# Quarantine questions...



## emmaandoscar (Jan 20, 2013)

I've got two goats now and am thinking about getting a couple more...can't decide whether to have my doe bred or just get a couple goats. If I get some from another farm I know I need to quarantine them but am not sure how to go about it the right way and thought I'd ask some of you experienced goat owners some questions before I decide whether to get some or not. Here are my questions:

*I'm just wondering what the proper way to quarantine is? 

*How long do I quarantine new goats before putting them with mine? 

*How far away do I keep them from my goats? 

*How do I go about introducing them? 

*Should I expect fighting when I put them together? 

*Do they have a pecking order like chickens?

Thank you 

Carol


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

*I'm just wondering what the proper way to quarantine is? 
you'll find lots of opinions on this and ppl will probably feel strongly about it. I think it comes down to doing what's best for you given your setup. I quarantine new goats by putting them 75' away from all my other animals in a makeshift setup. Between animals I spray with clorox and dust.

*How long do I quarantine new goats before putting them with mine? 
depends on age, when you can do the tests, the results, and if you want to do more tests. Once all is clear - then they can be moved into the group.

*How far away do I keep them from my goats? 
on different ground - it's also about cleaning shoes and hands between them and your other goats. You could move something between the groups.

*How do I go about introducing them? 
I run my new goats in a runout that's next to the other group. They get to visit between the fence for a few days. Then I move them over and stay with them for a bit and discourage any strong head butting.

*Should I expect fighting when I put them together? 
Some - yes. Just depends.

*Do they have a pecking order like chickens?
Yes


hth some. This is what I do. Ppl will be doing other things that are equally ok. Hopefully this will help you to come up with a plan.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

*I'm just wondering what the proper way to quarantine is? 
There's no one proper way to quarantine. You do what fits your situation.

*How long do I quarantine new goats before putting them with mine? 
Again this is up to you, I quarantine for a minimum of two months or 8 weeks. I've heard anywhere from 30-90 days is acceptable.

*How far away do I keep them from my goats? 
As long as they are separated, you're good. It's your cleaning practice that will matter.

*How do I go about introducing them? 
Mine are just introduced directly into their herd after quarantine - does to does, bucks to bucks. I'll sit with them for about an hour, but then they have to get used to each other.

*Should I expect fighting when I put them together? 
*Do they have a pecking order like chickens?
These two go together. Yes, they have a pecking order and it will take time for them to figure out where the new ones go.

A little about my setup - I currently have bucks in 3/4acre separate from does in a little over an acre. Because I only have two bucks, I have my quarantine/sick pen in their area. It is a 24x20 fenced area with a shed for shelter. All new goats are placed in for 2 months. This gives me time to do two full complete checkups on them(see here for my checkup routine-Item 6), run whatever tests need done, see if any swelling, abscesses or boils show up, slowly change their feed over to mine, view two heat cycles from does so I can begin charting them. After time is up and they are healthy, I walk them to their new area and watch them for one hour. after the first hour, they have to work it out themselves as they are part of the herd now.
Once they are out of the sick pen, the pen is given a bleach wash using a sprayer jug with 1cupbleach per 1gallon water - allow to dry and then I coat it all down with lime sulfur.


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## emmaandoscar (Jan 20, 2013)

Thank you both for your advice and information. I'm a little nervous about bringing any new goats to mine after reading horror stories on here. Not sure if it's worth it or not, my two goats are so happy and healthy. I really wanted to bring them a couple new friends to play with but not sure I want to. The other option is to have Emma Bred but that has it's negatives as well with diseases and possible birthing complications. It all sounds complicated either way and I'm not sure about it at this point. I'll ponder it awhile. Thank you again 
Carol


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

emmaandoscar said:


> Thank you both for your advice and information. I'm a little nervous about bringing any new goats to mine after reading horror stories on here. Not sure if it's worth it or not, my two goats are so happy and healthy. I really wanted to bring them a couple new friends to play with but not sure I want to. The other option is to have Emma Bred but that has it's negatives as well with diseases and possible birthing complications. It all sounds complicated either way and I'm not sure about it at this point. I'll ponder it awhile. Thank you again
> Carol


Don't be discouraged please. Most illnesses and disease you hear about are few and far between. Most people post here when there is a problem but you never here about the thousands/millions of healthy goats we all have. I can say with my quarantine practices, I have had one goat with coccidia that was found in a new goat during quarantine- treated and eliminated, and one case of possible listerosis- but we treated immediately and fixed him right up within a week. No other illnesses or disease and I have raised well over 300+ goats.

Just try to buy from a reputable breeder and look at their goats, most or all if possible, before purchasing.


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