Disease prevention on farm

Similar to other animals goats also suffer from many diseases. I will give more details about each of these in my upcoming posts. But, this post is more about preventing diseases on farm.

Of all the diseases I will broadly classify them as infectious and non infectious.
Infectious diseases are those which cause due to bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
Non infectious diseases are those which cause due to toxins (plant or chemicals), malnutrition or deficiency of nutrients, over eating etc.
Non infectious or infectious, both types can incur heavy losses. Although various drug treatments, vaccines or supplements are available; Prevention by all means is always better than cure!!!!!

Once disease happens, it invites various expenditures such as drug cost, Vet charges, weight loss, mortality and labour expenses. Recovered animals also take long time to regain desired weight.

But, is it really possible to prevent entering these diseases on your farm? I will not say 100%, but yes you can save on your losses definitely. I am sharing few tips here which are very easy to follow.

1) Vaccines - Vaccines help to prevent many diseases in goats. Important of which are PPR, Enterotoxaemia, HS, FMD, BQ, Clostridial Infection, Pox, Anthrax.

• Vaccinate your flock regularly as per the schedule given by your vets. There is no need to give all available vaccines e.g. Anthrax or Goat Pox. These vaccines should be given only if these diseases occur frequently in your area. Your vet is aware of this or you may contact nearby govt. veterinary clinics.
• Before giving any vaccine ensure that vaccine was kept in proper storage and cold condition. Check expiry date on the vial. 
• Do not forget to record vaccination dates and tag number of animals to whom vaccine is administered in record book.
• Vaccinate only healthy animals. Animals which are undergoing any treatment can be vaccinated once they recover fully. 
• Vaccinate animals strictly in cool hours, most suitable time is after evening feeding. Vaccinations can be stressful to the animals.Supplementing them with vitamins and minerals before and after vaccination will help to subside stress.
• It is always better to mass deworm your animals before vaccination. Deworm all animals in one day, start multivitamin supplement and vaccinate after 3rd day. Presence of worms in body is itself  a stress to the animal and it can also reduce the immune response of vaccine.
• It is common myth that if pregnant doe is given vaccine, chances of abortion are higher. But, it is not the case. Abortions may occur during or after vaccination, if animals are not handled properly, or animals are under stress, or animal is already not well. Healthy pregnant animals can be vaccinated in last two months of pregnancy. This also helps to protect the newborn kid against respective diseases. If doe is vaccinated during pregnacy, vaccination in kids can be started after 3 months. 
• When kids should be vaccinated? Ideally vaccination in kids can be started after 3 months if their doe was vaccinated in pregnancy. Vaccinated doe passes antibodies to kids through a colostrum. If vaccinated doe's kids are vaccinated before 3 months, these antibodies neutralise vaccine. And, in this case 2 booster vaccines are required. But, what if doe was not vaccinated in pregnancy? Kids can be vaccinated for enterotoxaemia before 3 months, provided they are healthy and have achieved desired weight. In poorly developed kids, vaccine fails to develop desired immune response.
• Is it necessary to vaccinate sales stock? Well, one may think that he/she is going to sell the stock in coming months and thus wants to save on time, labour and money by not vaccinating them. In this case, I will say even though vaccines do take some time to develop a complete protection , do vaccinate all your healthy animals. Diseases/infection never give us intimation that they are coming. One fine morning you will find one animal is sick and within 2-3 days whole flock with same symptoms! If you are selling animals for breeding purpose it is necessary to vaccinate them, this will also improve your credibility as a responsible seller!

2) Qurantine and isolation sheds - Quarantine or isolation, both words meant separation. Although meaning is same they are used for different purposes. Both these sheds should be away from each other and also from your regular main sheds.

