Taking a goat’s temperature
Taking a goat’s temperature is easy. You need either a digital or traditional glass thermometer that you can buy from a feed store, a drug store, or a livestock supply catalog. Both types are fairly inexpensive.If you use a glass thermometer, make sure you shake it down before you start so that it reads accurately. Tie a string around one end of a glass thermometer so that you can retrieve it if it goes too far.
To take a goat’s temperature, get your thermometer and take the following steps:-
Immobilize the goat.
You can hold a small kid across your lap. Secure an adult in a stanchion, have a helper hold him still, or tie him to a gate or fence.
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Lubricate your thermometer.
Use KY jelly or petroleum jelly.
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Insert the thermometer a few inches into the goat’s rectum.
Hold the thermometer in place for at least two minutes.
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Slowly remove the thermometer.
Read the temperature and record it on the goat’s health record.
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Clean the thermometer.
Use an alcohol wipe or a cotton ball that has been wet with alcohol.
A goat’s normal temperature is 102 degrees to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. But it can be a degree higher or lower, depending on the goat. A goat’s temperature can also go up or down throughout the day. On a hot day, you can expect some of your goats to have higher temperatures.
To determine what a normal temperature is for your goats, be sure to take their temperatures when they are healthy and keep a record of it. Measure their temperatures on a hot day and a normal day so you have an accurate baseline.
Checking a goat’s pulse
The normal pulse for an adult goat is 70 to 90 beats per minute. Kids’ heart rates may be twice that fast.To take your goat’s pulse:
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Make sure she is calm and resting.
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Find the goat’s artery below and slightly inside the jaw with your fingers.
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Watch a clock and count the number of heartbeats in 15 seconds.
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Multiply that number by four to get the pulse rate.