I just posted about my rather traumatic introduction to goat keeping and what's happening now, but the gist of my situation is that I acquired two nine week old wethers last Saturday, after 30 years (yes, that's right, 30 years) of dreaming about having goats. Two nights later, one of the boys mysteriously died in his sleep -- he literally didn't appear to have moved during the course of dying, he just looked as peaceful and cute as ever, just not alive anymore. So now I am struggling with the challenge of having one very lonely little wether and I am stressed out! I have a temporary situation set up that works as a stop gap measure, but it is very hard to try to navigate this as a first step in goat keeping! I am so grateful to have found this forum...I feel a lot less isolated now, so thanks in advance!
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So glad to hear you have a herd now! Good luck with them and enjoy your realized dream ;)
So good to hear that things are better for you!
Just wanted to give a little update -- things are FINALLY going relatively smoothly. I ended up with two unusually tiny Oberhalsi does from a herd I knew to be both healthy and friendly, and they are a great match for Brownie. He is still unusually small himself, so they only play together under supervision, but it is working out well, as he is also very people oriented and having the two girls allows us to bring him about with us without leaving anyone else feeling lonely.
I so appreciate the support offered during that stressful beginning. It helped me to not completely freak out! Thank you.
Sorry I haven't been able to reply -- as if it what was going on with the goat situation weren't enough, my phone/internet line snapped and it takes awhile to get repairs done these days it seems.
I've been in touch with the person from whom I purchased the goats, and she was upset and mystified too. I posted a question about free feeding minerals because the little guy who died had consumed what seemed like an extremely large quantity of loose minerals on Monday (he died Monday night). I had thought I understood that they could be left out for free feeding, and that belief was confirmed, so it makes me wonder if he had some kind of imbalance going on that either killed him, or caused him to overeat the minerals and create a deadly imbalance of some kind.
Brownie, the surviving kid, has been struggling with loose stools. I think we are finally on the right track addressing that, and today for the first time he really played like you'd expect a 10 week old kid to play. It was hilarious and exciting.
So sorry for your loss! I had a doeling die unexpectedly last year. She was a bit younger. Have you contacted the person you bought the goats from? It might be too late now, but an autopsy would be nice to have. Just to rule out any underlying issues that could impact your future herd. It's definitely not normal for a goat to just up and die...especially at that age! I hope you get some answers!
So very sorry for your loss. This life with goats can be stressful and tremendously rewarding at the same time.
And Glenna, I can't even express how bad I feel for you for losing your babies. After what you went through last year... it just doesn't seem fair at all. You have such a good positive attitude and keep on keeping on through all the trials and tribulations and I admire you for that. ((((hug))))
Yes, stay in there! Not about goats but we also have chickens & one morning I went to collect eggs & one of my favorite hens laid stone cold dead on the coop floor. Her neck was floppy but no blood was visible. A broken neck I thought? How? We still aren't sure, and then we had 3 baby ducklings come up missing one night! No feathers, no blood, nothing no trace of what happened or where they were-just gone! On a farm these things happen-not the norm and the good times are more often & worth it!--Push on, ask Deborah how often something like this happens she's been at it along time, but please keep us posted so if you do find out we can all learn from it:) God Bless from Oregon
Thank you for your response. I am confident that it is not the norm, and hope to continue on with goats -- I'm guessing that, just as my life as a parent started off under great duress and grew into a wonderful adventure full of powerful lessons, so to will my future with goats. It's always helpful to hear the stories of others in order to gain perspective. Thanks for sharing yours.
Please accept my condolences for the loss of your little boy. Though it is difficult to believe, this is not the norm in having these little sweeties. That comes from someone who lost three babies last year and two already this year - all of which my own decisions are ultimately responsible, not easy to deal with. This year it was because I stayed in the house, after sleeping in the stall all night, for a little over half an hour, confident that my doe would holler and I would hear her on the monitor. She did not holler at all and when I went back out, two had died because their sac had not broken at all and she was busy taking care of the first three, frantically trying to get the sac off the third-born's head and the sac still around the second-born but off her head. Last year, it was because I believed the vet when he said if the first one was born, the others would have no problem. I was very lucky the first year, the one kidding, a single birth, while long was uneventful and certainly did not prepare me for last year and the loss of three of the quads. Luckily for me, my junior doe gave birth to triplets the next day with absolutely no problems of any kind.
Even with all that, I highly recommend you stay in there and continue your goat venture because there are so many rewards. What has just happened to you is truly the exception. I hope you are able to very soon find another wether for your lonely little boy.