SOP: Kelp and Kop-Sel Blend

As any homesteader knows, when you ask questions on the healthy management of critters, the advice you get can be as varied as it is endless. Every person you seek out in your research will have something differing advice with no list of  products and procedures being the same.

For us here at Fable Haven, we have had to make our own choices, choosing carefully from the tons of advise, the vast gigabytes of online info and the many shelves of books in our study.   This posting is all about our choice  to use Thorvin Kelp and Kop-Sel together for our tribe of goats.
 
Thorvin Kelp is an all natural product that is making a positive impact in our tribe.. We offer it, mixed with Fir Meadow's Kop-Sel blend free choice and I believe the health benefits are readily apparent.  Thorven Kelp is a rich and dependable source of 60 minerals and elements including iodine, 21 amino acids, and 12 vitamins (including A, C, B12, thiamin, and vitamin E or tocopherol). Because the minerals are in plant tissue they are easily digested and assimilated. Many of the trace minerals contained in kelp are essential for producing enzymes which in turn promote healthy body functions. 
   

Kop-Sel is a traditional herb blend from Fir Meadows that focuses on Copper and Selenium. It is especially helpful for those living in areas facing the challenge of these minerals lacking in their soil. Since it will NOT build up in their system it is used by us as a daily supplement. Other herbal sources of Copper and Selenium are Alfalfa, Lobelia,  Comfrey, Burdock Root, Nettles, Chickweed, Red Raspberry Leaves, Catnip, Rosehips, Cayenne, Chaparral, Bringham Tea, and Raw Pumpkin Seeds. You can be sure that many of these herbs are in the Kop-Sel blend.
  
Fable Haven's SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) in offering Thorvin Kelp and Kop-Sel to our tribe of goats is to offer  it free choice. However, in this case, free choice does not mean just going dumping both out in buckets and letting them have at it. Instead, we mix the two together in a 1 cup of Thorvine Kelp to 1 teaspoon of Kop-Sel ratio as shown in the following  pictorial:

Empty container, Thorvin Kelp, Kop-Sel and a funnel.

We add one cup of Thorvin Kelp.

Followed by one hefty  teaspoon of Kop-Sel.

Repeating the layering until full.

Then shake until well blended and ready to free choice.

Thingamajig: Diatomaceous Earth Shaker!

This was The S/O's brilliant idea! For $1.00 at Target in their bargain bin area, this martini shaker makes the best DE applicator to the goats I ever could have hoped for.

I place one cup of food grade DE in the shaker along with two drops of Tea Tree Oil, two Drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil, put cap it and shake like crazy to mix.  

For Kids, I would use one drop  each. For treating, rather then preventing lice/mites, I would use three drops each.

I do not have to wear protective gear or worry about it getting in the lungs of the goat as the holes are inside a protective rim that I put down against the goat's spine and dispense from head to tail.

Thingamajig: Baby Rectal Thermometer

I love this tiny rectal thermometer for our Nigerian Goatlings!


It is defiantly a lot safer then a regular sized thermometer. And please, NEVER EVER use a glass mercury thermometer on your critters! 

I like the small probe tip and the large display with back-lighting, which makes it quick and easy to read so I can get this act over with as soon as possible for both our sakes; the goat's and mine.   I made certain I got one that beeps when the reading is complete as well.

Daily Herd Health Observation Guide

Close observation of your herd is essential to help you learn what is 'normal' for them, and since some illnesses may have a gradual onset, being able to spot the slightest change in an individual goat will enable one to act promptly and prevent any risk there may be to herd health as a whole.

Observe and ask yourself daily:

• Is the goat alert and inquisitive, with bright eyes and a clean nose?
• Is the appetite normal? 
• Is the goat drinking water?
• Are the droppings, firm and pelleted, is the urine a normal colour?
• What is the goat's FAMACHA level?
• Has the milk yield changed suddenly?
• Are there any changes in the udder, in milk-texture, taste, color or smell?
• Is the coat the silky and shiny and the skin smooth? Any changes in color or texture?
• Examine your goats, using your hands, regularly in good light, are there any signs of changes, pests, lumps, pustules, swelling or injury?
• Does the goat stand comfortably on all four feet and walk with equal weight on each foot?

Keep track of your findings. Record daily any observed variations from normal. Days that you believe a Doe is in heat. The day your buck had escaped and got into your pen with the girls.

