractor Supply Co in Cedar Rapids this past weekend. It was a 4-H promotion and a way to show our animals off to the public. It was funny how many people said, "Oh, we used to have goats growing up but they didn't look like these!" Of course, Clifford the bottle baby was the popular one! Later on this month, we have also been asked to talk about raising goats at a homegrown class that our local extension office is holding. 2012 Boer-Nanza By Rose Shepard The 2012 Boer-Nanza was held at the Linn County Fairgrounds and it was a huge success with over 200 entries each day Including entries from MN, IA, IL, OK and MO. The quality of goats that were there I am sure could compete anywhere in the world. There were 2 open shows and a JABGA show. The JABGA show had 26 exhibitors, and they are a great group of kids. There were so many goats it took 4 buildings to hold them all. A huge thank you to Barbie Waltz and her family for all their hard work also a huge thank you to the Schrader family who helped with all that work. You guys did a great job and I am sure I can speak for everyone that the show was a huge success. Thanks for kicking the show season off to a wonderful start. IMGA on Facebook The Iowa Meat Goat Association is now on Facebook so feel free to check us out and post any info you want. Just go to Facebook and in the search box type in Iowa Meat Goat Association. Also don t forget to keep an eye on the IMGA website, we have several ads listed in the classifieds and you can now add photo s to your ads. 10
Wormers and Dosages Ivermectin Safeguard/Panacur (Fenbendazole) Valbazen (albendazole 11.36%) Injectable No Longer Effective in much of the world. Oral Suspension 1cc per 110 lb. If orally, 1 cc per 25 pounds, in severe worm cases may be given at 1 cc per 20 pounds; see disclaimer below If used, dose at 1 cc per 5 pounds and repeat in 2 days. 1cc per 20-25 pounds, severe tapeworm problems may need to worm at 1 cc per 10 pounds 11 Safe for all stages of pregnancy, breeding bucks and kids.one wormer that is not easily overdosed. Safe for all stages of pregnancy, breeding bucks and kids. Milk withholding 5 days Dectomax (doramectin 1%) Injectable, given orally 1 cc per 25 pounds Milk withholding 36 days Eprinex (eprinomectin 5mg) Pour-On 1 cc per 10 pounds No milk withholding Tramisole/Levasole (levamisole) Levamisole Hydrochloride Soluble Pig Wormer Levasole (levamisole hydrochloride) Cydectin (moxidectin) Cydectin Sheep Drench Synanthic/Benzelmin (oxfendazole) Valbazen & Tramisole Synanthic & Tramisole Worming Notes Injectable Mix according to package and give orally 2 cc per 100 pounds given SQ 1cc per 20 lbs (Don't overdose) Milk withholding 4 days. Effective against Lungworms. Should worm with something like Ivermectin 5-7 days before using this wormer Conflicting Milk withholding times of anywhere from 4-36 days Milk withholding 4 days. Effective against Tapeworms. Do Not use in first 45 days of pregnancy. Effective against Tapeworms. Safe for use in pregnant animals Some goats may have skin reactions Safe for pregnant animals. This is a very strong wormer, use with caution. Sheep Boluses 0.184 grams 1 bolus per 50 per pounds] 72 hour milk withdrawl Repeat in 3 weeks Pour-On given orally (may contain diesel) Give 2 times the sheep dose to goats 2-3 times the label amount Mix large package (46.8) grams of Tramisole in 1 Liter of Valbazen Mix large package (46.8) grams of Tramisole in 1 Liter of Synanthic You can use horse ivermectin paste for goats 8 cc per 100 pounds Given orally Must be given for 3 days in a row if treating tapeworms Give 8 cc per 100 pounds orally Give 8 cc per 100 pounds orally dose at 3 times the horse amount Quest horse wormer is the same, but I am unsure of the dosage that would be used. Milk withhold time not established No milk withholding time has been established. Milk withholding time not established Milk withholding time not established a 100 pound goat would be dosed at the 300 lb mark on the syringe Milk withholding not established Label on bottle helps with weights Do not use in pregnant animals Be careful on estimating weights of goats Be careful on estimating weights of goats Safe for all stages of pregnancy and any age goat Doing a fecal will tell you what worms you are dealing with and will help you choose the right wormer. Checking the inner bottom eyelids of your goats will also help you know if you are dealing with worms. The bottom inner eyelid should be bright pink to red in color, anything less than this indicates worms. Rotating your wormer between 2-3 different products can help you keep a good control on the worms and to not build up a resistance. For example you can use Ivomec during the breeding season because it won't injure fetus and Valbazen right after delivery because this is a time of severe stress. It's a good idea to give a dose of Probios(R) on the day following oral worming to help restore rumen flora. Repeating the worming dosage at 3 weeks will help kill larvae/eggs. The minerals you feed your goats play a HUGE role on parasites. Each mineral interacts with each other to assure proper absorption. Loose minerals made specifically for goats are the best. This list includes many wormer's that ARE NOT labeled for goats, meaning we use them OFF LABEL. You use them at your own risk. We are not veterinarians, so please consult a veterinarian before using any of the above wormer's. Goat wisdom and its members will not be held liable for any health issues you encounter when using the above wormer's. More specifically, we do not recommend the oral use of injectable ivermectin without consulting with your vet.
Iowa Meat Goat Association Iowa Meat Goat Association Rose Shepard Secretary 5124 16th St Lynnville IA 50153 May 2012 Newsletter Silly Goats By Rose Shepard Chocolate is a 2 year old doe who is a drama queen on any given day and when she went into labor she was even more so. When I noticed she was in labor, I gathered my supplies and a bucket to sit on. As I sat with her and she talked her head off more than usual. One minute she was standing there being petted, the next she decided it was more comfortable to stand on her block. When that didn t work she plopped over on her side like she was dying. I was laughing at her which I am sure she didn t appreciate but she got over it, with the next contraction. Jumping up yelling even louder and shoving her head back in my lap. Then when she finally decided it was time to push she sat up like a dog, so the kids couldn t get out. I made her get up and within minutes out popped 3 beautiful kids all unassisted. It was the funniest kidding, I have ever seen. Not only is she a drama queen but she was one silly goat. 12