Tune in as our team discusses important aspects of producing high quality goat milk. Topics covered include facilities design, nutrition's impact on milk components, milk quality evaluations, drug use, mastitis, and how to create a productive relationship with your veterinarian.
Developing Standard Operating Procedures for your Goat Dairy
Jennifer Bentley discusses why SOP's are important on a farm and how to decide which tasks should have an official protocol.
What is a VCPR and Why Do I Need One?
Jennifer Bentley, a dairy field specialist for Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, explains what a veterinarian-client-patient relationship is and how developing one with your local veterinarian can benefit your goat dairy.
Economics of Dairy Goat Udder Health
Dr. Larry Tranel breaks down how udder health impacts your goat dairy's bottom line.
Milking Hygiene
Dr. Michelle Buckley reviews recommended milking hygiene procedures and why they are important for ensuring udder health.
Milking Equipment Sanitation for Dairy Goats
Dr. Michelle Buckley discusses proper milking equipment cleaning and sanitation from commercial goat dairies to bucket-milker systems to hand milking.
Mastitis Identification in Dairy Goats
Jennifer Bentley discusses various methods of detecting clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy goats.
Dry Treatment Options for Dairy Goats
Dr. Michelle Buckley discusses the challenges posed by the dry period and different therapeutic options for mitigating some of these challenges in dairy goats.
Selecting Does for Targeted Dry Therapy
Dr. Michelle Buckley dives into how to utilize antibiotics at dry-off to target does that are at high risk of having subclinical mastitis and/or developing clinical mastitis during their upcoming lactation.
The Difference Between Drugs and Alternative Therapies
Dr. Michelle Buckley explains what constitutes a drug vs an alternative therapy and what we do (and don't) know about both types of therapies.
Antibiotic Stewardship: Why Can't we Buy Them Over-the-Counter?
Dr. Larry Tranel explains why antibiotics are no longer available without a veterinary prescription in the United States. He also discusses methods for minimizing antibiotic use in dairy goats while maximizing animal health and milk quality.
What do you Need to Know About Drug Withdrawal Times?
Dr. Michelle Buckley explains how drug withdrawals are developed and why these times tend to be longer when using drugs in an extra-label manner (i.e. on goats) than the withdrawals on the label for cattle.
Antimicrobial Resistance in Livestock
Dr. Michelle Buckley explains why antibiotic stewardship is integral to preventing antimicrobial resistance and what challenges resistance can pose to livestock and humans.
Building a Productive Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship
Dr. Larry Tranel explains why its important to have a working relationship with a veterinarian for your goat diary and how to keep that relationship healthy to maximize productivity.
Housing Design Specifications for Dairy Goats
Dr. Larry Tranel reviews common housing options for dairy goats and how to decide which is best for your operation.
Dairy Goat Milking Systems
Dr. Larry Tranel digs into pros and cons of various parlor designs commonly utilized on goat dairies.
Milk Fat in Dairy Goats
Dr. Gail Carpenter discusses how milk fat content can be influenced by a dairy goat's diet.
Milk Protein in Dairy Goats
Dr. Gail Carpenter explains how management can impact the protein content of goat milk.
Milk Quality: Whole Herd and Individuals
Dr. Gail Carpenter explains how monitoring individual animal somatic cell counts and components can help prevent a herd-wide problem with milk quality.
Milk Quality: Outbreak Investigation
Dr. Gail Carpenter walks us through the steps for working up a milk quality outbreak.
Developing an Employee Handbook for your Goat Dairy
Dr. Michelle Buckley explains how to develop an employee handbook for your farm to streamline the on-boarding of new employees and protect your business.