Timely vaccinations are essential for profitable goat farming. A well-timed vaccination schedule for goats not only ensures that they live a healthy life, but also helps protect them against the different types of diseases that commonly afflict them.
Vaccines kill disease-causing viruses or make them resistant to disease. Two types of vaccines are available for goats, such as “modified live” and “killed” vaccines.
Goat Vaccination Schedule
Some vaccines give goats the ability to resist disease and prevent it from developing. And some vaccines cause the immune system to produce antibodies against them. Antibodies attack a germ or virus of a particular disease and kill it.
Thus, vaccination plays a very important role in maintaining the health, growth, productivity and protecting your goats from disease. Learn more about the importance of a goat vaccination schedule.
Basic vaccines
The vaccines required for goats are called core vaccines. Clostridium perfringens C and D plus tetanus or CD&T are primary or core vaccines for goats.
Goat binge eating disorder (also known as enterotoxemia) is caused by Clostridium perfringens C and D. It is a fatal disease that primarily affects children, but can also affect adult goats.
Depression, lack of chewing, inability to stand, sedentary scar, kicking, lack of appetite, lying on side, sudden death, staggering, etc. are common symptoms of this disease.
Goat tetanus caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. Convulsions, death, inability to eat or drink, respiratory paralysis, stiffness and unsteady gait are the result of this disease.
The virus of this disease is transmitted to goats through cuts or wounds. If a goat’s wound is in the ground or other objects, bacteria can enter its body.
Because soil or other objects are usually host to these bacteria. Thus, basic vaccinations are essential to prevent this type of disease in your goats.
Vaccination schedule for adult goats
To ensure good immunization of children, have a pregnant female vaccinated during the last month of pregnancy. Get vaccinated and earn money while vaccinating yours.
Yearling goats (not yet mated), castrated goats and other goats should be vaccinated regularly every year. It will be better if you can vaccinate them on the same day they were vaccinated earlier.
Goat Vaccination Schedule
Children are vaccinated by their mother (because their mother was vaccinated during the last month of pregnancy). Vaccinate children 4 to 8 weeks after birth and increase vaccination after three to four weeks.
A special type of milk is needed to give immunity to the child if the children did not receive colostrum from their mother or you do not know their mother’s vaccination schedule.
Goat meat becomes very weak and susceptible to disease. Therefore, timely vaccination can protect them from various diseases or health problems.
Other vaccines
Some vaccines are beneficial for goats. For example, vaccination against caseous lymphanditis, footrot, rabies, sore mouth or infectious ecthyma, pneumonia, etc.
Pneumonia and caseous lymphanditis are common vaccines also approved for other types of livestock. Although veterinarians use them as off-label goat vaccines. Before vaccinating goats, be sure to speak to an experienced goat veterinarian and ask about appropriate vaccines.