A GUIDE TO THE 'NORMAL' GOAT:

Temperature	101.5 – 103.5 (rectal)
Heart Rate - Adult	70 – 80 per minute
Respiration Rate- Adult	10 – 20 per minute
Respiration Rate- Kids	20 – 40 per minute
Rumination	1 – 1.5 per minute
Puberty	With Nigerian Dwarfs; As early as 8 weeks old
Breeding Season	With Nigerian Dwarfs; All Year Long!
Estrus	12 to 36 hours
Heat Cycle	Average 21 days (18 – 23)
Gestation	Average 150 days (145 – 160)
Kid Rumen Development	Fully Developed at 1 years of age
Kid to Adult	Growth from Birth to Maturity is 2 years
Buck Life Span	Average 8 years but up to 12
Doe Life Span	Average 11-12 years but up to 20

Comparison with other goats in the herd is sound management practice (since a hot day, for example, may alter the respiration rate of a number of goats in the herd).

A Clinical thermometer and a watch with a second's hand are required.

• Temperature is taken by gentle insertion of the clinical digital thermometer in the goat's anus until it beeps, usually less then a minute, with the goat well secured.
• Heart rate is taken by placing each hand either side of the goat's chest low down behind, and close to, its elbows.
• Respiration rate is taken by observation of movement of the goat's chest and flanks.
• The rumen moves regularly and contracts about once every minute. Rumen movement is checked by gently pressing a fist into the goat's left hand side midway between the ribs and the goat's thigh you will be able to detect the contractions.. Regular contractions are a sign of good rumen health.  

Practice the technique of doing all the above. Keeping track of these four key observations can help you know your goats.

Parasites: The Five Point Check

Goat's Vital Signs Guide

Temperature	101.5 – 103.5 (rectal)
Heart Rate - Adult	70 – 80 per minute
Respiration Rate- Adult	10 – 20 per minute
Respiration Rate- Kids	20 – 40 per minute
Rumination	1 – 1.5 per minute
Puberty	As early as 8 weeks old
Breeding Season	With Nigerian Dwarfs; All Year Long!
Estrus	12 to 36 hours
Heat Cycle	Average 21 days (18 – 23)
Gestation	Average 150 days (145 – 160)
Kid Rumen Development	Fully Developed at 1 years of age
Kid to Adult	Growth from Birth to Maturity is 2 years
Buck Life Span	Average 8 years but up to 12
Doe Life Span	Average 11-12 years but up to 20

Natural Healing for Goats

Vitalism

The metaphysical doctrine that living organisms possess a non-physical inner force or energy that gives them the property of life.  Vitalism has a long history in medical philosophies: most traditional healing practices posited that disease results from some imbalance in vital forces.

When I asked one of my mentors and idols what the difference between a Vitalist and a Naturopathy is... she responded with,  "A Vitalist believes that the body was created to function properly and given the right nutrition the body WILL return to health. It is a process of thought and belief more than herbalist or naturopath."

Herbalism

Simplistically, herbalism is the study or use of the medicinal properties of plants for health and healing. Originally, the term herb only applied to non-woody types of plants. Later, it came to be used to refer to any part of any plant used for flavoring or medicine. In the field of complementary and alternative health care, it is now used to mean any plant, in whole or in part, having nutritional and/or medicinal value... individual or combined parts of the plant that may used include: seed, fruit, bark, flower, leaf, stem, or root/rhizome.

As a remedy, a herb  may be used alone, or in combination, working synergistically to enhance each herb's properties. There are multiple ways to dispense herbs: aromatics, decoctions, infusions (hot or cold), juices, liniments, lotions, medicated oils, pills (tablets or capsules), poultices and fomentations, powders, salves and ointments, syrups, teas, tinctures or extracts (alcohol or glycerol bases), and whole herbs (dried or fresh).  The choice of form by the herbalist takes into consideration the nature of the imbalance and the method to best take full advantage of the healing attributes of the specific herb.  To increase effectiveness, herbs may be used both internally and externally.

The use of herbs is to treat the actual cause of the symptoms and not the symptoms themselves.

Cleanse and Nourish

This is another basic understanding of herbalism that I hear and read over and over again as I continue on this path of natural healing; Cleanse and Nourish. In order to naturally heal it is critical that you look at the whole body to restore balance and well being. You cannot just treat the symptoms and expect healing results. All you are doing is masking the true illness or disease when you treat the symptoms.

Herbs for Goats

For the most part, any natural herbal remedy that is used for mankind can be used as well with goats. And while there is no formal schooling for a 'Goat Herbalist' there are a great many herbalists whom have experience with the natural healing of goats. A few of my idols are; Kristie Miller, Tracy Obereck Shiftlett, Christine Abbey, Katherine A. Drovdahl and Pat Coleby. I am very blessed to have a few of my idols as my mentors.  As well, I am blessed that it  there is very little difficulty in finding local or online training to be a human herbalist. And well, since goats have many of the same organs as humans and experience many of the same problems and diseases too, that same education and experience can be applied to my goats within reason. Knowing that there are some differences with specific problems that only goats can present will help me to support my goatlings with natural healing.

