I overslept (until 8:00) and when I looked my t.v. monitor, I saw my little doeling laying in the far corner of the kidding stall (far meaning away from the heat lamp). In a panic, I went out - she was dead. Her little body was still warm on the underside. As you can imagine, I am heartbroken. I will be taking her to the vet for a necropsy as she seemed to be fine last night. Last night, I had checked her buds to see if she was ready for disbudding as all the others are. Hers were not quite as advanced as those on Summer's doelings but would still be ready by Friday. The temp was 38 so I don't know if she went too far from the heat lamp and got too cold but that seems unlikely as both of them spend all of their non-play time under the lamp in their "hut."
This leaves Capri with only one baby after all she went through to get them here. She is the only doeling from Crazy and was going to be one that would stay here for certain probably for the rest of her life. It certainly was not intended to be under the apple tree with her brother after just ten days.
After I know what happened, as much as I can, I'll post it.
Replies
Im so sorry to hear all this!! My doe sits around in the pen when she is about a month away from kidding!! Its the funniest thing. I think I have pictures of it too!! If I can find some I will post them!! :-)
Anesthesia? Most vets avoid anesthesia use in goats because some of them don't wake up. It's a rather risky practice given the alternative -- goats don't die from NOT being given anesthesia. The only benefit of using anesthesia would be for the human who doesn't have to hear the few seconds of screaming. I've even heard of vets who didn't do general anesthesia for c-section (they used epidural) because of the risk of a goat not waking up.
Not passed out, under anesthesia for the disbudding. While waiting to start to wake up, they were all four lined up after like little piggies nursing, likely the only time in their lives they will all be quiet. Within half an hour, they were all bounding around again.
Earlier, all the babies and both moms were out playing for over an hour (together), then they babies had dinner and took a long nap before the vet arrived. Except for the rings on their little heads, you would not know anything was done.
Yeah that sounds scary!
Margaret Langley said:
Glenna, what do you mean by "while he was out", after the disbudding? Did he seem passed out?If so what did the vet say about that?
Vet was out today to disbud my four kids. Poor little things. All were back to normal like nothing happened in no time at all after the deed was done.
He had not been back to the office for the test results but they told him via telephone they were in. Septic something or other but it is a bacteria that traveled to the liver from the umbilical cord. He was quite puzzled about it since the cord was well healed with no sign of infection of any kind. He said it must have gotten some bacteria up there at birth. Very, very tragic circumstances that could happen to literally any kid any time. From now on, I am putting tincture of iodine on the cord before mom even gets baby. (He said to use that because betadine is water soluble and not the best to use in that environment.) The only good to come from this is knowing it is not genetic or contagious which puts my mind at a bit more ease and should assure buyers that theirs is okay. He was surprised that she had not been acting sick before she died especially with the infection so bad; she seemed fine the night before.
He said he was going to look/ask if they had tested something or other and have them do it if they had not.
I will tell you it nearly freaked me out for black buckling to be laying there so still while he was out after the disbudding. I'm afraid I am going to be paranoid for a long time. On the good side is that Capri seems to want to be milked; I am taking nearly a pint a day and will up that in another week or so. I truly believe I will be getting at least a quart a day from her by the time her little boy goes to a new home - sure hope I am right! I have gotten so fond of the cream cheese, etc.
So sorry to hear this, Glenna! I hope you get an answer soon. Hugs to you and all the goaties. You're a great goat mom, Glenna! Hang in there! :)
I have a doe that used to sit down on the stand when I first started milking her (whenever she wasn't jumping up and down, that is). I started slipping a small plastic pail (upside down) under her chest before milking her and that put a stop to it. Now she's pretty good on the stand most of the time, and when she "forgets" and starts to sit down, I just slide the pail under her belly and she stands right back up. She still does a little cha-cha when she runs out of food while I'm still milking, or just when she feels I'm milking too slowly, but I've learned to work around that. And with her, I do make sure I pour milk into a jar as I go along so I don't lose a full pail if she does manage to put a high kick into the cha cha.
I hope you are able to solve the mystery of your doeling's death. I would be watching the others like a hawk, too, if I were in your situation, but it sounds like something specific to the one kid. At least, I hope that's the case and the others are all OK.
LOL! Your Crazy Girl! We use to have a horse that my dad taught to sit and that was the funniest looking thing!
I look at it this way: Everyone seems to think that it is easiest to get them to let you milk right after they kid, so why not take advantage of that time to get them use to getting milked regularly even if you only milk a couple ounces on each side for the ones with quads or trips who seem to need it. Just to get them accustomed to the process. I plan on doing it that way.
We have been rubbing ours every once in a while since they came last year and we have about 5 or 6 out of the 9 to where they don't jump away from us when we do it now. Wouldn't you know the one who throws a huge fit is going to be the first one to have kids. LOL! And the very youngest one too! Weird! She should kid pretty soon and will be 2 in August, but is still the youngest!
Normally, Margaret, when I am really milking (like keeping it for me), I have a container at the milk stand that has the filter on it and pour it in there from the cup I milk into as I milk, mostly so if there is a spill that I don't lose it all; learned that quickly! Then when I bring it inside, I put it through the strainer again just in case something may have gotten in outside. I figure it won't hurt to strain it twice anyway. I am using the little strainer from Hoegger that fits on a fruit jar. When I bought it and it came, I was shocked as I was used to the big one for cows, one of those things I didn't think through so didn't expect something so small - I actually laughed at myself. The description said fruit jar, not gallon jar, which is what we strained milk into.<g>
Good idea about Summer, going through the motions with her. The good part about tonight is that she didn't try to sit which she did when pregnant when I would "play" with her udder and massage it. She has been funny since the end of her pregnancy; she sits a lot, yes sits. I don't know if this is because her udder is so full and that is the only comfortable way for her to rest. I've never seen Capri or Ginger do it, only Summer and her nipples are quite prominent when she does, makes me think of a large breasted woman (different nipple shape however), would drive a teenage boy crazy with embarrassment.<g>
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next