Herd health is a primary issue for Claire Whiteside and her husband, Jim, when raising Boer meat goats in the Ozarks. The Whiteside’s raise their goats on 25 acres in Boone County, just south of Harrison.
Initially, the Whitesides had cattle. They realized early on that they didn’t have enough property to raise cattle profitably or properly. So, they looked for other livestock and found goats would be more fitting.
When they got rid of the cattle, the pasture began to be overgrown with weeds and young saplings. Claire knew that they had to do something to keep the land clear and get rid of the weeds. Not wanting to use herbicides or to be continually brush hogging, they thought goats might be the answer.
Focusing on Health
With the acquisition of their goat herd, Claire and Jim decided that prevention of disease and other health problems would be the number one priority.
First of all, they have their property divided into nine smaller paddocks and wooded areas, which enables them to move their herd from location to location. This prevents parasites and disease infestations, which is always a concern with goat herds. Claire said, “I try not to let them graze the grass below three inches because the worm larvae usually live below that height. I try to rotate them before the grass gets too short and after it rains in the summertime because that’s when the larvae hatch and start moving. And I also try not to come back to a pasture for about 30 days.”
Since a water source is not available in each paddock, the Whitesides manually transport fresh water to each paddock, even though pond water is available in some areas. Claire said she believes it is healthier to keep the goats out of a pond and keep their hoofs dry.
Claire has recently introduced a Kikko buck to the herd. Up to this point, the herd was a crossbred Boer herd. By adding the Kikko buck to the mix, they hope to make their herd even more parasite and disease resistant.
Copper’s Importance
Keeping copper supplement fed to the animals is a major concern as far as maintaining good goat health. She said, “I make sure they have plenty of copper. In the winter I feed the loose copper with protein.” Claire added, “The copper is important for their whole immune system. It helps fight the worms off, and it helps their feet too. It’s amazing what copper does for them.”
