PSX-28 Management of lameness in meat goat herds: A survey of producers in the southeastern US

Abstract Lameness is a persistent animal health concern in the meat goat industry. A survey was developed to describe lameness in commercial meat goat herds in the southeastern US. The survey included 35 multiple-choice questions about general herd attributes, various management practices, and specific herd lameness characteristics. A photo guide of goat hoof lesions was included in the survey package. The survey was sent by postal mail to 629 farms in Tennessee and bordering states with 183 completed surveys returned. The majority of herds managed Kiko (32%), Boer (22%), and Myotonic (19%) goat breeds. Reasons for raising goats included seed stock or breeding stock (78.1%), commercial, market, or slaughter purposes (62.3%), hobby, pets, or show (48.6%), and for brush, vegetation, or weed control (25.7%). Most respondents (90.7%) acquired goats from breeder farms, whereas only 2.7% of respondents purchased goats from sale barns. Most respondents quarantine new animals before adding them to the herd (78.1%), while 19.7% did not quarantine new animals and 1.1% were unfamiliar with the practice. The average monthly lameness rate was estimated to be at 6% with seasonal occurrences identified by respondents as 6% in the fall, 31.4% in the winter, 25.1% in the spring, and 50.5% in the summer. Some respondents indicated no seasonal variation (24.0%) or did not know (3.3%) if seasonal variation existed. Primary causes of lameness identified by respondents were overgrown hooves (50%), foot scald (19%), and foot rot (14%). Other lesions were identified at less than 8%. Sources of lameness treatment information for respondents were other producers (34.9%), veterinarians (30.6%), books (22.4%), online chat groups (19.1%), magazines (8.7%), and the extension service (8.2%). When lame goats were identified, more respondents (56.8%) did not isolate lame goats than those that practiced lame goat isolation (24.0%). Most respondents indicated that they treated lame goats (76.5%), a few did not treat lame goats (4.9%), and notable proportion (19.6%) did not respond to the question. Management approaches to treating lameness identified most frequently by respondents included hoof trimming (85%), topical hoof applications (40%), injectable antibiotics (32%), and footbaths (17%); 4% of respondents noted other methods. As a form of general hoof care management, most producers conducted hoof trimmings two or three times a year (51.9%), compared with trimming hooves once a year (9.8%), monthly (14.2%), or only trim hooves when goats became lame (6.6%). As a culling criterion, 29.5% responded lameness was a cull factor, 45.4% indicated it was not a cull factor, and 25.1% of respondents either did not know or did not response. Survey results showed that lameness is an issue in meat goat herds of the southeastern U.S. and a diversity of management approaches are used by producers to address the concern.