The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Roxy on February 25, 2014, 01:18:45 pm
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Went to feed the goats this morning, and there was a dead kid in the pen. I have had to put an extra goat in, due to the goat ark blowing away. They all get on well usually, but there is some argy bargy at feeding time, and I suspect she has been butted. Nowhere near kidding, so sadly the little one was not viable.....and for an AN it was tiny -about the size of a rabbit. And a skinned one at that. Could see it had a white star and muzzle though. Very sad, but these things happen. Kept female in, but she is not happen, and wants to be out with her friends. Need to try and get the ark back in its rightful field, but field is so wet,we had to give up weekend.
Not a good week -last Monday, one of my older mares got down in the field, and sadly we had to say goodbye to her.
Will not depress you with the rest of our distasters lately!!
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Ah Roxy I feel for you:( I had same last year. Put them all too bed, nd one kid dead in morning. She'd won a first 5 days previously, nd all the others ok.....vet said stomach twist. Heartbreaking. So sorry.
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Oh how awful for you :'(
I'm seperating mine at night as there is one due to kid shortly and I feed her on her own in the morning as like you say there is the usual scramble come feeding time.
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Sorry to hear about the kid and the mare :hug:
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:hug: :hug:
sad times.
do you have many more to kid? :fc: for them
:bouquet:
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So sorry, Roxy. :hug: :hug:
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I am going to speak to our vet this morning, to make sure there is nothing else going on. I am assuming its just one of those things, but with 4 more goats to kid - better to be safe than sorry. You never know with animals!!
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Roxy,....if you still have the kid, get the Vet to check for Schmallenberg. Because even butting a goat in the last 6 wks would not normally cause abortion.
Better to know the reason.
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So sorrry. :(
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Vet came yesterday afternoon. Bramble has had a blood test, to check for any infection, and yes, I had kept the kid, so vet took samples from that too. She was one of the goats in the shed that blew away in the gales - the vet said that could have caused her stress - although she never showed any sign of worry at the time!! Vet also checked over one of the other females who has developed a wheeze all of a sudden.....Lungs fine, chest ok, she thinks the wheeze is from her upper tract i.e. nose. She now has 3 days antibiotics.
Just busy collecting poo samples now, for a worm count.
Bramble has to be isolated until any contagious infections are ruled out- but with the other goats to kid,and also the ewes, its better to be safe than sorry. Vet said pregnant women needed to keep away - I am safe enough there!!!
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Been a strange kidding season start here. Lost a number of kids either born dead or died soon after. Can only be the weather has had an influence .................no other changes at all. Getting to the point of being totally paranoid about each goat !!!!!!
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So sorry Wytsend - I do wonder if the weather this year is affecting the animals. Some of my girls came back into season, so had to be served again - not that Darren minded!! Even my smaller goats are late kidding this year.....one kids religiously between xmas and New Year every year without fail - but not this year.
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Local sheep farmers are also reporting strange patterns this year...........and lamb losses ............ so t woud seem we are not alone.