Our Herd Management Practices...

"...what has been called the "Golden Rule" should be enlarged from the area of mere mankind to that of the whole animal kingdom."
~Thomas Hardy

The goal of Cattail Meadows Farm is to raise happy, healthy, high quality, people-friendly goats in the most ethical & humane way possible.  Our Pygoras and PCAs are not simply livestock; they are an extension of our family and as such get treated with both kindness & respect at all times. At Cattail Meadows we take several measures to ensure the safety, happiness & well being of each of our animals.
Some of these measures include:

  • Our kids are all disbudded & tattooed. They are also given a 3-dose CDT (Clostridium Types C & D -Tetanus Toxoid) vaccination series and an injection of BoSe (Selenium & Vitamin E) at birth. Every effort is made to keep kids together with their moms and siblings for nursing, bonding and interaction until they are 3 months old.
  • CAE (Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis) testing of our herd is done on an annual basis.
  • All adult animals are CDT vaccinated yearly and are routinely checked for parasites and de-wormed as needed
    (this includes the llamas).
  • We do not give our goats and llamas feeds or supplements that contain animal by-products.
  • Goat hooves and llama nails are trimmed regularly to maintain healthy, comfortable feet.
  • We practice Bio-Safe measures around our farm. Guests are provided shoe coverings or walk through bleach baths before entering our pasture areas.
  • As an added safety measure, all of our pasture gate entrances are key locked.
  • In cold, inclement weather, warm drinking water is provided for all our goats to encourage maximum fluid intake (this is especially important for wethers and lactating does).
  • Pasture, paddock, and housing areas are frequently cleaned so our animals aren’t standing or lying in deep mud
    or excrement.
  • We strive to “peacefully co-exist” with the natural wildlife that inhabits our area. We utilize watchful guard llamas and 5’ woven wire or chain link perimeter fencing in and around each of our pasture areas as a means of protecting our herds against animal predation.
  • We provide safe, secure housing for all the animals in each of our pasture areas.
  • ALL of our animals are given abundant daily doses of love and affection to nurture people-friendly dispositions
    and ease of handling
    !

 

Thanks for your interest in Cattail Meadows, and taking the time to read through our farm practices!

~Laura