@article {3672,
	title = {BRIEF COMMUNICATION: Investigating the pattern of lameness in dairy goats across the first two years of life},
	journal = {New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production},
	volume = {81},
	year = {2021},
	month = {01/2022},
	pages = {35-38},
	address = {Online},
	abstract = {Lameness is a painful condition with significant welfare and economic implications. There are few data about the high-risk periods of lameness in dairy goats, therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate how lameness occurrence changes across the first two years of life. Eighty female goats of approximately five months of age were enrolled. Gait-scoring assessments were completed at 9, 13, 17, 21 and 25 months of age. Gait scores were assigned using a 5-point gait scoring system. As there were a low number of 3, 4 or 5 gait scores recorded, a binary outcome variable was created to compare non-lame (score 1) to an impaired gait (score >= 2). A logistic regression (PROC GLIMMIX) was used to test if there was a difference in the proportion of goats with an impaired gait among assessments. When compared with the nine-month assessment, the odds of a goat having an impaired gait were greater by a factor of 2.15 (95\% CI: 1.02 {\textendash} 4.54, P<0.05) at the 13-month assessment and 3.79 (95\% CI: 1.90 {\textendash} 7.57, P<0.001) at the 25-month assessment; as these assessments were both following kidding events, this suggests that parturition may increase the risk of lameness in dairy goats.


Keywords: gait score; uneven gait; impaired gait; parturition; welfare},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Deeming L and Beausoleil NJ and Stafford KJ and Webster J and Zobel G}
}
@conference {3672,
	title = {BRIEF COMMUNICATION: Immediate removal of dairy goat kids from the doe as a strategy to manage colostrum intake},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {76},
	year = {2016},
	month = {07/2016},
	pages = {169-171},
	address = {Adelaide},
	abstract = {An impeded transfer of antibodies between the
maternal and fetal circulatory system results in goat kids
lacking immunity at birth (Hurley \& Theil 2011). The
dam{\textquoteright}s colostrum, which supplies energy, nutrients and
growth hormones, also passively provides immunity via
immunoglobulin G (IgG) (Hurley \& Theil 2011). Without
colostrum, morbidity and mortality increases (O{\textquoteright}Brien \&
Sherman 1993). Unfortunately, colostrum is also a source
of disease, such as caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE)
(Reina et al. 2009). Therefore, removal of the offspring
prior to maternal colostrum transfer is often practiced
(Reina et al. 2009) because it allows for feeding alternative,
disease-free colostrum. For goats, colostrum alternatives
include: bovine, heat-treated caprine, and artificial bovinebased
replacer. While incorrect heat-treatment can reduce
IgG content (Tyler et al. 2000) and some artificial replacers
fail to improve immunity acquisition (Constant et al.
1994), few adverse effects (e.g. reduced kid survival) of
these alternatives have been noted (MacKenzie et al. 1987;
Moretti et al. 2012).
Worldwide, farmers are attempting kid removal and
alternative colostrum feeding, but it is not known to what
extent this practice occurs, nor how successful farmers
are at preventing colostrum ingestion from the doe. Since
bovine and caprine IgG can be measured in serum, presence
or absence of either can help determine the colostrum type
ingested. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to:
1) determine the prevalence of immediate kid removal,
and 2) compare the farmer-reported percentage of kids
successfully removed to the percentage of kids with caprine
serum IgG (an indicator of doe colostrum ingested).},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Zobel G and Tan BL and Deeming L}
}
