Herd Health Program and General Management Practices for Angora Goats

Following shearing (clipping), which is typically done twice a year, provide sheds and adequate nutrition for your goatherd to prevent death due to freezing. Always provide adequate nutrition, especially in young animals up to 18 months old and in does during the last 6 weeks of gestation.

REMEMBER:

• Mohair growth occurs at the expense of body growth or fetal development.

• If nutrition, especially protein, is restricted, mohair continues to exceed the rate of fetal growth and development.

• Pregnancy toxemia is common with sheep and dairy goats, but rare among Angora does, which may abort if inadequate diet is maintained.

• There is a catch-22. High nutritional levels result in increased fiber diameters and a decrease in the value of mohair. If nutritional levels are too low, Angora goats reproduce at reduced rates.

The primary production goal in raising Angora goats is mohair. Unfortunately, the emphasis on intensive mohair production has been at the expense of the females' reproductive capabilities with many Angora does exhibiting poor mothering behavior. The major economic impacts a producer faces result from losses attributable to stress-induced abortions and predators.

More intensive rearing management conditions will result in more diseases or management problems, but your goal is to minimize them. The elimination of federal subsidies for wool and mohair will evolve into an unstable future for many current producers unless a new market niche is established for Angoras.

In establishing herd health program goals for integration into the management aspect of Angoras, major emphasis should focus on the following:

• Enhancing reproduction without sacrificing mohair quality.

• Reducing external parasite infestation, especially lice, and effectively minimizing internal parasites.

• Providing additional management and adequate nursing care, as needed, during outbreaks of contagious ecthyma (ORF, soremouth) and pinkeye.

• Providing a trace salt mineral mix highly palatable for goats.

Young Angora nannies should weigh 60 pounds before breeding, usually by the second fall after they are born. The breeding season is limited (August to November) and Angoras rarely breed out of season. The gestation period is 145 to 150 days, as with sheep.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS:

• Mastitis and enlarged teats can be partially avoided if does are not fed excessively before kidding and during the first week of milk production.

• Urinary calculi or "water belly," a frequent problem for males, can be prevented by increasing dietary Ca:PO4 ratio to 3:1. This dietary ratio is higher than the ratio for cattle or sheep.

• Coccidiosis can be controlled using 22.7 mg/100 pounds birth weight of decoquinate (Deccox) per day for at least 28 days or 20 g/ton of feed of monensin.

• Biting or sucking lice must be controlled on a regular basis to avoid itching and scratchingthat result in lower production and quality of mohair. To control lice, spray malathion (50 percent solution diluted 1 part per 100 parts of water) as the best treatment option. Apply 500 to 1,000 ml per animal after shearing and repeat 15 to 30 days later.

• Soremouth, a self-limiting viral disease, typically runs its course in 1-2 weeks. Treatment for secondary bacterial infections may be warranted.

Remember to obtain and use veterinary prescription drugs under an established veterinary-client-patient relationship to ensure safe handling and residue avoidance.