NEWS FROM THE FIELD - Winter 2021-22

May 2022, posted by Isabelle

Two Cases of Sore Feet!

Beau,,,

Beau is a 6 year old Saanan goat. Big and tall, he stands on thin long legs that give him a very distinctive gait, throwing awkwardly one leg forward after another looking more like these extra long limbs are impairing his walk rather than facilitating it!
Goats do not like wet ground and do not like having their feet wet. Infection settles easily bebween their toes when the weather is damp which in our English climates is a great part of the year. They will do their best at avoiding the wet, sitting in their shed until the rain and the long dull days of winter go by. Nevertheless, it is impossible to stay in for weeks on end and feet will inevitably get wet, allowing for infection to find a friendly environment and settle in. This is called foot rot as it does smell badly of rotting flesh and affects sheep and goats equally.

This has led me to investigate a natural remedy and the following works absolute wonders.
You will need the following ingredients:
50 gr Betonite clay (any other clay will do)
60 gr Colloidal silver
60 gr black see oil or calendula
2% Niaouli essential oil or 4ml
Mix all ingredients together to obtain a thick enough paste to hold between the toes. Apply 2 times a day. Apply a bandage to ensure the clay remains for a suitable amount of time. I had results within hours with this ointment. Mild cases disappear very quickly. More severe conditions will take a bit longer. Beau was batdly affected to the point where he did not want to walk. This balm cured him within a couple of days.
Proportions do not need to be accurate. There is no strict rule. A different clay will probably take less liquid. Betonite is known to absorb a lot. Start adding the colloidal and oil in small quantities until you get the required consistency. Once you have the right consistency, add Niaouli, 2% of the total weight of the ingredients. LIttle is needed for each application. So there is no need to make a large quantity. Effective and economical.

& Trouble…

Here comes Trouble (self-explanatory), also known as His Lordship, a real character on the farm due to his cheeky, naughty, sefl-assured and self-centered but altogether delightful personality. Trouble did not have foot rot but a rather nasty abscess in between the toes that was causing him pain and a limp. Trouble loves attention. Anything that can provide him with some one to one and direct hands-on practice is whole heartedly welcomed by him with loads of appreciative vocals. Treating his sore foot was no exception and he lent himself to the experience with delight. So here he is, boasting a fluorescent yellow bandage, process that was overseen by Milou who provided his expert knowledge by being an absolute pest and interferring with every step of the process.
Same mixture, applied twice a day. The abscess went within 3 days of treatment using 1 x 100ml pot so half the ingredients as listed above.