The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: tizaala on April 09, 2013, 12:53:54 pm
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While doing my morning rounds today I got a bit of a shock, Took everyone's hard feed out , then took the hay round, our two billies were munching away as usual , then I started my hosepipe rounds for their water and found our 2year old BT billy dead on the floor, I can only assume he had a heart attack , no marks on him , no blood anywhere . the odd thing is today was his birthday ,
born 09/04/2011-
died 09/04 /2013
how odd.
ps :later the same day. While I was unloading a new Heston of hay into the feedroom I looked round and Ariana was just giving birth to twin boys.
so you win some- you lose some
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Oh, how sad, he died on his birthday. Sorry for your loss Doug :bouquet:
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Thank you Sally, But you should be feeling sorry for Gabi's dad , he will be the one having to comfort her , not an easy job at the best of times, it can go on for days....... :-J
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Oh no - that's both odd and a bit scary. Sorry you've lost him :hug:
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Our poor Tallis - no idea what happened. Well and happy one minute and dead the next. Will be back next sunday and can cuddle the new arrivals.
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So sorry :bouquet: That must have been a bit of a shock.
Nice to see two new borns doing well :love:
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Oh no, a bit of a shock....and strange....but a bonus that our kids are doing so well
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wow! what a day you had..the kids look great though... did the billy have a heart attack ?
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could have been several things......... heart attacks in goats are rare................. coccidiosis/fluke/etc have been a major problem in the last 6-12mths for everybody. Even if a good worming programme has been in place, some gut damage is still possible.
Twisted gut is another possibility.................more common than is thought. In this situation, only a PM willgive a definitive answer and one that I would do in case it is something that could present a risk to the others.
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He was wormed, fluked, supplemented , drenched ,vaccinated etc. the same as the rest on a regular basis, no signs of bottle jaw , lethargy, or any other untoward symptoms of illness of any sort, he was his normal self.
He was eating his hay and hard feed as normal literally a couple of minutes before , just in the time it took me to leave his pen and set up the hosepipe , I checked his airway for obstruction- nothing. besides I would have heared him choking. just collapsed on his knees and belly like he'd been shot. ( no sign of that either). Not going to give a vet money to say "your goats dead " "that's £200 quid for my diagnosis".
If you have livestock - you have deadstock . money won't bring him back.
We did everything we could do ,and should do to look after him , he is just an unexplained death .
Our landlord went to feed his sheep on the steep ground above our house an hour later, and as usual they all came running to the pellets, in the rush to get there one of his ewes stumbled ,fell and broke her neck then continued to roll down the hill , she ended up dead at his feet when she stopped rolling . These are normal agricultural losses you learn to live with , life goes on.
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Commiserations tizz, bit of a shock and how odd on his birthday. :hug:
Congratulations too, the new arrivals look fab. :thumbsup:
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Odd.... but yes one of those things that do happen. Have you got a companion for the remaining boy?
I don't think he knew it was his birthday?
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Yes, he has company, we have an ancient BS baron pensioner that he likes , so the arrangement suits both of them. we will be looking for a pure tog billy a bit later in the season , but won't be taking much on until Gabi's family matters are more settled in Germany, she will be back home on Sunday then will probably have to go back in May while her brother goes off on a jolly , not that he does a lot while he's there .
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So sorry to hear of your sad loss. What a shock for you. The new arrivals are beautiful, they look so silky! Congrats on their safe arrival.
Mary.