WHAT MAKES GOATS SO SPECIAL

Goats evolved as browsers. Given a choice, they prefer food sources that are up off the ground, such as the tips of long grass, bushes, and low-hanging branches.

The result is they don't have a natural immune response to parasites in the same way as sheep. They don't develop it with age and are at high risk for parasite infestations throughout their lives.

It's important to manage their environment carefully, or you'll have to drench more often, resulting in more drench-resistant parasites.

• Don't graze goats on short pasture (below 5cm) at any time.

• Provide additional forage, such as hay which also provides them with the high fibre diet they require.

• I highly recommend strategic drenching for goats. Take faecal samples from each animal, so you only need to drench when required.

• Goats metabolise and excrete drenches differently from sheep and cattle. They require different dose rates that won't be on the product label – check with your vet for the drench product you're using.

• Monitor stock daily for diarrhoea, weight loss, pale gums, and pale conjunctiva (the inside of the eyelid).

• Be very careful grazing goats with sheep and alpaca. It's best to either keep them on separate pasture all the time or graze goats first.

• Work with your vet to monitor drench resistance – check it regularly.

• Feed goats branches of plants high in tannins, such as willow. While it won't help a sick animal, it can help keep parasite burdens low in healthy ones.

• Grow a range of pasture plants besides ryegrass and clover, such as sulla and chicory.