How to Vaccinate Meat Goats for Pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is the No. 1 killer in goats. There are vaccinations to help prevent against pneumonia caused by Mannheimia, Pasteurella multocida and haemolytica. Adult goats should be vaccinated with two doses at least two to four weeks apart. Vaccinated kids younger than 3 months old can be revaccinated at 3 to 4 months old or at weaning. There are many vaccine brands on the market, and each one has a different dosing. Before vaccinating, be sure to find the correct dosage per pound on the bottle.

Things You'll Need

  • Syringe with needle
  • Vaccine
  • Alcohol pads
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Weigh the goat to get the accurate dosage per pound. For a herd of goats similar in weight, weigh two to three for a small herd or four to five for a large herd to get an average weight. To figure the average weight, add up all the weights, then divide by the number of goats you weighed.

    • 2

      Look on the vaccination bottle for the dosage; it usually is listed by every 100 pounds. If the goats weigh less than 100 pounds, decrease the dose. For example, the amount of vaccination per pound when the dosage is 1cc per 100 pounds would be .01cc. Multiply the cc's per pound by the weight of the goat, then round up. For a vaccine dose of 1cc per 100 pounds, a 56-pound goat's dosage would be .56, rounded up to .6cc .

    • 3

      Use a 20 gauge, 1-inch needle with a syringe for adult goats and a 1/2-inch needle with a syringe for small does and kids. Stick the needle into the rubber top of the vaccine. Turn the bottle upside down and pull back on the plunger of the syringe until the vaccine fills the syringe to the correct dosage. Remove the syringe from the bottle. Push the plunger of the syringe until all the air is out of it.

    • 4

      Wipe the shoulder of the goat where you will be administering the vaccination, using an alcohol pad. Insert the needle into the goat's shoulder and push the plunger until all of the vaccine is out of the syringe. Remove the needle from the goat. Alternate shoulders when revaccinating to prevent the goat from limping.