Choosing a Buck

by Sue Huston

There are those that say a buck is 50% of the herd, but there are others that believe that the buck gives more than 50%. Either way that buck should be chosen with great care.

To begin, look at his dam to see what her general conformation is and especially look at her udder. Does she have a good udder attachment? Is her rear udder held high keeping the udder out of harms way? Does her fore udder blend smoothly from the udder to the belly? Does she milk well and does she milk easily.

When choosing a buck look at his general conformation that he is level across the top and that he does not have a sloping rump. The Kinder goat is a dual purpose goat so the buck needs to carry fleshing in this front end, neck and shoulder area. Take a good look at the rear of the animal. His hind legs need to be spaced far apart with good angulation to those hind legs. That scrotal attachment needs to be high and tight, the scrotal should be even and not loop sided.

The feet and legs of the buck should be strong making sure that he is not weak in his pasterns. The toes should be close together so as not to toe out. If buying a mature buck make sure he is not over the breed standard which is 28 inches. You do not want a buck with very long legs like those of the dairy animals but you want an animal that has shorter legs that will give you the dual purpose Kinder.

Remember that there are very few male Kinder that should be used as a herd sire. Take time and look closely at the buck that you are going to buy to improve your  herd. Buy the best that you can afford and buy from a reputable breeder.

(Watch for upcoming articles that discuss and illustrate each of the conformational qualities discussed in this article!)

Toxoplasmosis - A Silent Killer

What is Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is a disease generally associated with cats, but often affects other animals and humans as well. Cats first get the disease by eating infected rodents, and pass the disease through their feces for a few weeks following infestation. Because they usually become immune after being exposed once or twice, younger cats are at much greater risk of spreading the disease than older cats are. 

In healthy adults, toxoplasmosis is usually harmless, usually causing mild flu-like symptoms at most, and often causing no symptoms at all. In pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems, it is much more dangerous, sometimes causing meningitis, neurological problems, abortions, and even death. Understanding the disease and avoiding things that put you at high risk of contracting it are the best way to protect yourself and those you love.

Can I Catch It?

Yes. One third to one half of the world's human population is estimated to carry a toxoplasmosis infection. 

Most people that contract toxoplasmosis do so in one of two ways:

1. Handling earth (gardening or in the sandbox) that has been infected by a cats feces and simply touching their mouth. The spores can live in the ground for up to a year.

2. Eating or drinking raw or undercooked milk or meat of an animal that has been infected by the disease.

While everyone is probably equally at risk for the first possibility here, this one is easily avoided through hand washing. The second line of risk factors is one that we, as goat owners, must pay special attention to. Knowing the risks it poses, and that our goats could be carriers, is something that should always be carefully considered when preparing food and milk for others.

How can my goats get Toxoplasmosis?

Goats can contract Toxoplasmosis by ingesting food or water contaminated by cat feces. It can live for years within a goat's brain, muscles, liver, or other vital organs, without affecting the goat at all, and sometimes even creates immunity to future infections.  

How can I tell if my goats have it?

Because the main signs of Toxoplasmosis are abortions, weak kids, stillbirths, birth defects, and mummification of fetuses in pregnant does, people don't know that their goats are infected until one of these things occur. Even then, there are many possible causes, and testing can be costly and inconclusive. Test results can be positive for years after exposure, even when they no longer pose a risk to their kids or their owners. 

What should I do if I think my goat is infected?

Blood testing for goats, cats, sheep, and cattle is available. Unfortunately, these tests don't always give a clear a complete picture of what is causing problems within a herd.

While some people choose to test after a single doe aborts, others choose never to test. If there are signs that your herd may be infected, feeding decoquinate or monensin throughout pregnancy may reduce the abortion rate in a herd with a history of toxoplasmosis. Sulfonamides and clindamycin are used to treat toxoplasmosis in goats. 

How can I protect myself and my goats?

There is no vaccine available in the United States. Control of toxoplasmosis is based on management practices. Like humans, cats rarely have symptoms when first infected, so most people do not know if their cat has been infected. The infection will go away on its own; therefore it does not help to have your cat or your cat's feces tested for toxoplasmosis. The best way to protect your herd is to keep your cat population healthy and manageable, to maintain a clean feeding are for your goats, and to discard any feed or water that may have been compromised in any way.

Nothing can guarantee that your goats will always be healthy and disease-free, but careful, conscientious herd management can go a long way in avoiding very costly and detrimental diseases like Toxoplasmosis. Learning how to recognize common diseases, and more importantly how to avoid them, is a great step in building a stronger, healthy herd, that will reward you with milk and meat for many years to come. As they say - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Bucks Fertility in Extreme Heat

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-resources/cattle-breeds/angus/Livestock-producers-may-see-lowered-fertility-in-herds-this-fall-167351815.html



Note the heat effect on male animals. 71 days for bulls, 56 for rams and potentially bucks. He says that it is not expected to affect long-term fertility, just X-days from extreme heat.

From Dr.David Fernandez, U of AR



Livestock producers may see lowered fertility in herds this fall



Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Updated: August 28, 2012



PINE BLUFF, Ark. – As if drought damage to pastures and high hay and feed prices aren’t enough, livestock producers may see reduced fertility in their breeding herds this fall, says Dr. David Fernandez, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Cooperative Extension Program livestock specialist.



“The exceptionally high heat could impair the ability of bulls, bucks, rams and boars to produce viable sperm,” he says. Cows, does, ewes and sows may produce less viable eggs or experience higher levels of early spontaneous abortions.



Here’s why. Most male mammals’ testes are located in the scrotum outside their bodies. This allows the male to maintain his testes at a temperature several degrees below his body temperature which is essential for sperm production. When temperatures exceed 103 F for several days, the testes cannot be cooled adequately, and sperm production can be impaired, says Dr. Fernandez.



The damage to sperm production can be long term. Sperm production in the ram requires an average of 47 days plus another nine days for the sperm to migrate to the storage area. That’s 56 days. Similar time frames are believed to exist for bucks. For bulls, it is more than 70 days. The damage is not readily apparent, he says. In some cases, the number of sperm and their motility may be reduced.



“Much of the damage appears to be done to the DNA of the sperm,” he says. This means that a sire may appear to be normally fertile after a breeding soundness exam, but pregnancy rates of dams may be low, with many repeat breeders.



Compounding the problem are the effects of high heat on female reproduction. When temperatures are high, eggs may be less fertile and may not survive to form a viable embryo after fertilization. Fortunately, the effect of high temperatures on females tends to be limited to the estrus cycle in which it occurs.



“Unfortunately, no cost effective on-farm method exists to determine whether the problem is with the male or female,” says Dr. Fernandez, who advises that the best thing to do is to provide plenty of cool water and shade to help keep livestock cool. Also, monitor the herd’s nutrition as they may not eat enough feed when days are extremely hot.



Finally, producers should plan ahead so they are prepared if their herd’s breeding season begins and ends later than usual. And, investigate alternative marketing strategies and parasite management schemes for next spring and summer, he says.