[jaykay]

Fortunately not mine, I'm asking for a friend.

She lives in Virginia, USA. Has Nigerian dwarves. Her three year old goat had quadruplets this April. Two of whom died yesterday .

She thinks it might have been mouldy hay. But would that kill them, so fast?

She says there was no scouring or anything. They just died. She does tell me they weren't vaccinated against clostridial diseases. Could it have been that? Obviously she wants to avoid the others dying if at all possible. They're pretty poor, so no spare money for the vet to do an autopsy.

[plumseverywhere]

Mouldy hay carries listeriosis.  Goats can, and do, die very quickly when they give up. One of my 8 month old kids died 24 hours after showing first signs of illness.  Very sad for your friend    If all of her goats have eaten the same hay have the others shown any signs of illness? do you know if the 2 that died were scouring?

[Hopewell]

Listeriosis is more often associated with silage than with hay. I doubt fungal infections from mouldy hay would kill that fast. I would definitely have have clostridial diseases as top of my list of possibilities. Even if your friend can't afford an autopsy then why not get her to open up the carcase herself and see if there is anything obvious - it would hopefully give us a bit more information to go on.

[plumseverywhere]

Mouldy hay nearly killed my saanen.

[Roxy]

Seeing as two kids died the same day, it does point to something they both ate - maybe not mouldy hay, but some poisonous plant that was in the hay? 

[wytsend]

  My usual suggestion..... COCCIDIOSIS.

The nature of the sudden death is typocal cocci...... it is often the only symptom with kids at that age.   Cocci will kill suddenly most goats who come into contact with it, up to about 2 yrs old.   Signs after that at usually less severe because immunity is developing.