The Homesteader's Animal Health Checklist
A printable weekly and monthly checklist for goats, chickens, cattle, sheep, and pigs — so you catch problems before they become emergencies.
What you'll get
- Weekly observation checklists for 5 species
- Monthly health task reminders (vaccinations, FAMACHA, hoof care)
- Seasonal reminders (pre-kidding, pre-breeding, winter prep)
- Red flag signs that mean call the vet today
Built by a real farmer in South Carolina · Free, always.
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🐐 Goats
Weekly Checks
- Body condition score — ribs visible? Spine prominent?
- Eyes: bright and clear, or dull and sunken?
- FAMACHA score — pull lower eyelid, check color (1=red, 5=white)
- Coat: dull, standing on end, or rough patches (mites)?
- Hooves: are any animals limping? Check for hoof rot smell.
- Droppings: firm pellets normal. Clumping or liquid = problem.
- Eating and drinking normally?
- Pregnant does: bag filling, discharge, ligaments softening?
Monthly Tasks
- FAMACHA score every animal (monthly minimum)
- Body condition score all adults
- Hoof trimming where needed
- Check vaccination due dates (CD&T, rabies)
- Does: check for mastitis (lumpy milk, hot quarter)
- Kids under 3 months: weight gain on track?
Red Flags — Call Vet Today
- Bottle jaw (fluid swelling under chin) — severe anemia, treat now
- Standing hunched, grinding teeth — pain, bloat, urinary blockage (bucks)
- Off feed for more than 24 hours
- Any doe that hasn't kidded within 30 min of active labor
🐔 Chickens
Weekly Checks
- Count birds — same number as yesterday?
- Egg count: any unexpected drops (>15% in a week)?
- Any birds hunched up, off the roost during the day?
- Droppings: normal brown/white. Green, yellow, or blood = problem.
- Check comb color — pale or blue-purple means something is wrong
- Watch eating and drinking — all birds at the feeder/waterer?
- Check for mites/lice: part feathers near vent and under wings
- Nesting boxes clean? Dirty boxes = more broken eggs and bacteria
Monthly Tasks
- Deep clean waterers (slime = bacteria)
- Dust bath available and used?
- Check for bumblefoot (swollen footpads with black scabs)
- Review egg production trend — any unexplained drops
- Apply mite/lice treatment if needed (monthly in warm months)
- Vaccination due dates
Red Flags — Call Vet Today
- Multiple sudden deaths with no prior signs — notify your state vet
- Twisted neck, circling, or unable to walk — neurological sign
- Face or eye swelling — respiratory disease or mycoplasma
- Bloody droppings in birds under 8 weeks — coccidiosis, treat immediately
🐄 Cattle
Weekly Checks
- Head count — all present and accounted for?
- Any limping? Check hooves for footrot (foul smell, swelling between toes)
- Eyes clear — pinkeye season watch (flies, bright sun)
- Body condition score — ribs and spine visibility
- Pregnant cows: bag filling, discharge, dropping toward due date
- All eating, drinking, and ruminating normally?
- Calves: nursing? Ears up? Alert and moving normally?
Monthly Tasks
- BCS (body condition score) all adults — aim for 5-6 at calving
- Check vaccination schedule (BVD, IBR, Lepto, Clostridial 7-way)
- Pregnancy check cows that were bred 60-90 days ago
- Fly/parasite control program on schedule
- Mineral blocks full and available
Red Flags — Call Vet Today
- Any cow down and unable to rise — milk fever, hardware, injury
- Bloat (left-side distension) — call vet, can be fatal within hours
- Bloody or profuse diarrhea — BVD, Salmonella, BRD
- Calves with droopy ears, sunken eyes, nasal discharge — BRD, treat same day
🐑 Sheep
Weekly Checks
- FAMACHA score (same priority as goats — barber pole worm)
- Body condition score — ribs and spine
- Any animals lagging behind the flock when moving?
- Foot check — footrot is highly contagious and fast-spreading
- Droppings: firm pellets normal, clumping or liquid = problem
- Pregnant ewes: bag, discharge, eating and drinking
Monthly Tasks
- FAMACHA all animals
- Hoof trimming where needed — especially footrot-prone animals
- Check vaccination schedule (CD&T, selenium where needed)
- Fecal egg counts if you have history of anthelmintic resistance
Red Flags — Call Vet Today
- Staggers, circling, teeth grinding — Polioencephalomalacia (thiamine deficiency) or listeria
- Head tilt — listeria, ear mites, injury
- Ewe not cleaning up a lamb within 30 min — intervention needed
- White muscle disease (rigid hindquarters in lambs) — selenium deficiency, immediate BoSe
🐷 Pigs
Weekly Checks
- All eating aggressively? Pigs that go off feed are sick until proven otherwise
- Coughing? Any respiratory sounds at rest?
- Skin: any diamond-shaped lesions (erysipelas), red blotches, or crusty patches
- Body condition: ribs starting to show or fat covering completely
- Sows: observe farrowing — most litters need some assistance
- Baby pigs: all nursing? Any crushed or chilled piglets?
Monthly Tasks
- Internal and external parasite treatment on schedule
- Vaccination schedule (Erysipelas, Lepto, Myco, Parvo for breeders)
- Bedding dry and clean — wet bedding = respiratory disease
- Check for fight wounds — isolate injured animals
Red Flags — Call Vet Today
- Sudden high fever, recumbency, labored breathing — PRRS, Swine Flu, call vet
- Blue/purple extremities (ears, snout) — septicemia or PRRS
- Sow not farrowing within 8 hours of strong contractions — dystocia
- Any neurological signs — PED, salt poisoning, Pseudorabies (reportable)
Track this automatically in Mind the Farm
Log health events, set vaccination reminders, and track FAMACHA scores for every animal — free for your first 2 species.
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