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40 4-H Market Goat Project
other diseases. Such diseases may be contagious
and passed from goat to goat and from flock to
flock. Therefore, to maintain "biosecurity" (a
disease-free environment), you should do the
following:
• Isolate new animals for at least 14 days after
bringing them home.
• Place a foot bath with disinfectant at the en
trance to your barn, or wear disposable boots.
• Avoid wearing the same clothes from farm to
farm.
The most important thing to do to keep your
goat healthy is to keep the goat and the pen clean.
Also, make sure the goat is well fed, comfortable,
and eating and drinking normally. Get help from
an adult if you think your goat is sick.
Words You Should Know
Ruminant: An animal such as a goat that has a
stomach with multiple compartments allowing it
to digest forages.
Parasite: A living being that lives and gets its
food in or on another living being, called a host.
External parasites: Those parasites causing
problems on the outside of the goat, such as lice
and mange.
Internal parasites: Those parasites causing
problems on the inside of the goat, such as
worms.
Biosecurity: Practices to keep your goats from
catching diseases from other goats, people, or the
environment.
Suggested Activities
• Name the three main things that cause goats to
get sick.
• Describe at least four signs to look for to recog
nize a sick goat.
• Show or tell the proper way to use a livestock
thermometer to measure a goat's temperature.
• Keep a journal or barn chart about your goat's
health.
• Find out what veterinary examinations and
documents are needed to show a goat at a state
show, such as The Pennsylvania Farm Show.
• Visit a large animal veterinarian in your area
and ask them what goat health problems they
treat most often.
Extra Activities to Try
• Observe your goat's behavior to see if it is
eating and drinking and breathing properly.
• Observe your goat's urine and feces to see if it
looks normal.
• Have your parent or project leader check to see
if the ventilation in your goat's pen is okay.
• Check your goat's hooves and mouth for signs
of disease.
• Visit a local veterinarian. Ask to see internal
parasites under a microscope.
• Deworm your goat shortly after you buy it (if it
was not wormed previously), and on a regular
basis.
• Set up a health plan for your goats.
Ideas for Presentations and Speeches
• The normal goat
• Health problems that goats can have
• How to keep a goat healthy and happy
• Parasites and how to control them
• Biosecurity practices
Things to Talk About
• What steps should you take to keep your goat
healthy?
• What should you do if your goat gets sick?
• What are the three main health problems goats
can have?
• How does a healthy goat act?
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