Herd Health

Kids are removed immediately after birth, umbilical cords are sprayed with Vetericyn Super 7+, and they are fed heat-treated colostrum, and then pasteurized milk. Calf-Pro is given in the milk for coccidia prevention. Kids are introduced to high quality alfalfa at around a week of age, and medicated kid pellets at 4 weeks. They receive 3 doses of CDT every 3 weeks starting at approximately 3 weeks of age, a booster in the fall, followed by twice a year vaccination for 1+ year old animals. Pregnant does receive their spring CDT booster, along with a copper bolus and Bo-Se supplement, 3-6 weeks before their due dates.

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Clean well water and high quality alfalfa hay is available 24/7 for all adults and kids older than a week of age. All adult animals and kids older than around 3 or 4 weeks also have access to free choice loose minerals. Bucks and milkers do get grain hay added to the alfalfa in the late fall/early winter, until kidding season begins, and everyone transitions back to alfalfa only.

 

Does who are dry do not get any grain until they're 4 weeks away from their due dates. At that time, they get started on about 1 lb of rolled barley a day, increased to 2 lbs a day at 2 weeks prior to kidding, then 3 lbs at a week prior, so that they can go to their regular milking ration of 4 lbs rolled barley a day when they kid, without worrying about any digestive upsets from a sudden grain increase. As the herd is on DHIR milk test, the does are normally milked for at least a standard 305 day lactation, or until 45-60 days before they're due to kid, though we do drop to once a day milking after the show season is over.

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Other than CDT vaccines, the whole herd is given an intranasal pneumonia vaccine (Nasalgen 3-PMH) immediately prior to the start of the show season.

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The herd has been CAE Negative since 2017, with the most recent test results available from February 2025. Whole herd screening is not done for CL or Johnes. If an abscess were to appear, the exudate would be collected and tested for CL. No signs of Johnes have ever been seen either. Over the years, some animals have been tested for CL, Johnes, Brucellosis, Q-Fever, and/or Tuberculosis at buyer requests, and those animals have always been negative. Results for any and all prior tests are available upon request.