Hoof Trimming

On February 8, 2018 our class trimmed all of the goats hooves. We trimmed the hooves so they do not get overgrown. If they are overgrown, the animal is in pain and may lose an interest in eating and exercising. This is very bad for the health of the goat. They must be checked on a regular basis. 

Diagnosis of Worms in Goats

About 85% of the health related issues with goats revolves around worms. Goats are very prone to worms and will die if the deworming process is not completed. Some visible symptoms of goats having worms are sluggishness, loss of appetite and diarrhea. Worms invade the body and consume red blood cells, wound tissue, and excrete cancer-causing waste. The treatment process is as follows:
1. Use a chemical wormer to worm your goats.
2. To restore the natural balance to the digestive tract, provide a course of probiotics.
3. Begin giving an iron supplement to rebuild the red blood cell count.
4. Give 1 10cc sub-q injection of Bovi-Sera and Goat Serum. This will help strengthen the goat's compromised immune system.

Sheep Flipping

On Friday February 9th, we went to the farm and flipped the sheep. We did this because in March the sheep will be flipped for shearing. Once you flip the sheep, the sheep go into a trance and they are quite peaceful. This allows for more control. The wool of sheep can be used for clothing and accessories. It is important to shear the sheep because it is cleaner and prevents diseases from insects. Also, it is important to shear the sheep because they can go blind if the wool grows too long. To flip the sheep you put your left hand on the left horn and turn its head towards its stomach. Then, you take your right hand and put it under the sheep's stomach and pull the sheep up and back. While the sheep is flipped, you can trim the hooves, check for anemia in the eyes, and checking the teeth. However, it is most common to shear the sheep in this position.