GLOSSARY


I’ve put together a list of common words, terms and abbreviations used in goat keeping which you may find useful!

 

 

ABOMASUM = The “true stomach” where gastric juices and enzymes digest food, similar to a human stomach.

 

AC = Ammonium chloride, a chemical sometimes used to prevent or treat certain types of urinary calculi.

 

ACIDOSIS = A dangerous drop in rumen pH, often from sudden and heavy grain consumption , causing pain, dehydration, and potentially death.

 

ANTHELMINTIC = A drug used to treat internal parasites (worms). Not all wormers are effective for all parasites, and resistance is a growing concern.

 

BARBER POLE WORM = A common and dangerous parasite that feeds on blood in the stomach lining and causes anaemia.

BANDED/BANDING = A method of castration using tight rubber bands. The testicles eventually shrink and fall off. A banded male is known as a wether.

 

BILLY/BUCK = An entire (intact) male goat.

 

BIOSECURITY = Practices used to prevent the spread of disease between goats or farms, e.g. foot dips, quarantine, clean equipment.

 

BLOAT = A potentially life-threatening build-up of gas in the rumen. Often caused by rich food, sudden diet changes, or overeating grain.

 

BODY SCORE = A way of assessing body condition by feeling key areas like ribs and spine, rather than relying on weight alone.

 

 

 


BOLUS = A large pill or capsule containing vitamins and minerals given via a bolus gun directly into the stomach.

 

BOTTLE JAW = Swelling under the jaw, usually due to anaemia caused by a high worm burden (especially barber pole worms).

 

BROWSE = Woody plants goats naturally enjoy eating, such as brambles, hedges and small trees.

 

CAE = Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis, a contagious viral disease affecting the joints, brain, lungs, and udder. It is incurable.

 

CHAFF = A chopped forage feed often made from grass, straw, or alfalfa. Some varieties include added herbs or oil.

 

 

 


CHEWING CUD = Regurgitating and re-chewing partially digested food. A healthy sign of proper rumen function.

 

CL = Caseous Lymphadenitis, a contagious bacterial infection that causes internal or external abscesses in lymph nodes. Long-lasting and hard to eliminate.

 

COCCI = Short for coccidiosis, a parasitic disease of the intestines. Common in kids and can be fatal if not treated.

 

CONDITIONING = The process of gradually increasing feed or exercise to improve a goat’s health or body condition.

 

DRENCH  = Giving liquid orally via a syringe or drench gun, often for medication, electrolytes, or wormer.

Bottle jaw.



DISBUDDED = A goat that has had its horn buds removed at a young age (often within the first 7 days of life) to prevent horn growth.

 

ELECTROLYTES = Oral rehydration solutions used to treat dehydration, often from

scours or heat stress.

 

EPG = Eggs Per Gram, a measurement used in faecal egg count results to indicate how many parasite eggs are present in one gram of faeces. It gives an estimate of the worm burden in the goat.

 

FAMACHA = The FAMACHA system is used for monitoring anemia in goats, particularly that caused by the barber pole worm. This is done by assessing the colour of the mucus membrane in the lower eyelid. 

 



FEC = Faecal Egg Count, a test used to check for internal parasites by counting worm eggs in the faeces.

 

FORAGE = Natural food a goat finds itself, like grass, weeds, herbs, and shrubs.

 

GOATLING = A young goat between 6 and 12 months old.

 

HERD = A group of goats (not a flock).

 

HIERARCHY  = A social structure where goats know their rank. It affects everything from food access to shelter space.

 

IM = Intramuscular injection (into the muscle).



KID = A baby goat.

 

LICE/MITES = External parasites that live on skin or fur. Lice are visible and biting/sucking; mites are microscopic and cause intense itching or mange-like symptoms.

 

LIVER FLUKE = Flatworms that live in the liver and bile ducts, picked up from grazing wet, marshy areas with freshwater snails. Causes anaemia, weight loss, bottle jaw, liver damage. Requires a special fluke faecal test, not standard FEC.

 

LUNG WORM= Worms that migrate to the lungs, causing coughing, poor weight gain, nasal discharge. More common in wet, cool climates or when goats graze wet pasture.

 

NANNY/DOE = A female goat.



OMASUM = One of the four stomach chambers. It absorbs water and nutrients from digested food.

 

PASTERN = The part of the leg between the dewclaw and the hoof. Weak pasterns may indicate nutritional deficiencies.

 

POLLED = A genetic trait where a goat is naturally hornless. Polled x polled matings can result in infertility.

 

RETICULUM = The second stomach chamber (after the rumen). Its honeycomb-like lining helps trap foreign objects and mix food for cud.

 

RUMEN = The largest and first stomach chamber, filled with microbes that break down fibrous food like hay and browse. Vital for digestion.

 

 



RUMINATION = The entire digestive process of regurgitating and re-chewing cud, then digesting it further in the stomach chambers.

 

SCOURS/SCOURING = Diarrhoea.

 

SCUR = A partially developed horn or horn fragment, often due to incomplete disbudding. They may be wobbly or break off.

 

STRONGYLE = A general term for a group of parasitic roundworms (nematodes) that live in the gastrointestinal tract of goats?

 

SUBQ = Subcutaneous injection (just under the skin).



TAPEWORM = Flatworms segmented worms that attach to the gut wall.

 

TRACE MINERALS/ELEMENTS = Essential minerals needed in small amounts for healthy growth, reproduction, and immune function.

 

UC = Urinary calculi, a painful condition where crystals or stones block the urinary tract. Most common in early-castrated wethers or those on high-calcium or grain-rich diets.

 

WETHER = A castrated male goat.

 

WITHERS = The ridge between the shoulder blades, often used to measure height.

 

YEARLING = A young goat between 12 and 24 months old.

 

 

Scurs.