Dosaging

There is no prescription tag that comes attached to your herbs... especially those that have been wild-crafted. One of the benefits of herbs is that you cannot typically overdose when using non habit forming and non toxic herbs. A conventional rule of thumb that I've seen here and there to determine herb dosages for goats (and children) is by calculating according the goat's body weight as compared to an adult human's dosage:

                Goat's Weight in Pounds     =    the fraction of the adult human dose to use
                            150 pounds   

Form of Herb	General Dosages
Bulk Herbs	3-9 grams (1/9 0 1/3 oz)
Teas	1 oz herb/1 pint water. Drink 1 c 3 x a day
Tinctures	20-60 drops, 3-4 x a day
Capsules	2-4 caps, 3-4 x a day
Extracts (Dried Concentrated/Freeze Dried)	3-5 grams, 3 x a day
Tablets/Caplets	Follow Label Directions
Powdered Herbs	1 tsp 3-4 x a day
Standardized Extracts	Follow Label Directions
Syrups	1 Tbsp, 3-4 x a day
Compress/Fomentations	1-2 x a day for 20-60 minutes
Poultices	Replenish 2-3 x a day for 3 days
Essential Oils	Add 1-2 drops to an oil & apply locally
Salves, Creams, Oils, Sprays, Ointments...	As Needed (prn)

Dosing more Specific to our Nigerian Dwarfs 

For my goatlings, they currently get about 1/4 tsp of any powdered/dried/bulk herbs. For extracts, tinctures and essentials Oils, they receive approximately 2-3 drops and no more then 5 drops. Some herbs/blends they only get once a day. For chronic situations, they may get their doses three times a day and in acute situations, they get them every 15 minutes for the first hour and then hourly after that until showing signs of improvement. From there, if holding their own, I will go to every  3-4 hours working our way back to a chronic dosage for approximately 2-3 more days.

The Herbal Parasite Control Formula I use on our critters gets a completely different rule for dosage with animals five (5) pounds or less get 1/16 teaspoon,  then 5# - 10# = 1/8 tsp, 10# - 20#     = 1/4 tsp, 20# - 75#  = 1/2 tsp,75# - 100#  = 3/4 tsp, and 100# - 150# = 1 tsp.   Every additional 50#s add an extra 1/2 tsp

(A work in progress...)

Haemonchus whatus?

Did fecals on my three goat babies this morning. They are showing Haemonchus (barber's pole) worms in Dyson and Shiva. Aurora has brown stomach worms.  She said they are not overloaded  with them, however.

She wanted me to use Ivermectin, a COW dewormer, but was very supportive of me using a herbal dewormer, wants me to clean up all their poop while worming them and wants me to bring a fecal in two weeks to recheck.

She's intrigued about the herbal dewormer. Had some questions and said I might end up teaching her something.

So,... here we go LOH herbal dewormer, lets show her what we've got!

The worst part for us was the drenching gun and forcing it into their mouths. I am hoping it gets better with practice.

Goats: Ear Mights or/and Infections

Shiva has been shaking her ears almost violently since yesterday. I figure ear mites or an infection. I made a Vet appointment for tomorrow.... And then, well, I am second guessing myself. Going to cancel the appointment and try this naturally. Went and got some pure Witch Hazel and some Mullen Garlic Oil. So, here's our first adventure in natural homesteading!

I cleaned each of the 3 kids ears with a cotton ball dabbed in a Witch Hazel, Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil mixture. I then dropped a few drops of Mullein Garlic Oil into each ear and massaged at the base of the ear. 

Immediately afterwards they began shaking their heads like crazy again. Guess we'll see how it is in a few days. It's suggested you do this once a week as preventive care too.

Goat Gestation Table

The table below is an easy to use gestation calculator based on a 145 day gestation period.Take the day that you bred the doe indicated in column Month Bred, subtract the number of days from the column marked Days. 

This will due you the 145 day of the month indicated in column Month Due.

Via the math,  If you bred a doe on October 15th (Month Bred) you would subtract 6 days (Days), making her due to freshen on March 9th (Month Due).

For a leap year freshening, subtract one more day between October 4th and February 28 for the due date

Month Bred	Month Due	Days	Leap Year Days
September	February	-8
October	March	-6	-7 (Starting October 4)
November	April	-6	-7
December	May	-6	-7
January	June	-6	-7
February	July	-5	-6 (Ending February 28)
March	August	-8
April	September	-8
May	October	-8
June	November	-8
July	December	-8
August	January	-8

Information Credit:  http://www.cornerstonefarm.net/gtcareof.html

Karen Carr's Goat Anatomy Diagram