• Quarantine shed - This is used for the newly purchased animals. Before mixing these animals with your existing flock, you must observe them by keeping them in this shed. 
• Duration - Newly purchased animals must be kept for minimum 15 days in this shed. 
• These animals should be fed by either separate labour or after feeding your existing animals.
• No labour traffic should be allowed from qurantine shed to existing animal shed. 
• In case of labour shortage, qurantined animals must be attained after existing flock. This person should clean his/her hands, legs and cloths before entering main shed. Ideally, in this case labour should not be allowed to touch these animals.
• Why this is necessary? - These animals are purchased with unknown history. They might have come from infected flock with no history of vaccination or currently showing no disease symptoms. During 15 days observation period, they will start showing symptoms if contracted with any disease. There are chances that they may have contracted any infection during transportation or in a marketplace.
• Qurantine shed should be disinfected with long acting disinfectant spray before placing these animals in it. Disinfectant solution should be sprayed on all inanimate objects, roof, walls and flooring.
• These animals should be given proper feed and water. Let settle these animals for one day and then deworm them with effective broad spectrum anthelmintic. This 15 day period will reduce the worm burden if they have any before mixing them with other animals. 
• Other most important thing to look after is ectoparasites infestation. Check these animals thoroughly for any ticks, fleas on them. Treat immediatly with suitable ectoparasiticide by suitable method (spray/ dip/ pour on).
• Most important is ... behaviour. In 15 days period you get to know temper of these animals. Some animals are very aggressive and can distrub others. Once you know these it is easier to keep them in particular group with your existing animals.
• Once these animals are shifted to main shed, quarantine shed and all utensils should be cleaned and disinfected.

• Isolation Shed - Isolation shed is used for sick animals. This helps to reduce further spread of infection and also allows to take special care of these animals.
• Like qurantine shed this shed also should be built well away from main shed.
• Similarly, these animals should be attained by separate labour or after attaining existing healthy animals. No labour traffic should be allowed from sick animal shed to existing animal shed.
• Unlike qurantine animals, sick animals are required to be touched mostly during giving treatment. Thus, It is always good to keep separate labour for sick animals shed. This person should clean his/her hands, legs and cloths throughly.
• Disinfect the shed and utensils once all animals return to their group.

3) Immunity - Immunity is body's power to combat diseases. Well managed and balanced fed animals combat diseases easily and respond to treatment faster.

• Kids which get enough colostrum immediately after birth, sufficient milk till age of 2 months and then afterwards balanced feed develop into healthy adults.
• Balanced feed also includes regular intake of balanced vitamins and minerals.
• Animals kept in well ventilated, spacious houses are healthy. Houses not having sufficient place for exercise and other activities, having to many animals in one compartment, having insufficient feeding place invite more infections. Animals reared in such houses are prone to infections.
• Migratory and animals which are reared in extensive systems are more prone to diseases. Proper vaccination with balanced feeding helps to boost immunity in these animals.

4) Reproductive infections - Infections which are related to the reproduction system in both male and female. The main outcome of this is Abortion. Other can be pyometra and endometritis. Abortions can also be of non infectious origin. E.g. due to stress, due to ingestion of toxins, due to improper medication, can also be due to digestive distrubances, injury due to fight etc. All these reasons are easily avoidable. But, it is difficult to find or treat infectious abortions.

• Abortion causing infections are spread from infected male to female and vice versa. 
• Most dangerous is these animals can carry this infection for lifelong without showing any symptoms.
• What can be done to prevent this? 
• Identify the male whose females frequently get aborted. Culling this particular male is the best solution to prevent future losses.
• Separate aborted females and if possible do not use them for breeding.
• How to identify abortion is of infectious origin?
• Usually in non infectious abortions, aborted foetus are healthy and are not smelly.
• Most of the time Does show symptoms such as fever, anemia, jaundice, respiratory infections, mastitis (teat swelling) and metritis (putrified discharges from vulva) after abortion.
• Aborted animals should be treated and separated from other healhy animals.

5) Precautions to be taken during season change - Whenever there is a season change, climate conditions are disrubed. Such as sudden increase or decrease in temp, humidity. Or heavy rainfall or snowfall. Too windy nights also makes animals susceptible.

• Mostly new born kids, pregnant or weak animals get contracted with diseases easily during these periods. But they can also spread infections among others if not identified on time.
• Why this happens? Sudden change in surrounding climte changes animals' homeostatic mechanism. In this most important is maintaining body temperature. This process itself requires a lot of energy and electrolytes. Excessive loss of these makes animal sick. 
• What can be done?
• Feeding antioxidants such as vitamis mineral mixtures before, during and after these periods.
• In high temperature areas provide fans, better ventilation, cool and clean water and electrolytes.
• In cold and rainy season, provide dry and warm shelter. Also provide attention to ventilation.
• Newly born kids are more vulnerable since their mechanism to maintain body temperature is not developed. They should be provided with warm flooring and enough colostrum.