About the Author
Karen Kopf
Articles by Karen Kopf
The Fear of Fescue
Red bag, abortions, thickened placentas, founder, necrosis, failure to freshen — all are symptoms of fescue toxicity … and yet tall fescue is one of the most common forages for livestock in both pasture and baled grass hay.
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The Dangers of Imprinting
Sometimes, circumstances make artificially raising a kid goat best for the kid or the dam. It is essential that when we raise a baby of another species, we consider the risk of imprinting.
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Goat Prolapses and Placentas
There are things we expect to come out of a doe at kidding — and things we expect to stay in. Sometimes the unexpected occurs. Like a goat prolapse.
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Boy Bands are Back! Banding Goats 101
Banding goats … it is how we castrate males that will not be used as bucks. Using a tool called an elastrator, a thick rubber band (green Cheerio) is placed on the scrotum above the testes, eliminating blood flow, so that the testicles stop developing, shrivel, and fall off.
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Kidding Oddities
Why do goat birth defects happen? Unexpected outcomes range from unusual to unsustainable deformities in rare cases.
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Goat Vaccinations and Injectables
How to vaccinate your goat begins long before the injection, with proper means of storing and disposing of vaccines and syringes.
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Goats and The Law
Goats can easily get themselves — and you — in trouble. You will be liable for the behavior of your kids. Liability can be addressed in three ways: 1. Reasonable Measures; 2. Insurance Coverage; and 3. Business Formation.
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Socializing Dam-raised Kids
Socializing dam-raised kids takes time and patience. Keep your eyes on the prize. When the two of you begin your adventures together, every moment invested now will pay exponential dividends on the trail.
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Goats and Insurance
If you have goats, have people visit your goats, or sell products made from goats, you may want to consider goat insurance. Standard homeowner policies typically do not cover livestock, nor will they cover livestock incidents or illness/injury.
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When Should You Use Lutalyse for Goats?
There are risks to using Lute and other drugs. We prefer to avoid intervention in our herd unless there is a clear, unmistakable risk not to intervene.
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