7 minute read
Not your typical buck purchase
from Spring 2017
by legacyiw
How to Battle Mites - Case Study
By Carol Rochester
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A little background to this story. In 2013 (for me the year of the great bucks), my friend’s Phenominal doe had to have a C-section, with 4 babies & Toxiemia. Nothing survived except a single buck kid, who was a fighter from day 1. With Cheila’s good care there was no way this buck would die.
ODDS grew into a fine yearling and was named AGAINT THE ODDS. When you read the rest of this story, no one could have known how appropriate the name would be.
ODDS grew into a handsome gentle yearling and was sold within the county. The following January ODDS was shown at the Fort Worth stock show by the six-year-old daughter of the owner. Odds won the young girl her first ABGA ribbon, but after their first kidding season the owners decided that goats were not for them, and Odds was for sale.
I offered to buy him. After all, as he was a son of Hummer, who had only a few sons. But, before I could pick him up; another buyer from down in the Texas Valley went by and bought him. Odds went many miles south; however we all stayed in touch and after almost 18 months in South Texas, producing some great stock, I received a message letting me know the buck was again for sale. As I was driving to 2017 Ft Worth stock show, I arranged to get back with the owner the day after the show finished. I was told he had been sold over the weekend, once again owning ODDS eluded me.
A few weeks went by and Cheila contacted me to let me know the sale of Odds had not gone through (I was soon to see why), and he was still available.
I contacted a good friend who did not hesitate to partner on the buck, and so I negotiated the purchase. Odds was delivered here on Feb 1, 2017. Here is where this story begins.
Against All Odds
ODDS arrived in the back of an unbedded pickup after a long 6 hour trip, and almost fell out he was so weak. I had waited almost two years to own this buck and it looked like he was not going to last more than a few days. I felt bad for my friend who had trusted my judgment on our purchase.
He was very thin and emancipated, covered in mange and lice, and had sore feet. He looked pathetic! He was so weak that he could not even raise his head above his shoulders; he had a huge deep sore on his back from biting at himself, but still had those big brown gentle soft eyes. He talked to me as I felt him over, and I knew all my skills on saving goats was now going to come into play, but where do I start what do I fix first?
I snapped a picture, which I sent to Cheila, and couple of other friends, and I honestly think this buck may have been saved by their prayers and his big heart. At least now he was comfortable in a horse stall with a deep bed of shavings to lie on or die on.
He was supposed to have been wormed day of travel, so I opted to treat the mange first with synergised 1% Pemethrin pour on, (available over the counter). I also gave him Electrolytes, Bovi Seri, Geritol and some really good sudan hay, which he started to eat right away. After the oil de-lice got into him, he looked even worse (if that could be possi-
ble), but he had a good appetite and started to gain a little strength, I knew he was going to have to be sheared but it was early February so I waited. Eleven days later, I wormed him with a paster dewormer (1.87% Ivermectin and 14.03% Praziquantel), and gave him a bath with some anti-itch oatmeal shampoo, which he seemed to enjoy. I started to put him outside in the sun for a few hours each day into a make shift pen away from everyone. He was holding his own but not really gaining any weight.
I went to a show and came back to a good warm seven-day forecast so Odds got his body clip and another bath. Three days later. he got his second de-lice. I used the same chemical, but I did this with a paint brush (new idea) so I could get underneath him where all the large scabs were and inside his thigh.
After the first de-lice, he would lay down and itch up under his thigh and belly with his horns. And he started to do that again with this second round. He looked awful with no hair and full of grease, but hopefully no more bugs.
I started to increase his grain slowly, and about five days later, he started to scour. It was really bad, all the steps he made forward suddenly went backwards in 24 hrs. I could not get the scouring stopped. I tried everything I could think of so he was started on a prescription medication. The Naxcel finally got his scours under control. Days later, he started to look a lot better. He now gets washed every three days, and is still pitifully thin, but I am hand grazing him on some fresh grass and spring weeds. I hope will help him internally, so things were really looking up.
Then out of the blue he scoured again. I was in shock, knowing all the medications never stopped it before, I gave him a dose of Di-Methoxine, (used for coccidia) deciding he must have real bad coccidia. The scours stopped about as quick as it started, so he went on my five-day protocol for coccidia.
He really has turned the corner - finally. His hair is starting to grow so he looks better, and he has lost the pot-belly look. He started to fill out, but I know this can go backwards in a blink of an eye. We will continue to monitor the progress of Odds so that others can hopefully learn from our journey.
I hope the next update will highlight a full recovery. I hope the story helps anyone who is suffering with lice-mites & mange. These infectious pests will pull a goat down fast. An infestation is hard to clean out -- all goats need treating a few times a year, especially those going to show barns. Please, do not be in denial. Goats have these things.
Circle R ShowStock since 1995 www.BoerGoatWorld.com 817-901-0751
Pictured 2 months into treatment, Odds is once again “Beating the Odds.”
Design by Karla Blackstock/Legacy IW Designs Sold at Newton Farms Dispersal Sale for $25,000
Blurred Vision kids provide the returns you deserve.
10+ straws: $100 ea. 1-9 straws: $125 ea. Progeny Wins Include: 2015 National Juior Champion Percentage Doe 2016 JABGA Overall National Res. Champion Percentage Doe 2016 ABGA Reserve Champion Fullblood Buck
Sold at Newton Farms Dispersal Sale for $11,000
The FACTS don’t lie - invest in the future of your program.
Progeny Wins Include: 2017 Fort Worth Stock Show Overall Grand Champion Doe 2014 ABGA National Res Champion Jr doe Full sister produced the 2015 ABGA National Overall Grand Champion Doe
10+ straws: $75 ea. 1-9 straws: $100 ea.
